International Journal of Mol. Ecol. and Conserv. 2015, Vol.5, No. 1, 1-6
Plate 1: Scenes of deforestation in the study area
Source: Field survey, 2012
Conclusion
The impact of indiscriminate logging, forest resources
exploitation and agricultural conversion on the study
area is severe leading to gaps and juvenile or few
mature trees in the study area. Although the area is
still covered with patches of more or less intact
rainforest species with small diameter and height,
logging has negatively impacted on the species
composition of the study area. Furthermore, increased
pressure for suitable land for crop cultivation by the
local community members has also resulted in the
clearance of the forest edge for fertile land to cultivate
their crops. The accessibility of areas which were
formerly difficult to get to has improved considerably
increasing exploitation and vegetation degradation of
the forest resources. There is therefore the need for an
effective management strategy to be implemented the
study area to restore and control the rate of vegetation
degradation to ensure sustainable forest resources
exploitation in the area and also to safeguard the
habitat of the endemic primate species.
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