Browsing by Author "Anning, A.K."
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Effects of Broussonetia papyrifera invasion and land use on vegetation characteristics in a tropical forest of Ghana(Northeast Forestry University, 2018) Adigbli, D.M.; Anning, A.K.; Adomako, J.K.; Fosu-Mensah, B.Y.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Broussonetia papyrifera (paper mulberry) invasion and land use on the floristic composition of a dry semi-deciduous forest in Ghana. Forty-five plots (25 m × 25 m each), distributed among three land uses—selectively logged (SL); abandoned farmlands (AF); and an undisturbed reference (RF)—were surveyed. Results showed lower tree species richness (S), diversity (H′), evenness (S) and basal area (BA) in the SL (46, 0.78, 0.32 and 269.12 m2 ha−1, respectively) and AF (40, 0.53, 0.45, and 131.16 m2 ha−1) sites compared to the RF site (79, 2.66, 0.87, 963.72 m2 ha−1). Similar patterns were found at the shrub layer, but no differences were observed at the herb layer. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination revealed distinct species composition among the land uses. The two disturbed habitats, SL and AF, were associated with increased B. papyrifera invasion particularly in the overstory, with importance value index and mean relative density of 45 and 65.03%, and 42 and 53.29%, correspondingly. However, the species was only sparsely represented in the RF site. Tree density of B. papyrifera correlated negatively with H′, S, E, BA, and native tree density and richness. These findings highlight the strong link between human land use (i.e., logging and slash-and-burn farming), invasion, and vegetation characteristics, and suggest the need to limit these disturbances to conserve biodiversity within tropical forest ecosystems. © 2018 Northeast Forestry University and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer NatureItem Spatio-temporal variations in seaweed diversity and abundance of selected coastal areas in Ghana(Regional Studies in Marine Science, 2021) Akrong, M.O.; Anning, A.K.; Addico, G.N.D.; deGraft-Johnson, K.A.A.; Adu-Gyamfi, A.; Ale, M.; Meyer, A.S.The coast of Ghana is considered the most seaweed-endowed region in West Africa, although information on the local spatial and temporal distributions and abundance of seaweed species is limited. In this study, seaweed species were sampled monthly from five coastal sites in the Central (Elmina, Komenda, Mumford) and Western (Shama and Takoradi Fisheries) Regions of Ghana during low tides from 2017 to 2019 to determine their diversity and abundance (biomass). Sampling was conducted using two (2) transect lines and quadrats (each of dimension 0.25 m2) at each site. Thirtyfive (35) taxa were identified at the five sites: 15 belonging to Rhodophyta, 11 to Chlorophyta and 9 to Phaeophyta. The Komenda site recorded the highest species diversity index of 2.06 whereas the Takoradi Fisheries had the lowest value of 0.68. Ulva fasciata, Padina durvillaei, Sargassum vulgare, Hydropuntia dentata and Hypnea musciformis were the most dominant species at the sites. A mean monthly biomass of 2.19 g dry wt m−2 was recorded for all five sites during the study period, with the greatest recorded at Takoradi Fisheries (3.53 dry wt m−2) and the least at Komenda (1.10 g dry wt m−2). The greatest biomass of the highly economic important species, H. musciformis, was recorded at Shama. The highest mean monthly biomass was recorded between August and October while the least was observed from December to February. Results from this study indicate considerable spatial and temporal variability in the diversity and abundance of seaweeds across the studied sites. These findings provide important baseline information for conservation and utilization of seaweeds, particularly their cultivation along the Ghanaian coastal waters as an alternate source of livelihood for the local communities.Item Variations in seaweed-associated and planktonic bacterial communities along the coast of Ghana(Taylor & Francis, 2023) Adu-Gyamf, A.; Akrong, M.O.; Anning, A.K.; et al.ABSTRACT Seaweed associated bacteria can be exploited for sustainable production and conservation of seaweeds, although limited information exists in several coastal waters in West Africa. Here, the diversity and abundance of bacteria on five seaweeds, Sargassum vulgare, Padina durvillaei, Hydropuntia dentata, Hypnea musciformis and Ulva fasciata, and surrounding seawaters across five coastal sites in the Central and Western regions of Ghana were investigated. Biochemical tests and MALDI–TOF identification system were used to determine the bacteria diversity and abundance on the seaweeds and seawater. A total of 530 bacterial isolates, belonging to 28 species (and mostly Proteobacteria and Firmicutes) were identified. A higher diversity of bacteria species was found associated with the seaweeds (83%) than in seawater (17%). Bacterial composition was similar among taxonomically-related seaweeds. The brown (S. vulgare) and red (H. musciformis) seaweeds recorded the most and least diverse bacterial assemblage, respectively. Seasonally, bacterial diversity and abundance were marginally higher in the wet season. The study provides important baseline information on the spatial, temporal and taxonomic distribution of bacteria associated with commercially valuable seaweed species in the coastal areas of Ghana. The results are also important for the sustainable exploitation and conservation of these important macroalgae in Ghana and elsewhere.