Impact of Farming Activities on Vegetation in Olokemeji Forest Reserve, Nigeria

An investigation was carried out in Olokemeji Forest Reserve (Nigeria) to examine the impact of
farming activities on the vegetation of the reserve. The 5,888 hectare forest reserve was divided into
three zones for the purpose of this study. They are natural forest (zone 1), plantation (zone 2) and the
fallow area (zone 3). Ten plots of 40m x 50m were randomly selected from each zone for
enumeration. In addition 100 questionnaires were administered to elicit information on the effects of
farming activities on the plant resources of the Olokemeji forest reserve. The inverse of Simpson
diversity indices of the three zones showed that zone 1 had 43.5, zone 2, 2.1 and zone 3, 11.8. The
very low diversity indices recorded in zones 2 and 3 resulted from the extensive and intensive farming
activities as most species in the zones had been cut down during farm clearing.
Farming activities in the reserve have resulted in large hectares of impoverished secondary forest, bare
and degraded lands, grasslands and plantation of exotic species. About 25 plants useful to the
respondents have also been lost due to farming activities.