Authors:
Awanyo, L., E.M. Attuah and M. McCarron
Publication Date:
2011
Abstract/Summary:
This article examines the potential for the natural recruitment of trees from the soil seed bank following various types of agricultural land uses and conditions associated with them in the Suhum–Kraboa–Coaltar district of the Eastern Region. Seedling recruitment data from soil seed banks are interrogated with Repeated Measures Analyses of Variance, and these data show that, first, tree life forms are not significantly greater than other life forms, and that in fact tree life forms are the minority in the conditions of the examined agricultural land uses. Second, the analyses indicate that the natural recruitment of tree seedlings for tree rehabilitation confronts enormous competition from non-tree species. The herb/shrub species, Chromolaena odorata is identified as a primary factor for the difficulties of tree recruitment. Drawing on these findings and the detailed narratives of farmers, the article submits that the challenge for the natural recruitment of trees in the study region is for farmers to adopt land management practices that significantly increase the numbers of tree species while reducing the competition from non-tree species, such as C. odorata.
Resource Type:
Peer-reviewed Article
Source:
Applied Geography
Link:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622810000482