Implications of Plant Composition, Distribution and Diversity in Hadejia Wetland National Park, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

National Parks are vital ecosystem in Nigeria, faces threats to its biodiversity due to inadequate conservation strategies. Despite its importance, the park's floristic composition, diversity, distribution, and abundance of tree species remain poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders effective conservation and management, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive assessment of the park's forest resources. A random sampling design was employed, with four 100x100m plots assessed in Hadejia Wetland National Park. Data collection involved identifying tree species with Dbh of 10cm and above, abundance, and distribution. Descriptive statistics used to analyze species abundance and distribution patterns. Diversity was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener Index (HI), while frequency, relative frequency, density, and abundance were calculated to characterize the park's floristic composition. The study revealed 50 plant species in Hadejia Wetland National Park, with Fabaceae being the most dominant family. High species diversity of 4.63 with several species of economic, medicinal importance represented with high abundance of Hyphaene thebaica. 78, Ziziphus mauritiania 68, Acacia nilotica 60, Polyacantha spp 59 while several species had low frequency as one (1). The density and relative such as Hyphaene thebaica (0.003; 4.8), Ziziphus mauritiana (0.0022; 4.4), Acacia nilotica (0.002; 3.7) and Polycantha spp (0.019; 3.7) having a higher density.  The study revealed high species diversity with economically valuable species like Hyphaene thebaica, Ziziphus mauritiana, and Acacia nilotica dominating the landscape. Therefore, there is a need for conservation and sustainable management. Hadejia Wetland National Park has a rich array of plant species and high diversity.