International Journal of Mol. Ecol. and Conserv 2015, Vol.5, No.7, 1-10
2
that sacred places can become real biodiversity
reserves in the African continent.
According to Holdgate (1991), Lyster (1991), Nokoe
(1993) and Awake (1997), a sacred forest in the
tropical rain forest region can conserve over 80% of
the area’s biodiversity. Undoubtedly, in China, according
to Wang and Chen (2004) and Shengji (2005), the
sacred forest from which the Xishuangbana biosphere
reserve was built upon, plays a key role in conserving
this rich biodiverse area. The reserve is said to have
3,890 identified species of vascular plants, including
53 species under the priority protection of the state,
and 620 species of terrestrial vertebrates of which 109
species are under the priority protection of the states.
Also, there are 102 species of mammals (20 percent of
China’s total); 38 species of amphibians and 60
species of reptiles (43 percent of China’s total) in the
Xishuagbana reserve, including 1,437 identified insect
species (Wang and Chen, 2004).
The establishment of these sacred forests/groves in
certain sensitive ecosystem including river banks,
streams, ponds, mountain and forests has helped to
preserve the biodiversity of these areas and serve gene
pools for plant seeds and seedlings available for
regeneration in the degraded areas outside and around
the forests/groves (Telly, 2005). The practice of
leaving a number of trees standing for sacred or
economic reasons and probably in some cases (where
culture allows) incorporation of various farming
systems alongside these trees, serve as a basis for
agroforestry interventions such as mixed cropping.
The prohibition of hunting in the forests/groves,
which serve as wildlife sanctuaries for the rapidly
diminishing populations of birds, mammals and reptiles,
is an important conservation practice. The non-burning
of these groves has assisted in maintaining the biological
diversity in the groves to the extent that the laws of
nature are fully operational in these groves, hence the
soils are much richer in nutrients (Telly, 2005).
This study therefore examine the vegetation of a few
sacred forests in the rain forest zone to ascertain its
structure, species composition, families and diameter
at breast height class of available trees in the areas.
Materials and Methods
1 Study Area
The study was conducted in both Akwa Ibom and
Cross River States in the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
Akwa Ibom State lies between latitudes 4
0
33
1
N and 5
0
33
1
N and longitudes 7
0
30
1
E
and 8
0
20
1
E, while Cross
River State lies on latitude 5
0
23
1
N and 4
0
27
1
N and
longitude 7
0
50
1
E and 9
0
28
1
E (Daniel, 2010). Akwa
Ibom state has a total land mass of 8,412km
2
with
15.2% of its land area under forest cover and Cross
River State has 46.2% of its 23,074.425km
2
land mass
under forest cover (FORMECU, 1999). Akwa Ibom
State has a mean rainfall and temperature of 2500mm
and 27
0
C/annum respectively (Etukudo, 2001). Cross
River State, though sharing a common border with
Akwa Ibom State has a mean annual rainfall and
temperature of 3000mm and 25
0
C respectively (Ibor
and Abi, 2005). The relative humidity in both states is
high with abundant sunlight to support long growth
period for luxuriant vegetation all year round. However,
though the two states are predisposed to the luxuriant
tropical rainforest such as fresh water swamp forest,
mangrove forest and lowland rainforest because of
their location on the shores of Atlantic Ocean and the
presence of good climatic factors, there are marked
differences in their vegetation with the existence of Oil
Palm belt, in Akwa Ibom State (Etukudo, 2001) and
Guinea Savanna in Cross River State (Ibor and Abi,
2005). These differences are due largely to the distance
from the ocean, change in elevation, soil variations,
and marked climatic fluctuation among the two states.
The two states having co-existed as one state (Cross
River State) before state creation in 1987 when Akwa
Ibom was created out of it. They have a common
traditional administrative setting with the village head
as the traditional head of the village/community,
supported by the family heads who together with other
selected indigenes, constitute the village council.
Group heads, Clan heads and Paramount rulers are the
other traditional hierarchy in both states, responsible
for protecting the culture of the people. (Figure 1)
2 Selection of sample area
The two states were independently studied, after which
a multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select the
study samples. Akwa Ibom State was divided into three
