FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS

This study analyzed poverty status of forest dwellers in coastal communities of Ondo State, Nigeria. Ten communities were randomly selected in the coastal region of Ondo State. In the two local government areas that were selected, two sets of structured questionnaires were administered to ten randomly selected respondents in each of the communities visited. The result of the study shows that 60% of the respondent in both communities has no formal education. In Okitipupa, 50% of the respondents earn₦ 80,000-₦100,000 while 44% of the respondents in Ese-odo community earn between ₦60,000-₦80,000 per annum. This study also showed that 38% and 36% of the respondents in Ese-odo and Okitipupa community respectively have transportation problems.

Air quality continues to be among the top environmental concerns in Nigeria. In nigeria, where majority of the rural population uses charcoal, very little is known about the impacts of the life-cycle of the fuel on the livelihoods of the producers, who endure significant health, safety, and environmental risks for marginal gain in a highly lucrative industry. Population increases and deviations from the energy ladder model suggest that charcoal demand for heating and cooking in Sub-Saharan Africa will continue to increase through the year 2030 and beyond. Charcoal production industry can use an air monitoring program to assist in addressing its environmental responsibilities, and its responsibility as a local community member. Industry performance monitoring enables industrial plant to be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner .

Wood wastes residues collected at sawmill along Benin Ilesha express way in Akure Ondo State (Ceiba pentandra, Melicia excelsa and mixture of Ceiba pentandra, and Melicia excelsa) ratio 50:50 were converted to liquid bio-fuel via slow pyrolysis process at three different temperatures, 450° C, 550° C and 650° C. The physical characteristics of the liquid bio-fuel viz; oil yield, volume, density, viscosity, pH were determined. The proximate values of the feedstocks (volatile matter, ash content and fixed carbon) were determined. The pyrolytic oil yield for Ceiba pentandra, Melicia excelsa and mixture of Ceiba pentandra, Melicia excelsa ranged from 17.67 % to 46.72 %, 16.33 % to 43.73 % and 16.72 % to 43.96 % respectively.

Increasing scarcity of fossil resources, increasing demand for petroleum fuels as well as increasing detrimental effects of extracting and using fossil fuels suggests alternatives. Biodiesel is a renewable, environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, technologically feasible and economically viable alternative fuel for diesel engines. This study investigates the comparative characterization of biodiesels produced by transesterification from Jatrpha curcas and Thevetia nerifolia seed oil using ratio 1:5, 1:6, and 1:7 of methanol and oil and base catalyst (NaOH), at temperature of 60oC.

This study was intended to evaluate the consequences of deforestation on rural household income. This study was guided by the following objectives; to find out the causes of deforestation in Odighi in Edo state, to examine the consequences of in rural household income, to determine the strategies of reducing deforestation.

This study was undertaken to determine the anti-oxidant, nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of Garcinia kola and Chrysophyllum albidum from rainforest ecosystem of Ondo state, Nigeria. The anti-oxidant analysis was performed for seed kernel, fruit pulp, fruit skin and the whole fruit of Chrysophyllum albidum while nutritional and anti-nutritional composition for the species were performed for the fruit pulp and seed kernel. For Garcinia kola nutritional, anti-nutritional and anti-oxidant composition was performed on the seed kernel, fruit pulp and the fruit pod. Total phenol, total flavonoid, Vitamin C and 1-1, diphenyl picaryl hydrazine (DPPH) were the anti-oxidants determined for C. albidum and Garcinia kola. Analyses for nutritional (moisture content, ash, protein content, crude fibre, fat, carbohydrate) and anti-nutritional (phytate, oxalate tannin, alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid) composition were conducted.

The versatility of wood is due to the level of moisture content in wood which determine the performance of wood in service. This performance is as a result of the process used in the drying of the wood species. Wood can be dried through natural and artificial drying method but natural method required little skills and cost in obtaining desirable result. This project was based on the improvement of the natural method of wood drying, in order to reduce the cost of drying wood. Some wood species were selected and used for this project work and the result obtained at the end of the experiment, was presented in this report.

The environment includes the air, land, water and everything that it produces that sustains humans within. Humans in order to access these resources both for their survival, development and to sustain their position in the global market, has exploited these resources in a manner that has depreciated the integrity of the environment by causing depletion of land fertility, global warming of biodiversity, killing aquatic lives, deforestation, etc.This pollution in Nigeria emanates mostly from the oil sector, from spillages caused by process of oil exploitation and corroded pipes, and a serious and rampant case is the incidence of oil theft.

Nigeria, located in West Africa, has a total land area of 983,213 square kilometres. Presently, its estimated population is over 150 million people (World Bank Population figures) yielding an average density of more than120persons per square kilometres. Industrial activities, in its modern forms, are relatively recent in the history of Nigeria’s economic development. During the pre-colonial period, Nigeria featured considerable craft industry as modern factory activity was then not known.

The study was conducted in Akure metropolis to evaluate the consumptions characteristics of mushroom and snails among urban households. Stratified random sampling technique was used to administer seventy questionnaires among urban household heads in the study area. The results of the study showed that urban households consume mushrooms and snails in the study area. Chi-square test (0.05) shows that respondents’ educational qualification, income level and household size all have significant influence on the consumptions of mushrooms and snails in the study area. Some respondents however did not consume mushrooms in the study area because of the fear of the existence of some poisonous mushroom.