Ebenezer Jeremiah Durosimi Belford

Cocoa agroforestry is widely promoted for biodiversity conservation and sustainable production; however, uncertainties remain regarding the distribution of epiphytes and cocoa yield under different shade regimes. This study evaluated the effects of shade on epiphyte distribution and cocoa productivity at two community sites located approximately 6 km apart. One site consisted of cocoa cultivated under indigenous and introduced shade trees, while the other site used a 40% shade net. Annual rainfall at the sites was 1364.70 mm and 1178.44 mm, respectively, with average monthly temperatures ranging from 28 to 35 °C. During the main dry season, light intensity under direct sunlight exceeded 13.00 Klux and was approximately three times greater than in shaded plots. Lichens were the dominant epiphytes across all shade systems, with 40–70 colonies per 225 m² plot. Only one vascular epiphyte species was recorded, occurring exclusively on cocoa trees under the shade net. Correlation coefficients between light availability and epiphyte abundance ranged from 0.08 to 0.62, indicating that light influenced epiphyte distribution and diversity. Cocoa pod production under indigenous shade trees and full sunlight was comparable (127–177 pods per plot), whereas production under the shade net was approximately twice that recorded in unshaded plots. Although flower cushion abundance varied among treatments, pods from shaded plots generally contained more beans. The highest incidence of diseased and wilted pods occurred under shade trees. Overall, the findings suggest that heavy tree shade may limit epiphyte development through reduced light availability, while uniform artificial shading may enhance cocoa yield.

In the past four decades, tropical ecologists have been puzzled by the question of the factors that determine the distribution and ecology of lianas. The objective of this study was to investigate how liana species richness, abundance and basal area were affected by climatic, edaphic and physiognomic factors across a rainfall gradient in Ghana. Seventy‐five (75) 40 m × 40 m plots were evenly distributed among five forest ecosystem types in Ghana from dry to wet forests. In each plot, lianas with diameter at breast height (dbh) >1 cm and trees with dbh > 10 cm were identified and enumerated. In each plot, canopy cover and slope were measured. Soil samples were analysed for physicochemical parameters, and climate data were obtained from Ghana Meteorological Agency. Liana species richness, abundance and basal area were supported by tree species richness but not tree abundance. Mean annual precipitation positively influenced liana community attributes (species richness, abundance relative to trees and basal area). Sodium and organic matter positively affected liana species richness, and total exchangeable bases and exchangeable acidity positively predicted liana abundance. Liana species composition varied significantly among most forest ecosystems. Synthesis. Overall, our findings show that liana diversity, abundance and basal area were influenced mainly by tree species richness, precipitation and soil nutrients. Liana diversity and density were positively associated with precipitation, precisely opposite to pantropical trends.

Air pollution is a major environmental concern in urban areas, necessitating the identification of tree species capable of mitigating its effects. This study assessed the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) of four common urban tree species ( Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., Azadirachta indica A. Juss, Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss, and Senna siamea (Lam.) H.S. Irwin & Barneby) to evaluate their potential for air pollution control. Leaf extract pH was determined by homogenizing 5 g of leaf tissue in 10 mL deionized water and measuring with a calibrated digital pH meter. Relative leaf water content (RWC) was calculated using fresh, turgid, and dry weights of leaf samples. The ascorbic acid (AA), total chlorophyll (TC), and carotenoid contents were determined spectrophotometrically using 721 Vis spectrophotometer. API was determined by integrating APTI with morphological and socioeconomic traits. One‐way ANOVA and correlation matrices were employed to analyze variations across roads and the relationships among parameters, respectively. The findings revealed significant variation in biochemical responses among the studied species. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified AA, RWC, and TC as consistent key drivers of variation across all roads, while leaf pH exhibited site‐specific influence. The mean APTI values of the four tree species varied from 5.39 to 8.96. Based on the APTI, the tree species were classified as either tolerant (> 7.5), intermediate (6.5–7.5), or sensitive (APTI < 6.5). A. indica exhibited consistent RWC and chlorophyll levels, earning the highest API score (81.25%) and an “Excellent” performance rating, making it a potential candidate for urban greenbelt development. K. senegalensis can be used as sentinel species in urban greening because of its general sensitivity to the pollutants. A. lebbeck and S. siamea showed strong potential as bioindicators because of their physiological responses to pollution stress. This study introduced a new classification range for using roadside trees as bioindicators of vehicular pollution, particularly under conditions of low APTI.

