Effects of Industrial Activities on the Structure and Floristic Pattern of Vegetation within the Calabar Port Authority, South-Southern Nigeria

Absract: The paper evaluated the effects of industrial activities on the phytogeography of woody tree species in the Calabar Port Authority. Data were obtained from vegetation parameters (structure and floristic) adjoining highly impacted site (HIS) with those of less impacted site (LIS). Two belt transects of 80m x 40m with distance of 5m in between were laid in the study sites and in each transect, two quadrats measuring 40m x 40m were established, out of which 3 were randomly selected. Shannon-Wiener’s index showed that vegetation in the LIS was more diverse and heterogeneous than those in the HIS with species diversity indices of 2.29 and 2.26 respectively; whereas, the index of evenness for HIS (0.53) revealed what tree species encountered at the site were fairly equally abundant compared to those in the LIS (0.44). Vegetation in the LIS was more diverse and richer at spatial scale and taxonomic levels than their counterpart in the HIS, as a result of favourable edaphic and substrate conditions. Therefore, to preserve the threatened diversity of available tree species in the area, government was encouraged to enact laws to stop the destruction and transformation of remaining hectare of vegetation into industrial and residential estates.


Effects of Industrial Activities on the
The industrial activity in the area includes food flora of the Calabar port environment have been subjected processing, fuel bunkering, tanneries, corrugated iron the past three decades to irreversible change.Urban and sheets, logging, shipping as well as municipal waste industrial development, deforestation, agriculture, tourism disposal.There is however urgent need to address the and population growth have dramatically altered the depletion of the area's rich biodiversity to avoid the face of the Calabar Port ecosystem.The Southwestern inherent impact on the survival of man especially on the part of Calabar contributes immensely to the economic coming generations.Perhaps, the most serious risks of development and environmental security of the state and industrial production activities in include air pollution and country as a whole.It is noted to contain some virgin water pollution mostly from the discharge of without prior forest in the country with its abundant resources [2].The treatment into rivers, estuaries, lagoons and vegetated effects of industrial development and urbanization in this areas.Many of these effluents are toxic because they region are immensely affecting forest and forest resources contain heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum and government and entrepreneurs in opening up areas for bromide among others.This is of course is of great bunkering activities, tanneries, metal works, building concern to the general environment (terrestrial and materials and engineering industries, logging activities, coastal) due to the discharge of industrial waste in mostly shipping services and financial institutions among others.untreated forms.The danger of these heavy metals into These industries through their numerous production the environments stems from the fact that they are not activities have impacted tremendously on the biophysical only toxic, but some have cumulative or synergistic components of the environment mostly soil and effects on terrestrial and aquatic resources when vegetation.The vegetation of the area has been seriously combined [2,3].modified due to the continuous expansion of industrial The continuous growth and expansion of industries units and the indiscriminate disposal of toxic substances. in the area is causing an enormous environmental pollution affecting plants growth.Vegetation in the area MATERIALS AND METHODS differs from area to area depending on the soil characteristics.Polluted soil is noted [4, 5] to alter plant Vegetation Sampling and Data Collection: This study growth and quality and the effects are often destructive.
assesses the impact of industrial activities on the However, with the daily industrial activities and expansion phytogeography of woody tree species around Calabar of the work environments like the tank farm that is Port Authority, by comparing vegetation parameters ongoing, the natural vegetation of the Calabar Port (structure and floristic) adjoining highly impacted area environment is modified and altered resulting in structure (Calabar Port otherwise referred to as Nigeria Port and floristic changes, loss of habitat and pollution of Authority) with those of less impacted site (in Odukpani streams and disappearance of watersheds.Information on as control).The study sites have similar climate, but have floral composition, diversity and biomass is absolutely different anthropogenic activities.The highly impacted essential in understanding forest ecosystem dynamics site (Calabar Port Authority) is completely an industrial and conservation; as it may be a tool to estimate the level estate with patches of farmlands, as such is mostly of adaptation to the environment and their ecological polluted with industrial effluents.The heavy metal found significance [6].However, for sustainable development, in the highly impacted site includes caustic soda, dye, management and conservation of the remaining hydrocarbons, lead and fecal coliform.On the other hand, vegetation in the area in line with the global call for forest the less impacted site is characterized by fallows as a protection as sequester of CO , it becomes imperative to result of farming activities and sporadic logging as well as 2 evaluate the impacts industrial activities have on woody fuel wood harvesting activities.The vegetation of both tree species in order to ascertain the ecological status of communities is purely fallow with patches of woodland.vegetation in the area and to call for its protection.This Two belt transects of 80m with interval of 5m in-between study is also relevant because it would contribute to the was laid in the two study sites.In each site, four quadrats existing gap in knowledge; as no study so far has measuring 40x40m were laid and six quadrats (three in the examined this in the area. highly impacted site and another in the less impacted site) Study Area: The study area is Calabar Port Authority quadrat, all woody stems 10 centimeters (cm) diameter at (NPA) which lies between latitude 05 00'40"N and breast height (DBH 137cm from the ground) were counted longitude 008 19'04"E (GPS readings).The area has regardless of trees or shrubs species, number of tree temperature of 27°C and rainfall ranges between 2000mm-species, family composition, tree height, crown and basal 3000mm reaching its peak within the month of July and cover were examined.Basal cover and crown cover were August; with a relative humidity of about 80%.It has a examined using a line transect method [8,9]; tree diameter luxuriant topography which heads seaward; the soils of was obtained using measurement at breast height of the area are ferrasols with dominant colour of red -yellow 137cm; tree height was measured using the trigonometry [7]; and are generally made up of loose sandy sediments.
Data Analysis: The vegetation data were quantitatively The area is basically an industrial zone comprising of analysed for species diversity, relative density, relative primary, secondary and tertiary industries.The industries frequency, relative dominance, basal area, Importance in the area include food processing industries, fuel Value Index (IVI) and species evenness.The Importance were randomly selected and studied.However, in each 157 Value Index (used to determine dominance) for the E = H / log S enumerated tree species was determined as the sum of the relative density, relative frequency and relative dominance Where: following Cintron and Novelii [11].
Basal Area (BA) for each plot was calculated using H = Shannon-Diversity Index for each study the formula given by Cintron and Novelii [11]  Where: D = Diameter at breast height taken at 137cm technique was used to determine differences in tree Importance Value Index (IVI) for every species in or DBH as well as tree height) between the two study each plot was calculated using the equation given by communities.The analysis was done using statistical Cintron and Novelii [11] and Adams et al.Species Diversity Index for the two communities was in vegetation adjoining NPA work environment which calculated using Shannon-Wiener's Index given by made it unfavourable for of trees to adapt to the area as a Price [11]  Also, results in Table 1 showed that vegetation in the Log = Natural logarithm.less impacted site was richer, more diverse and e Species Evenness Index for the two communities was Authority (HIS) with species diversity indices of 2.29 and calculated using Shannon-Wiener's Index given also 2.26 respectively; whereas, the index of evenness by Price [13] as: obtained for vegetation in the highly impacted site  1).The low tree growth variables in terms Authority could be that either that the impact of of basal cover, crown cover, tree size (DBH) and tree disturbance was not enough to eradicate all the tree height recorded in the highly impacted site compared to species from the area or that tree species might have those in the less impacted site was attributed to the survived the disturbance due to their adaptive capacity varying site disturbances such as gravel deposition, [1].
farming activities and the discharged of toxic substances

