Natural Regeneration; 4 Years after the Ekiugbo Oil Spill, at Ughelli, Delta State, Nigeria: Implication for Phytoremediation Potential

Abstract

This study assessed the floristic composition, structural classification and phytosociology of life form regeneration, mode of regeneration and demographic status of regeneration in vegetation forest, 4 years after pollution impact. It was aimed at evaluating the phytoremediation potential of some hydrocarbon tolerant macrophytes (HTM). Conventional ecological approach involving stratified simple random design method and phytosociological indices were used. Result has classified the study site flora as low land secondary mosaic vegetation with heterogenous continuum in spatial and closed horizontal structural arrangement. Phytosociological dynamics of 51 herbaceous and 12 shrubby life forms of 63 representative species under 21 families and 49 genera of angiosperms recorded changes. Four prevalently dominant families very abundant with highest species diversity richness and three families in abundance were recorded. Shrubby recruit was lower than Herbaceous recruits with the Herbaceous sedge (HS) recording highest recruits among regenerating life forms (HS>HG>HH>HCl). The herbaceous life form had Chamaephytes 33(64.71%) and Hemicryptophytes 18(35.29%). The shrubby life form recorded 2(11.11%) Nanophanerophytes and Mesophanerophytes respectively and 8(66.67%) Microphanerophytes. The herbaceous life form mode of regeneration had 28 recruits with multiplier mode, and 23 recruits with single mode of regeneration. Four recruits exhibited multiplier mode and eight with single mode of regeneration across shrubby life form. Demographic status of regeneration revealed greater seedling than sapling density devoid of adult tree recruits, thus implies “successful and new regeneration”

Keywords: Coppice, Recruits, Rhizome, Sapling, and Seedlings.

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/12-11-04

Publication date: November 30^th 2022