Rhizospheric microbial communities improve the effectiveness of hyperaccumulators in the phytoremediation of heavy metals. However, limited access to tailing dams and inadequate assessment of plants' phytoremediation potential limit the characterization of native accumulators, hindering the effectiveness of local remediation efforts. This study evaluates the heavy metal sequestration potentials of Pennisetum purpureum, Leucaena leucocephala, and Pteris vittata and their associated rhizospheric microbial communities at the Marlu and Pompora tailing dams in Ghana. The results indicate shoot hyperaccumulation of Cd (334.5 ± 6.3 mg/kg) and Fe (10,647.0 ± 12.6 mg/kg) in P. purpureum and L. leucocephala, respectively. Analysis of rhizospheric bacterial communities revealed the impact of heavy metal contamination on bacterial community composition, associating Fe and Cd hyperaccumulation with Bacillus, Arthrobacter, and Sphingomonas species. This study reports the hyperaccumulation potentials of L. leucocephala and P. purpureum enhanced by associated rhizosphere bacterial communities, suggesting their potential application as an environmentally friendly remediation process of heavy metals contaminated lands.

We investigated the phytoremediation potential of Senna occidentalis L., a pantropical plant that has been associated with tolerance to heavy metal-contaminated soils around mining sites. Seedlings of S. occidentalis were exposed to cadmium chloride (CdCl ₂ ) and sodium arsenate (Na ₃ AsO ₄ ) at concentrations of 200, 300, and 400 mg L ^-1 under greenhouse conditions. Heavy metal tolerance was assessed by comparing biomass and stress indicators such as chlorophyll, proline, and hydrogen peroxide content. Arsenic treatment had more toxic effects than cadmium on Senna physiology. Regardless of concentration of arsenic applied, the biomass decreased by 50% as compared to control and cadmium-treated plants. Chlorophyll content decreased with exposure to both heavy metals. Higher concentration of Cd and As (400 mg L ^-1 ) resulted in 50% reduction in chlorophyll content. Proline and hydrogen peroxide levels were higher in arsenic-treated plants compared to controls and cadmium-treated plants, indicating an enhanced stress response when exposed to arsenic. When heavy metal content was measured, there was a significant accumulation of arsenic in the leaves, stems, and roots, indicating that arsenic in these tissues was responsible for the profound changes in biomass, proline, and hydrogen peroxide content. In contrast, although significant, there was less cadmium uptake by Senna and tolerance can be seen, which was reflected by normal biomass, proline, and hydrogen peroxide levels. High translocation of metals from soil into roots and low translocation from root to shoot tissues suggests the potential for S. occidentalis to be used for phytostabilization of arsenic- and cadmium-contaminated soils.

Among plant populations, variation in seed traits has important consequences on species recruitment and performance under different environmental conditions. Knowing such variations and understanding its environmental drivers could help with conservation efforts that protect against the loss of diversity. This information is however lacking in the extinction‐threatened Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir (African rosewood) in Ghana. Here, we assessed variation in seed set, seed morphological and chemical traits, germinability, and seedling growth of African rosewood from four distant provenances (Tumu, Wa, Carpenter, and Ejura) in Ghana. We sought to answer how local environmental conditions influence the expression of seed traits by examining the relationship between seed traits and maternal environmental factors (temperature, rainfall, soil nutrient, and vegetation index) using regression models and correlation analysis. Seed size, mass, and nutrient composition differed considerably among provenances. Seed size and mass increased as the seed source moved further away from the forest‐savanna transition toward the Guineo‐Sudanian savanna regions. Temperature mainly accounted for the variability observed in seed traits. Phenology curves of the seed source vegetation expressed a strong correlation with monthly rainfall. Overall, the occurrence of samara containing whole seeds was low (<50%) except for Tumu provenance. Seeds were rich in carbohydrate and crude protein content consistent with most leguminous plants while mean percentage germination ranged between 30 and 62% among provenances. Our results highlight the adaptive strategies of African rosewood to different environments through the expression of their seed traits and suggest the need for priority action to maintain its conservation.

Threats of forest degradation of the Tano Offin Globally Significant Biodiversity Area present the need to generate eco-information pertinent for its conservational purposes. Ten 50 m × 50 m plots (tree layer) were assessed for plant life forms with diameter ≥ 10 cm. A 10 m × 10 m plot (shrub layer) was located within each of the 50 m × 50 m plots where plant life forms with diameter < 10 cm were assessed. 1 m × 1 m quadrats (herb layer) were laid at the corners of the 50 m × 50 m plots and its centre for canopy closure and natural regeneration assessments. Plant species (240) belonging to 59 families were identified: 171 trees, 41 lianas, 11 shrubs, 7 herbs, 7 herbaceous climbers, 1 epiphyte, 1 grass and 1 fern. Species diversity (H´) of the tree, shrub and herb layers was 2.55, 2.54 and 2.48 respectively. The average maximum tree height was 46.19 m and the basal area was 28.36 m2/ha, which is below the 35 m²/ha conventional basal area value of tropical forests. Celtis mildbraedii and Rinorea welwitschii were the most structurally significant species at the tree and shrub layers, respectively, and a total of 75 tree species were regenerating.