Simon Ojodomo Godday
Dombeya ledermannii is a rare plant species found only in Nigeria (the Jos-Plateau and Mambilla-Plateau) and Cameroon (the Bamenda Highlands), yet its ecology is poorly known. It is critically endangered due to habitat loss and overexploitation for bast fibre. This work is therefore driven by the need for urgent conservation intervention/action for the species and information on the ecology of D. ledermannii for its immediate and long-term conservation.
Simon taking GPS coordinate of a Dombeya ledermannii wildling in Amurum Forest Reserve, Nigeria, Africa. ©Glory.
In a bid to address the poor ecological knowledge of the plant, reduce the threats faced by D. ledermannii and reverse its declining population trend, a team secured a Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) grant in 2023 on the project; Ecology and conservation of the critically endangered Dombeya ledermannii in Nigeria. The project specifically; 1) modelled the predicted distribution of D. ledermannii in Nigeria using Geographic Information System (GIS); 2) investigated the phenology, human, avian and insect utilization of D. ledermannii in Amurum Forest Reserve (AFR, Jos-Plateau) and Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve (NNFR, Mambilla-Plateau); 3) Addressed the threats facing D. ledermanni via community awareness campaigns on the importance of, and the threats facing D. ledermannii in communities around AFR and NNFR and established D. ledermannii nursery in both sites.
While the above-mentioned project laid the foundation for studies on the ecology and conservation of D. ledermanni in Nigeria, more and continued effort is needed to fill other gaps left to ensure/achieve immediate and long-term conservation success. This current work leverages and collaborates with the already established structure of the conservation effort towards the species to; 1) map the spatial distribution and determine the population density of D. ledermannii in Amurum Forest Reserve (AFR) for targeted conservation action.; 2) determine soil nutrient requirement and floral interactions of D. ledermannii in Amurum Forest Reserve (AFR) and lastly; 3) initiate conservation actions to monitor (community-based) the establishment and regeneration of saplings, in and around AFR respectively.