Logging and topographic effects on tree community structure and habitat associations in a tropical upland evergreen forest, Ghana

• 作者: P.Addo-Fordjour E.K.Boakye Z.B.Rahmad
• 来源期刊: 林业研究（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2021,（4）
• 所属期刊栏目: ORIGINAL PAPERS
• 页码范围: 1361-1372
• 页数: 12页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

We determined the response of tree community structure to logging disturbance and topography, and the patterns of tree-habitat associations in Tano Offin Forest Reserve, Ghana. We sampled trees in 2720 m × 20 m plots randomly and equally distributed in three topographic habi-tats (slope, valley, and hilltop) in each of two forests: logged and unlogged. Two topographic features, altitude and degree of slope, were measured and related with species composi-tion. Overall, there were significant effects of logging and topographic habitat and their interaction on species diver-sity and composition, with the unlogged forest and valley habitat supporting higher diversity. Tree diversity var-ied among the topographic habitats in the logged but not in the unlogged forest. There were topographic effects on abundance of individual species but not on tree commu-nity abundance and basal area. Logging and its interaction with topographic habitat showed significant effects on tree abundance and basal area. Some species were associated with specific topographic habitats or a combination in the logged and unlogged forests. However, the patterns of habi-tat associations of the species differed between the logged and unlogged forests.