Jedidah Akawu Jacob
Other projects
20 Apr 2022
Conservation of Azanza garckeana, a Poorly Studied, and locally Threatened Plant Species in Nigeria
The African baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) is an important multipurpose, drought-resistant wild fruit tree, endemic to the arid and semi-arid lands of sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria and most developing countries where poverty and food insecurity are prevalent, baobab’s fruit pulp and leaves play important roles in food and nutritional supplementation (Muok et al., 2000; Amusa et al., 2017). Many rural, cash-poor households also strongly depend on its non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for their livelihoods (Buchmann et al., 2010; Diaz et al., 2018).
The recent opening of new market niches for baobab fruit pulp in Europe and the USA has increased pressure on an already declining population. Fruit harvesting affects seed dispersal and establishment, while leaf harvesting causes mutilation that reduces the number of fruits produced by each tree. Within the Nigerian Sudano-Sahelian savannah, a number of threats, including human extraction, slow regeneration, and livestock and wild animal grazing, continue to endanger the species’ survival. Yet, the baobab is not listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2024).
In view of the foregoing, this study will examine the impact of fruit and leaf harvesting on the population structure and viability of an undocumented baobab population across three land-use types: natural woodland, rocky outcrops, and villages (settlements), covering an area of 1,803 km². The viability of the population will be determined by the population size of mature baobab trees and its regeneration potential (recruit population).
We will engage the local community through conservation awareness initiatives on the ecological importance of the species, emphasising the implications of overexploitation on the ecosystem and local livelihoods. Lastly, one thousand seedlings will be planted to maintain the baobab population in situ.