{"title":"Barriers to Community Participation in Governance Standards Setting for Sustainable Mangrove Management in Lamu County","authors":"Jamila Ahmed, Bessy Kathambi, Robert Kibugi","doi":"10.4236/ojf.2023.134021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/ojf.2023.134021","url":null,"abstract":"Mangrove management requires an all-inclusive community engagement for sustainability in protection and conservation of mangroves. Previously, community participation was not considered pivotal but the rapid degradation of mangroves has necessitated their participation. Despite much legislation enacted, there are still challenges hindering community participation in Lamu County and this paper seeks to highlight barriers perceived by the various stakeholders in mangrove management. The study used a mixed methods approach to answer both qualitative and quantitative research questions and a correlational research design to explore all variables. The study shows that only 60% of the respondents agreed that there is lack of enforcement in mangrove conservation through community participation. However, less than 50% agreed on the challenges of lack of good management in mangroves (46%), lack of implementation mechanisms on mangrove conservation (47%) and lack of consultation in decision-making processes for mangrove conservation (36%). This demonstrates that lack of enforcement is the greatest challenge to the implementation of standards for mangrove conservation.","PeriodicalId":236917,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Forestry","volume":"17 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136053207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucinda A. Kangwana, Yaw A. Twumasi, Zhu H. Ning, Ronald O. Okwemba, Janeth E. Mjema, Priscilla M. Loh, John Bosco Namwamba
{"title":"Implications of Planting Southern Live Oak Trees in the Wrong Urban Space in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana United States","authors":"Lucinda A. Kangwana, Yaw A. Twumasi, Zhu H. Ning, Ronald O. Okwemba, Janeth E. Mjema, Priscilla M. Loh, John Bosco Namwamba","doi":"10.4236/ojf.2023.134020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/ojf.2023.134020","url":null,"abstract":"Afforestation has been observed as a green trend in urban areas. The incorporation of trees in urban infrastructure is highly recommended to act as a solution to outlined environmental problems such as global warming. However, it has been precipitously introduced in cities, towns, and metropolitans. The introduction of the green practice was so abrupt that it became devoid to meeting the essential needs for tree growth, thus, failing to bring out the desired effects. Inappropriately selecting and planting trees in urban spaces has resulted in stressed trees that are deficient at reaching up to the calculated goals and in the long run end up being problematic. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the implications of planting southern live oak (Quercus virginiana) trees in the wrong urban space so as to aid in recommending sustainable green solutions for the urban community. By studying southern live oaks planted in Howell Community Park and three randomly selected areas in Southern University Baton Rouge Campus, this study analyzes how the selection of these tree species in the urban spaces influenced their growth and general well-being. These urban spaces were randomly drafted based on accessibility and availability of several southern live oaks. Planting approaches in the four study areas were explored and the general health condition of the trees was determined using the tree appraisal method presented by the i-tree model: my tree. ArcGIS collector was used to collect the GPS coordinates of the trees and ArcMap was used to generate the maps of the study areas. ArcMap software geolocated the coordinates of the southern live oaks in all the four-study area. The software was used to generate shapefiles of the four study areas and their location in East Baton Rouge. The analysis of the result proved that none of the southern live oaks had an excellent health condition and most of the trees experienced different issues due to planting them in the wrong urban spaces.","PeriodicalId":236917,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Forestry","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134888355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chauvelin Douh, Belvina Chardène Mabengo, Jean de Dieu Nzila, Larisa Mbouchi Malonga, Gilbert Nsongola, Jean Joël Loumeto, François Mankessi, Saint Fédriche Ndzaï, Félix Koubouana
{"title":"Soil Seed Bank Characteristics in Congolese Rainforests and Implications for Post-Logging Plots Reforestation","authors":"Chauvelin Douh, Belvina Chardène Mabengo, Jean de Dieu Nzila, Larisa Mbouchi Malonga, Gilbert Nsongola, Jean Joël Loumeto, François Mankessi, Saint Fédriche Ndzaï, Félix Koubouana","doi":"10.4236/ojf.2023.133018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4236/ojf.2023.133018","url":null,"abstract":"The soil seed bank is considered as an important mechanism for the natural regeneration, resilience and conservation of the forests after disturbances. This study evaluates the characteristics of the soil seed bank in two post-logging plots of Loundoungou-Toukoulaka Forest Management Unit: one plot exploited in 2008 and another exploited in 2021. In each study plot, 40 samples were collected per soil layer (0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm, 10 - 15 cm, 15 - 20 cm and 20 - 25 cm depth). The species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank were estimated after soil samples were brought to germination. The results demonstrated that 347 seedlings belonging to 37 species in the plot exploited in 2008 and 418 seedlings belonging to 27 species in that exploited in 2021 germinated during 20 weeks of monitoring. The total densities of the seedlings identified were respectively 1446 seedlings/m2 and 1742 seedlings/m2. The plot exploited in 2021 presented a higher proportion of herbaceous species (93.78%) compared to that exploited in 2008 (82.71%). Two pioneer species were recorded in the plot exploited in 2008. These are Macaranga barteri (0.29%) in the 0 - 5 cm layer and Musanga cecropioides (2.31%) up to 20 cm deep. On the other hand, in the plot exploited in 2021, Macaranga spinosa (0.96%) in the 0 - 5 cm layer and M. cecropioides (0.96%) up to 20 cm deep were identified. In the plot exploited in 2008, the 20 - 25 cm layer demonstrated important proportions in woody species (9%), these are in particular Rubiaceae sp.4 and Nauclea diderrichii. While that exploited in 2021, presented 19% of woody species, namely the species of Rubiaceae sp.4, Rubiaceae sp.5 and N. diderrichii, greatly exceeding the proportions obtained in the 15 - 20 cm layer of the two plots. Nonetheless, N. diderrichii was the only commercial species recorded with densities of 108 seedlings/m2 and 4 seedlings/m2, respectively in the plot exploited in 2008 and that exploited in 2021. Commercial tree species are poorly represented in the soil seed bank. Consequently, the study suggests that to improve the natural regeneration of the commercial species, silvicultural interventions based on planting techniques in the exploited plots should be more effective in order to sustainably manage these production forests.","PeriodicalId":236917,"journal":{"name":"Open Journal of Forestry","volume":"40 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135734098","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}