Structural Composition of Woody Tree Species:
the vegetation growth rate.The high structural Information on the structure of vegetation in the study distribution of vegetation parameters in the less impacted communities is shown in Table 1.Total basal area for site was due to the relatively low rate of disturbances, as woody stems with 10 centimeters (cm) diameter at breast the ecological status of the vegetation was near stable.height measured across the 3 plots for vegetation in LIS The result of independent samples test showed that basal was 28016.72cmwith mean value of 9338.91cm per plot, area and tree size varied significantly between the two 2 2 those in the HIS was 4538.46 cm with mean value of vegetation communities (t 12.00, t = 2.776 and t 2 1512.0 cm .However, the distribution of tree size across 14.623, t = 2.776).Tree distribution by height indicated that a total of calculated for (Table 2).The table depicts that in the LIS, 84.74m was measured across the 3 plots in the less Elaeis guineensis was the most ecologically dominant impacted site with a mean value of 28.25m per 0.04 ha plot and adaptive tree species with relative density of 22.10%, (Table 1); the tallest tree species in this site were Albizia relative frequency of 21.43% and relative dominance of zygia (35.12m),Alstonia boonei (27.08m) and Musanga 24.79%; it was closely followed by Alstonia boonei with cecropioides (22.54m); while in the highly impacted site, relative density of 29.47%, relative frequency of 21.43% a total of 47.46m was measured across the 3 plots with a and relative dominance 15.86%.The third adaptive tree mean value of 15.82m per plot.The tallest tree species in species in the area was Musanga cecropioides with this site were Terminelia superb (18.96m),Elaeis relative density of 21.605%, relative frequency of 21.43% guineensis (15.34m) and Alstonia boonei (13.16m).The and relative dominance of 22.74%.Elaeis guineensis, height of trees in the two communities differed Musanga cecropioides, Alstonia boonei and significantly (t 3.070, t = 2.776) with trees in the less Anthocleistra vogelii were the most frequently occurring cal = crit impacted site showing better canopy structure, this tree species in this site.However, other tree species with characteristic was attributed to favourable site conditions wide spatial distribution and speciation were Terminelia like richness of nutrients, abundance of sapling and superb and Anthocleistra vogelii with IVI of 52.25 and absence of industrial effluents [6].Total basal and crown 47.44 respectively.The presence of large quantities of cover for woody stems with 10 centimeters (cm) diameter these ecologically dominant and adaptive tree species at breast height measured across the 3 plots for revealed a high level of floristic overlap in the forest vegetation in LIS were 31.1% and 262.7% with mean vegetation due to its moderate stable state and favourable values 10.4% and 87.6% respectively per plot, while those edaphic conditions. in the HIS were 16.9% and 147.6% with mean values of Table 2 also shows information on the dominance of 5.6% and 49.2% respectively per 0.04 ha plot.The reason tree species in the HIS.It thus revealed that Alstonia for this apparent variation (t 3.342, t = 2.776 and t boonei was the most ecologically dominant and adaptive cal = crit cal = 7.913, t = 2.776) as noted above was as a result of the tree species despite the site disturbance associated with crit differences in nutrients and substrate condition as well as the area.It had relative density of 36.67%,relative industrial activities characterized by the discharge of toxic frequency of 25% and relative dominance of 22.79%; the substances between the two sites.

