It is a fact that demographic and socio-economic developments are exploitatively exerting severe pressure on forest resources in Nigeria. Not only has the economy of the people been severely affected but also the envi...It is a fact that demographic and socio-economic developments are exploitatively exerting severe pressure on forest resources in Nigeria. Not only has the economy of the people been severely affected but also the environment has witnessed accelerated soil erosion, especially in Eastern Nigeria. Accordingly, this study set out to explore the environmental and socio-economic impacts of deforestation using an empirical case. Two forested and two deforested sites in Ekwusigo L.G.A of Anambra State were closely studied with respect to deforestation indices. From the data generated, Student's t-test was used to attempt a statistical comparison of the forested and deforested sites. The findings indicate that forest cover depletion affected both the canopy openness and the number of non-timber forest products in the area, Finally, the paper stressed the need to maintain a sustainable plant cover while economically harnessing forest resources.展开更多
文摘It is a fact that demographic and socio-economic developments are exploitatively exerting severe pressure on forest resources in Nigeria. Not only has the economy of the people been severely affected but also the environment has witnessed accelerated soil erosion, especially in Eastern Nigeria. Accordingly, this study set out to explore the environmental and socio-economic impacts of deforestation using an empirical case. Two forested and two deforested sites in Ekwusigo L.G.A of Anambra State were closely studied with respect to deforestation indices. From the data generated, Student's t-test was used to attempt a statistical comparison of the forested and deforested sites. The findings indicate that forest cover depletion affected both the canopy openness and the number of non-timber forest products in the area, Finally, the paper stressed the need to maintain a sustainable plant cover while economically harnessing forest resources.