Tree Species Diversity in Makurdi Zoological Garden, Benue State, Nigeria

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty This study focuses on ecological assessment of tree species diversity in the Makurdi Zoological Garden, employing indices such as the Shannon Weigner evenness and diversity indices and the Menhinick index to evaluate species richness and distribution. The findings highlight a moderate level of species diversity (diversity index of 2.06) and an uneven distribution of tree species, with Danieli oliveri showing the highest frequency and Ceasalpiniodeae the highest relative abundance. The study's detailed analysis of species richness and abundance underscores the impact of disturbances on tree diversity and recommends close monitoring to mitigate logging and grazing activities. Full Abstract This study's primary emphasis was an ecological assessment of 16 different families of trees that were picked at random in an extended field survey conducted in the Makurdi Zoological Garden in Benue State, and this was done to assess the evenness, richness, and diversity of the tree species. The relative abundance of trees was estimated using the Shannon Weigner evenness index, while the variety of tree species was estimated using the Shannon Weigner diversity index. To determine the species richness in the research area, the Menhinick index was also employed. Danieli oliveri has the highest frequency of 43.37%, while Acacia seyal, and parkia biglobosa have the lowest frequency of 0.14%. The family Ceasalpiniodeae has the highest relative abundance of 0.4637, while Fabaceae and Anacardiaceae have the least relative abundance of 0.0027. The result shows the Zoological Garden's diversity index to be 2.06, indicating a moderate level of species diversity supported by cluster analysis. This suggests that some of the tree species found in the Makurdi Zoological Garden have experienced disturbances. A moderate distribution and low species richness are also indicated by the evenness and Menhinick values of 0.72 and 1.06, respectively. This suggests that some species are more abundant than others, leading to the domination of particular species. The study recommends close monitoring of the study area to mitigate disturbances, logging, and grazing activities.