DEPARTMENT OF FOREST RESOURCES ANDWILDLIFEMANAGEMENT

This study was carried out to assess the type of furniture-making industries, their preferred woody species, prioritization of woody species based on availability and commonly used and estimate volume of wood used monthly and yearly by these furniture industries. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews, eighty (80) questionnaires were distributed to 16 furniture-making industries in Oredo Local Government Area. All the data collected were analysed and presented using descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages and charts. This result showed that age of respondent ranged between 18-55years. Also, the result showed that the years of experience of the respondents ranged between 1-15 years. This revealed that 7 industries were small-scale, 6 were medium-scale and 3 were large-scale. A total of 10 woody species from 7 plant family were identified as being utilized by the sampled furniture industries. The most preferred woody species was Cordia millenii, followed by Khaya ivorensis and the least preferred is Guarea cedrata followed by Mansonia altissima. The estimated volume of wood utilized monthly by the industries ranged from 0.6m3 to 10.81m3 with a total monthly volume of 113.94m3 and a mean of
7.12±0.84m3 per outlet and also, the estimated yearly usage ranged from 10.6m3 to 106.2m3 culminating in a total annual volume of 1062.2m3 and a mean of 66.39±8.1m3 per outlet. This study revealed that furniture making is an economically viable and steadily growing craft within Oredo Local Government Area, largely sustained by small-scale and medium-scale industries. To ensure long-term resource availability and industrial growth, there is a pressing need for reforestation initiatives, sustainable wood sourcing practices, and policy interventions that promote responsible utilization of forest resources in Oredo Local Government Area.

Study on the evaluation of germination and growth performance of juveneles of five indigenous forest tree species in the rainforest ecosystem was conducted at a nursery located at Ekosodin community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Matured fruits of fives indigenous forest tree species were collected under their mother tree and their seeds extracted. 120 polypots filled with topsoil and stacked in 25 plots with 5 observations each was used. 25 seeds per species were randomly assigned to plots and sown at 1cm depth. Data were collected in three stages: germination, seedling pre-establishment and establishment stages. Germination data was analyzed using descriptive statistics one-way ANOVA in a CRD design was used to test the
significance of the species growth and development and means separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Result shows Hildergadia bacteri and Terminalia ivorensis had the highest number of germinant (76%) while all species exhibited epigeal germination. Data analysis (ANOVA) shows significant difference between species in all parameter measured for seedling
pre-establishment stage (P < 0.05).

Diversified tree-based system are practices that intentionally include functional
biodiversity at multiple spatial and/or temporal scales in order to maintain ecosystemservices that provide critical inputs to agriculture, such as soil fertility, pest and diseasecontrol and pollination. This system is a component of social-ecological systems that
depend on certain combinations of traditional and contemporary knowledge, cultures andpractices. As ecosystem services are generated and regenerated within a tree-basedsystem, it was imperative to estimate carbon stock in a diversified tree-based systeminanarboretum in Forest Resources and Wildlife Management Department, Universityof
Benin. This study determined the tree biomass and predicted the carbon pool in the studyarea. The biomass carbon accumulation was evaluated using non-destructive methodinacompletely randomized design. A total of 87 trees were sampled from8 sample plots
measuring 15 x 15 m with an area of 0.22 ha in the study using two input variables
(diameter and height). Mean tree height and diameter were pooled together and the best
fit allometric regression model was used to estimate Aboveground biomass (AGB) inthis
study. The result showed that the largest DBH was 64.9 cm while the tallest tree was
26.79 m. In estimating the AGB in the diversified tree-based system, Ketterings et al., 2001 model (AGB=aDb (0.066D2.59) indicated the highest modelling efficiency(R
2=1.000, AIC=-40.25, Std. error 1.34). Regression analysis also revealed that most of
the carbon was stored in the aboveground biomass with an estimation of 137,216.81kgha
-1
in the study area. Furthermore, the total carbon stock (AGB + BGB) and carbonsequestered were 77,390.28 and 284,022.3 Mg C ha
-1 respectively. Furthermore, topredict the monetary values to be derived from Kyoto carbon credit scheme, the tons of
CO2 sequestered in the tree based diversified system amounted to $8,520,669. This studyconcluded that for the Department to benefit from the carbon credits scheme (Kyotoprotocol), it is recommended that an ecosystem services payment policy should be inplace in order to sustain the environmental benefits derivable fromthe tree-based system.