LIS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
second ecologically dominant species in the disturbed Ecological Dominance of Woody Tree Species: relative frequency of 25% and relative dominance of Dominance which is calculated as the Importance Value 31.47%.The third dominant and ecologically adaptive Index (IVI) for different tree species varied in relation to species was Anthocleistra vogelii with relative density of species adaptive and tolerant capacity.For this study, the 26.67%, relative frequency of 25% and relative dominance IVI for five (5) tree species with the highest number of of 17.45%.The low level of floristic overlap noticed in stems or individuals enumerated across the 3 plot was here could be attributed to the various disturbance zone was Elaeis guineensis with relative density of 20%, regimes of site expansion, discharge of toxic substances flora of the region.The study revealed that and poor edaphic condition that characterize the area.In industrialization activities strongly influenced the plant addition, Nypa fruiticans with immeasurable cover and communities.Numbers of species increased, while others girth dominated the ocean margins and constituted the were unable to survive.Similar result was reported by major riparian trees species in the HIS, while Alstonia This study has shown that flora and their can be protected to facilitate rapid regeneration.On this environment provide a better understanding of ecological note, government is encouraged to enact laws to stop the consequences of disturbance, as depicted in the result destruction and transformation of remaining hectare of obtained above.The vegetation in the LIS was more vegetation into industrial estate.If this is urgently diverse and heterogeneous at spatial scale and taxonomic implemented, it would not only preserve rare and endemic levels than those in the HIS.The variation in the flora, but also the ecological integrity of ecosystems of composition of woody tree species was attributed to the the landscape level which is imperative for the industrial activities prominent in vegetation adjoining continuation of natural resources such as fossil fuels, NPA work environment which made it unfavourable for water and soil with high environmental potentials mostly trees to adapt to the area as a result of the discharge of in the era of climate change.toxic substances, poor substrate condition (unfavourable edaphic condition) making it impossible for the REFERENCES establishment of roots and consequent site disturbance like dumping of sand and granite as well as the disposing 1. El-khouly, A.A. the local extinction of species also frequently result.
highly threatened, the diversity of available tree species Structure and Floristic Pattern of Vegetation within the Calabar Port Authority, South-Southern Nigeria R.A. Offiong, A.I. Iwara, A.O. Alade and G., the developmental efforts of the Biodiversity represents an important renewable access to basic necessities of life and increase industries natural resource with scientific, agricultural, medicinal, have resulted in the removal of vegetation and the pharmaceutical, educational, cultural and ecological degradation of the environment.values.The development activities which may affect The operations and effluent management of biodiversity include, over exploitation, pollution, industries in the Calabar Port Authority in relation to industrialization, habitat destruction and degradation by other municipal wastes negatively impact on the wetlands, physical and chemical means are causing significant and coastal and terrestrial ecosystem of the port environment.often irreversible loss [1].The landscape, vegetation and
as: result of the discharge of toxic substances, consequent (unfavourable edaphic condition) making it impossible for Where: most abundant families with 19, 19 and 9 tree species H = Shannon-Diversity Index; the most abundant family with 26 tree species.The 1 S = Total no. of species in each community; density of trees in the two communities differed Pi = The proportion or relative abundance of significantly (t 11.085, t = 2.776).individual species;

