Cocoa farming and conservation: baseline information on biological diversity in traditional cocoa farms in Ghana
Increasing world demand for cocoa products has led to the expansion of cocoa production in Ghana and elsewhere. Currently cocoa farms are being established in areas bereft of forest shade because of the depleted forest lands. Cocoa grown in conjunction with diverse selections of trees provides habitat for a variety of wildlife forms thus enhancing biodiversity. A baseline study to examine biodiversity in relation to management of cocoa farms was carried out from May to October, 2005 in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study assessed the impact of different cocoa farming practices on native species of birds, mammals, butterflies and trees. Cocoa productivity in the different systems was also assessed in the 10 to 40 year old farms. The standard rapid census methodology was used to collect data from a series of parallel transects of up to 1 km long and spaced 20m apart through contiguous: (1) uneshaded cocoa farms (2) — shaded cocoa farms (3) — replanted forest. Preliminary results indicated a moan number of 73 species of birds, 12 species of mammals and 43 species of butterflies in the shaded cocoa farms compared with 20 species of birds, 4 species of mammals and 9 species of butterflies in the unshaded farms, Out of the total number of catch of the species recorded in both cocoa systems, 12.9%, 12.5% and 9.6% of the same species of birds, mammals and butterflies respectively were found in both shaded and unshaded farms. Mean diameter breast height (dbh) of cocoa trees was bigger in the un-shaded cocoa farms. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher "numbers of pod that were less than 10cm long were wilted in the un-shaded cocoa farms than in the shaded farm, Total cocoa pod counts were generally higher in the un-shaded cocoa farms than in the shaded cocoa farms. The number of pods that were damaged by rodents was higher in the un-shaded cocoa farms. The plant species were more diverse in the shaded farms and included economic and commercial trees known to be used for medicine, food and timber. It is concluded that cocoa farming could serve as both threats to biodiversity and an opportunity for biodiversity conservation depending on the farming practices adopted.
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
Lagos (Nigeria): COPAL,
2007
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| Subjects: | THEOBROMA CACAO, AGROFORESTERIA, CONSERVACION DE LA DIVERSIDAD BIOLOGICA, BIODIVERSIDAD, EXPLOTACIONES AGRARIAS, ORGANISMOS INDIGENAS, SOMBRA, |
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| Summary: | Increasing world demand for cocoa products has led to the expansion of cocoa production in Ghana and elsewhere. Currently cocoa farms are being established in areas bereft of forest shade because of the depleted forest lands. Cocoa grown in conjunction with diverse selections of trees provides habitat for a variety of wildlife forms thus enhancing biodiversity. A baseline study to examine biodiversity in relation to management of cocoa farms was carried out from May to October, 2005 in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study assessed the impact of different cocoa farming practices on native species of birds, mammals, butterflies and trees. Cocoa productivity in the different systems was also assessed in the 10 to 40 year old farms. The standard rapid census methodology was used to collect data from a series of parallel transects of up to 1 km long and spaced 20m apart through contiguous: (1) uneshaded cocoa farms (2) — shaded cocoa farms (3) — replanted forest. Preliminary results indicated a moan number of 73 species of birds, 12 species of mammals and 43 species of butterflies in the shaded cocoa farms compared with 20 species of birds, 4 species of mammals and 9 species of butterflies in the unshaded farms, Out of the total number of catch of the species recorded in both cocoa systems, 12.9%, 12.5% and 9.6% of the same species of birds, mammals and butterflies respectively were found in both shaded and unshaded farms. Mean diameter breast height (dbh) of cocoa trees was bigger in the un-shaded cocoa farms. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher "numbers of pod that were less than 10cm long were wilted in the un-shaded cocoa farms than in the shaded farm, Total cocoa pod counts were generally higher in the un-shaded cocoa farms than in the shaded cocoa farms. The number of pods that were damaged by rodents was higher in the un-shaded cocoa farms. The plant species were more diverse in the shaded farms and included economic and commercial trees known to be used for medicine, food and timber. It is concluded that cocoa farming could serve as both threats to biodiversity and an opportunity for biodiversity conservation depending on the farming practices adopted.
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