PLANT SPECIES FREQUENCY, ABUNDANCE AND FOREST DYNAMICS IN CENTRAL ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Global vegetation is experiencing a significant change due to disturbance of extreme climate events, natural hazards and human activities. Thus, it has contributed immensely to global tropical forest loss. The forest reserves in Central Adamawa State are gradually losing vegetation cover and have undergone profound changes in recent years thereby affecting the plant species structural composition of these forest reserves. Therefore, the aim of the study was to examine the pattern of plant species in Girei, Gurin, and Zangula forest reserves Adamawa State. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were applied in data collection. Descriptive statistic such as simple percentages, bar graphs and tables were used to analyze the data generated. The study revealed a regular distribution of high frequency (47.5%, 52.5% and 44.8% and 55.2%) and low abundance (9, 5, 5 and 3) for woody plant species; and non-woody plant species (24.5% and 65.7%) and (23 and 42) in the deforested area vegetation cover. Similarly, in the high dense forest vegetation cover species distribution pattern follows a patchy (contagious) distribution pattern with high abundance (11) and low percentage frequency (49%); while non-woody plant species follows a regular distribution (63.2%, 26%, 5.3 and 5%). Result further revealed the abundance class distribution of the total number of woody plant species rarely occurred (72.5%, 89.7% and 100%); non-woody plant species (92.1% & 7.9%; 75.3% & 14.3% and 76.3% & 10.6%). Conclude that the nature of the three forest reserves studied is homogeneous in nature as the number of woody plant species in A category is higher than the B category. Therefore, the study recommends an urgent need for government intervention to promote community-based and participatory approaches in forest management.