e
Test of Significance: Independent T-test statistical growth variables (crown cover, basal cover and tree size Floristic Composition of Woody Tree Species: In the species belonging to 9 families were encountered, while families were recorded in the less impacted site (LIS) or control vegetation plot (Table1).Mean stem density was that for the HIS was 23 trees/ha.The Vegetation in the LIS was more diverse, richer and heterogeneous at both This variation in the composition of woody tree species could be attributed to the industrial activities prominent site disturbance and poor substrate condition the establishment of roots.Indeed, the retention and presence of toxic pollutants in the area greatly decreased the habitat potential for flora of the region [14, 5].In the HIS, Apocynaceae, Arecaceae and Fabaceae were the respectively; whereas, in the LIS, only Fabaceae was cal = crit heterogeneous than vegetation adjoining Calabar Port (vegetation adjoining Calabar Port Authority) (0.53) the 0.04 ha plots using DBH interval classes, revealed the revealed what tree species encountered along at the site dominance of big stemmed individuals in the less were fairly equally abundant compared to those in the less impacted site (LIS), tree species increased with increasing impacted site (0.44) that showed some pattern of girth and girth class of 91 -120cm recorded the highest dominance in occurrence and distribution by tree species number of individuals or stems of 86; while the DBH like Elaeis guineensis, Alstonia boonei, Musanga interval classes for vegetation in the highly impacted site cecropioides, Anthocleistra vogelii and Terminelia (HIS) was dominated by small stemmed individuals with superb.The presumably reason for the moderate species girth class of 31 -60cm having the highest number of diversity obtained for vegetation adjoining Calabar Port stems of 25 (Fig.

R
= relative density; R = relative frequency, R = relative dominance; BA = basal area; LIS = less impacted site; HIS = highly impacted site d f D [1, 14, 4].Boonei, Elaeis guineensis, Anthocleistra vogelii, However, transformation and fragmentation are not Harungana madagascariensis and Pandanus the only results of unplanned and intended candelabrum dominated the hinterland.developments,as the loss of ecosystem functioning andCONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONSThough, the vegetation of Calabar Port Authority is

Table 2 :
Ecological dominance of top 5 woody tree species Case Study of UNICEM Calabar, Lead exerts deleterious effects on morphology, Nigria.World J. Biological Res., 1(1): 1-10.growth and photosynthetic processes of plants and 3. Muwanga, A. and E. Barifaijo, 2006.Impact of causes inhibition of enzyme activities, water imbalance, Industrial Activities on Heavy Metal Loading and alterations in membrane permeability and disturbs mineral Their Physio-Chmica Effects on wetlands of Lake nutrition.The results obtained for HIS (Calabar Port Victoria Basin (UGANDA).African J. Sci. and Environment) indicated two important observations.Technol., 7(1): 51-63.One, it was either that the impact of disturbance 4. Kabir, M., M.Z.Iqbal, M. Shafiq and Z.R. Farooqi, (discharge of toxic substances, oil spills, farming 2010.Effects of Lead on Seedling Growth of activities, poaching, concrete works, air pollution amongst Thespesia populnea L. Plant Soil Environ., others) was not enough to eradicate all the species from 56(4): 194-199.the area or that plant species might have survived the 5. Kabir, M., M. Zafar Iqbal, Z.R. Farooqi and M. Shafiq, series disturbances due to their adaptive capacity.2010.Vegetation Pattern and Soil Characteristics of Secondly, the LIS with abundant diversity showed a the Polluted Industrial Area of Karachi.Pak.J. Bot., fascinating sensitivity of plant species to disturbance; 42(1): 661-678.hence the spatial distribution, ecological dominance, 6. Reddy, S., S. Babar, A. Giriraj, K.N.Reddy and adaptation and composition of vegetation (structure and K. Thulsi Rao, 2008.Structure and Floristic floristic) depended greatly on the rate of disturbance.The Composition of Tree Diversity in Tropical Dry retention and presence of toxic substances in the Calabar Deciduous Forest of Eastern Ghats, Southern Andhra Port Authority greatly decreased the habitat potential for Pradesh, India.Asian J. Scientific Res., 1(1): 57-64.