Assessment of the Structural Parameters of Vitellaria Paradoxa Cf. Gaertn. and Parkia Biglobosa (Jacq.) Benth. to Disturbance-Related Drivers in Mole National Park and Pack Adjacent Communities, in Ghana’s Savannah Region

Collins Ayine Nsor; Vincent  Agumenu; Emmanuel  Acquah; Nat  Owusu Prempeh; Osei Owusu Antorbre

Collins Ayine Nsor Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KumasI https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9516-7422
Vincent Agumenu Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0009-0004-4825-3151
Emmanuel Acquah Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3924-848X
Nat Owusu Prempeh Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1399-3016
Osei Owusu Antorbre Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8124-5525

Keywords: Plant structural attributes, disturbances, principal component analysis, polynomial regression, vegetation types, protected areas, park adjacent communities

Abstract

Vitellaria paradoxa and Parkia biglobosa are natives of the African Savannah biome and are much valued for their numerous uses. However, they are fast losing their multipurpose role due to increasing environmental disturbances. This study examined the structural response of individuals to disturbances in Mole National Park (MNP) and Park-adjacent communities (PAC - Larabanga and Mognori). Polynomial regression was performed to determine the relationship between the structural attributes (dbh, crown size, density, and plant height). Principal component analysis was used to evaluate the influence of disturbance on the structural attributes. Overall, individual density did not differ substantially for V. paradoxa and P. biglobosa in the two land-use types. The density per ha of V. paradoxa and P. biglobosa was slightly higher in MNP than in PAC. Similarly, the dbh of P. biglobosa and V. paradoxa were larger in MNP compared with PAC. Key drivers like bushfires, animal trampling, bare ground, and erosion jointly explained 58.9% of variations in the structural parameters of the two species. As disturbances continue, it is almost certain that these multipurpose tree species are set to go extinct if they are not protected from further human impact by Park managers and land owners in PAC.

Author Biographies

Collins Ayine Nsor, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KumasI

Dr. Collins Ayine Nsor is an Aquatic Ecologist and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research interests span several areas, including vegetation, birds, insects, and freshwater fish population dynamics in forest/savannah biomes, plant/insect functional traits, wetland conservation, and biodiversity monitoring.

Vincent Agumenu , Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Mr. Vincent Agumenu is an MPhil student in the Dept of Wildlife & Range Management. His research is focused on plant-insect interaction in urban land use land cover types.

Emmanuel Acquah , Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Dr Emmanuel Acquah is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research interests span several areas: Ecotourism Development, Protected Areas Management, Biodiversity Conservation, human- wildlife interactions, PA-adjacent communities Livelihood Issues and Climate Change Impacts.

Nat Owusu Prempeh , Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Dr. Nat Owusu-Prempeh is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His research interests span several areas, including Climate Change, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, GIS and Remote Sensing, Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics, ecosystem services and Resilience, REDD+ and Floral Biodiversity Conservation, Carbon Modelling, Soil Trace Gas Flux Assessment, Forests and Landscape Restoration, and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.

Osei Owusu Antorbre, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Dr. Osei Owusu Antobre is a Silviculturist in the Department of Forest Resources Technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana. His expertise lies in forest biometrics, environmental planning, urban forest cultivation, and sustainable management techniques.