Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Forest Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 4 of 4

Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences

Bird Communities In African Cocoa Agroforestry Are Diverse But Lack Specialized Insectivores, Crinan Jarrett, Thomas B. Smith, Tabe T.R. Claire, Diogo F. Ferreira, Melanie Tchoumbou, Malange N.F. Elikwo, Jared D. Wolfe, Kristin Brzeski, Andreanna J. Welch, Rachid Hanna, Luke L. Powell Mar 2021

Bird Communities In African Cocoa Agroforestry Are Diverse But Lack Specialized Insectivores, Crinan Jarrett, Thomas B. Smith, Tabe T.R. Claire, Diogo F. Ferreira, Melanie Tchoumbou, Malange N.F. Elikwo, Jared D. Wolfe, Kristin Brzeski, Andreanna J. Welch, Rachid Hanna, Luke L. Powell

Michigan Tech Publications

Forests are being converted to agriculture throughout the Afrotropics, driving declines in sensitive rainforest taxa such as understorey birds. The ongoing expansion of cocoa agriculture, a common small-scale farming commodity, has contributed to the loss of 80% rainforest cover in some African countries. African cocoa farms may provide habitat for biodiversity, yet little is known about their suitability for vertebrate fauna, or the effect of farm management on animal communities. Here, we report the first in-depth investigation into avian diversity and community composition in African cocoa, by assembling a dataset of 9,566 individual birds caught across 83 sites over 30 …


The Effects Of Early Pruning On The Near-Ground Branch Density Of Four Live Fencing Species, Aric Devens Jan 2017

The Effects Of Early Pruning On The Near-Ground Branch Density Of Four Live Fencing Species, Aric Devens

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Crop losses in home gardens greatly impact the wellbeing of rural West African families. Herbivory by migratory or local livestock represents a significant source of crop loss. Live-fencing gardens with thorny hedges is a low-cost and sustainable strategy for reducing losses due to herbivory. However, guidance on the establishment of thorny hedges is inconsistent, poorly publicized, and often anecdotal. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of three early pruning treatments on near-ground branch density of four thorny species: Vachellia nilotica, Senegalia laeta, Senegalia mellifera, and Prosopis juliflora. Physical measurements and photographic data indicated that after one growing season, V. …


Understanding Farmers’ Perceptions And The Effects Of Shea Tree Vitellaria Paradoxa Distribution In Agroforestry Parklands Of The Upper West Region, Ghana, Fahimeh Baziari Jan 2015

Understanding Farmers’ Perceptions And The Effects Of Shea Tree Vitellaria Paradoxa Distribution In Agroforestry Parklands Of The Upper West Region, Ghana, Fahimeh Baziari

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Agroforestry parklands represent a vast majority of the agricultural landscape under subsistent-oriented farming in semi-arid West Africa. Parklands are characterized by the growth of well- maintained trees (e.g., shea) on cultivated fields as a result of both environmental and human influences. Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) provides a cultural and economic benefit to the local people of Ghana, especially women. Periods between traditional fallow rotation systems have reduced recently due to agricultural development and a demand for higher production. As a result, shea trees, which regenerate during fallow periods, has decreased over the landscape. The aim of this study was …


Assessment Of The Domestication State Of Ackee (Blighia Sapida K.D. Koenig) In Benin Based On Aflp And Microsatellite Markers, Marius R.M. Ekué, Oliver Gailing, Barbara Vornam, Reiner Finkeldey Apr 2011

Assessment Of The Domestication State Of Ackee (Blighia Sapida K.D. Koenig) In Benin Based On Aflp And Microsatellite Markers, Marius R.M. Ekué, Oliver Gailing, Barbara Vornam, Reiner Finkeldey

Michigan Tech Publications

Ackee (Blighia sapida) is a native multipurpose species important for the livelihoods of the rural populations in Benin. Trees are found in natural forests or are managed by farmers in different traditional agroforestry systems. Genetic variation at amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers, four nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs) and one chloroplast microsatellite (cpSSR) were investigated in 279 individuals from six wild and eight cultivated populations from Benin. The AFLP data revealed moderate levels of diversity of ackee in Benin (mean diversity values are proportion of polymorphic loci = 52.8% and Nei's gene diversity = 0.157, for 375 AFLP fragments). The mean …