Carbon storage and tree species diversity of urban parks in Kumasi, Ghana
City and environment interactions, Jun 1, 2024
Effects of thinning on growth performance of teak ( <i>Tectona grandis</i> ) plantations in Tain II Forest Reserve, Ghana
Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science, Oct 1, 2023
We have the laws but how is our environment? The disconnect between Ghana’s environmental commitments and institutional capacity to manage urban floods and wetlands
Potential toxic elements accumulation in soils and parts of palm (Elaeis guineensis) growing on reclaimed tailings and mined spoils in southwestern Ghana
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Mine Wastewater Treatment Using Cassia fistula Plant Parts as Bio-coagulants
Water conservation science and engineering, Feb 13, 2023
Topography alters stand structure, carbon stocks and understorey species composition of Cedrela odorata plantation, in a semi-deciduous forest zone, Ghana
Trees, Forests and People
Urban green spaces enhance carbon sequestration and conserve biodiversity in cities of the Global South
Urban Green Space Dynamics and Distributional Equity in Kumasi, Ghana
Accidental oil spills during oil exploration and mineral mining operations have deleterious conse... more Accidental oil spills during oil exploration and mineral mining operations have deleterious consequences on soils and overall ecosystem health. Environmentally benign methods of reducing hydrocarbon contamination levels in soils and ecosystems are often encouraged. However, there is scanty data on the effects of vegetation on petroleum hydrocarbon concentration in crude oil contaminated soils. The present study investigated the growth performance of two plant species on hydrocarbon contaminated soils and the effects of these plants on hydrocarbon concentration levels in soils. A 2× 2× 3 factorial arrangement of treatments in a completely randomised design with 3 replicates was adopted. Two plant species, 2 soil contamination levels, and 3 soil amendments constituted the major treatment factors. Soil total oil and grease (TOG), total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), plant height, collar diameter, and number of leaves or tillers were monitored over a sixteen week period at Ghana Manganese...
In response to national policy obligations, many mining companies in Ghana have restored/reclaime... more In response to national policy obligations, many mining companies in Ghana have restored/reclaimed degraded mined out sites through revegetation. The area extent of such restored areas is unknown and there is also paucity of data on success of restoration, species diversity and compositional dynamics of such restored landscapes, particularly using mixed species. This study assessed stand structure, diversity and composition dynamics of sites restored with mixed species and models species abundance distribution on these sites. Three reclaimed and one control site (adjacent natural forest) were inventoried using 27, 30 x 30 m plots on the Hwini-Butre and Benso concession of the Golden Star Wassa Limited. Overall 3057 (per 24 plots) and 150 (per 3 plots) individual trees were recorded in the overstorey of the reclaimed and control sites, respectively. In all, 31 species in 13 families occurred on the reclaimed site while 61 species in 29 families occurred on the control. Species richne...
Urban forestry has the potential to address many urban environmental and sustainability challenge... more Urban forestry has the potential to address many urban environmental and sustainability challenges. Yet in Africa, urban forest characterization and its potential to contribute to human wellbeing are often neglected or restrained. This paper describes the structure, diversity, and composition of an urban forest and its potential to store carbon as a means of climate change mitigation and adaptation in Kumasi. The vegetation inventory included a survey of 470,100-m2 plots based on a stratified random sampling technique and six streets ranging from 50 m to 1 km. A total of 3757 trees, comprising 176 species and 46 families, were enumerated. Tree abundance and species richness were left skewed and unimodally distributed based on diameter at breast height (DBH). Trees in the diameter classes >60 cm together had the lowest species richness (17%) and abundance (9%), yet contributed more than 50% of the total carbon stored in trees within the city. Overall, about 1.2 million tonnes of c...
The case for demand-driven research and development has received important considerations among g... more The case for demand-driven research and development has received important considerations among governments, donors and programme implementing partners in development planning and implementation. Addressing demand is believed to be a bottom-top approach for designing and responding to development priorities and is good for achieving development outcomes. In this paper, we discuss the concept and application of demand driven research for development (DDRD) in Africa. We use evidence of six projects implemented under the BiomassWeb Project in Africa. We focus on parameters on level of engagement of stakeholders - whose demand is being articulated, the processes for demand articulation, capacity building and implementation processes, innovativeness of the project, reporting and sustainability of the project. We find that the nature of the institutions involved in articulation and implementation of demand-driven research and development projects and their partnerships influence the impa...
In Africa, 80% of households in urban areas are food insecure and is coupled with a dramatically ... more In Africa, 80% of households in urban areas are food insecure and is coupled with a dramatically changing urban food culture towards increased consumption of sugary and fatty foods. Consequently, incidences of obesity and undernourishment in many African cities are becoming escalating. Urban and peri-urban forestry emerges as a complementary measure to contribute towards elimination of urban hunger and improved nutritional security. However, there is scanty knowledge about the composition, diversity and socioeconomic contributions of urban food trees in African cities and this hinders policy discussions integrating urban forestry into the food security discourse. This paper examines the diversity and composition of the urban forest and food trees of Accra and sheds light on perceptions of urbanites regarding food tree cultivation and availability in the city. Using a mixed methods approach, about 105 respondents in six neighbourhoods of Accra were interviewed while over 200 100-m2 p...
Urban green space dynamics and socio-environmental inequity: multi-resolution and spatiotemporal data analysis of Kumasi, Ghana
International Journal of Remote Sensing, 2017
ABSTRACT Urban green spaces (UGS) are crucial for urban sustainability and resilience to environm... more ABSTRACT Urban green spaces (UGS) are crucial for urban sustainability and resilience to environmental vulnerabilities but are often relegated in cities in the global south. This article analysed the spatio-temporal change, composition, extent, and distributional inequities associated with UGS in Kumasi, Ghana. Spatial techniques and Gini index were combined in the assessment. Kumasi UGS coverage is currently 33% but declined fourfold faster in recent years (2009–2014) than previously (1986–2002). The overall accuracy of the change maps: 1986–2014 and 2009–2014 were, respectively, 0.96 ± 0.02 and 0.97 ± 0.02. The Shannon entropy for built-up sprawl in 1986 and 2014 were 0.80 and 0.99, respectively. The UGS area per capita for 2009 (R2 = 0.50, p = 0.049) and 2014 (R2 = 0.53, p = 0.0398) were moderately correlated with socioeconomic conditions of sub-metropolises. The Gini coefficient for both vegetation and tree cover was 0.26. UGS cover is plummeting and somewhat unevenly distributed across Kumasi. Strategic planning for UGS can ensure ample availability, equity in access, and resilience to climate-related vulnerabilities.
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Papers by Bertrand Nero