Plant Species Abundance and Diversity at Scrap Metal Dumpsites in Abuja Municipality and Environs, Nigeria: Implications for Phytoremediation

Environmental pollution is on the increase in urban areas of many low-and-middle income countries in recent years due to anthropogenic activities, including multiplication of poorly managed dumpsites. Scrap metal dumpsites, in particular, have been associated with heavy metal contamination of soil, with attendant impact on plant health and biodiversity. However, plants growing at scrap metal dumpsites may also have potential for phytoremediation. This study was designed to investigate plant diversity and abundance at scrap metal dumpsites within Abuja municipality and environs, with the aim of assessing how these dumpsites influence the diversity and abundance of local plant communities. Plants were collected at five major scrap metal dumpsites within Abuja municipality and environs using strategic quadrat sampling. Species abundance and diversity were determined, and data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, with significance at p<0.05. Twenty-seven plant species belonging to 25 genera in 13 families were identified. Family Asteraceae, with seven plant species, had the highest number of species, while Ageratum conyzoides L. had the highest relative importance values of 15.91%. Species richness of the five study locations ranged from 4 for Gwagwalada to 17 for Kugbo. Species richness of study sites were generally statistically lower than that of the control site (p<0.05). Highest diversity index of 2.631 was obtained at the study site in Kugbo. These findings underscore the resilience and adaptability of plants at these polluted environments, indicating that despite being exposed to anthropogenic disturbance, these sites provided habitats for colonization by some plants that are potentially useful for phytoremediation.