Assessment of Herbaceous Species Diversity in Lede and Galumji, Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out in Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve. The aim was to investigate the Herbaceous Species Composition and Diversity. Point Centered Quarter (PCQ) Sampling method was used to conduct the study. Data obtained was analyzed for Frequency, Relative Frequency, Density, Relative Density and Importance Value Index. The result obtained showed a total number of twenty . Herbaceous Plant Species. Out of this number 17 were Forbs and 3 were Grasses. They belonged to 9 families and 19 genera. The family Fabaceae (Subfamily Caesalpinoideae, Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae) had 5 species, and Malvaceae had 5 species while Poaceae had 3 species, Rubiaceae had 2 species. Euphorbiaceae, Linderniaceae, Acanthaceae, Commelinaceae and Arecaceae had 1 species each. Simpson’s index of diversity (1 - D) was (0.60) while Shannon-Wiener index was (2.21). The species with the highest importance value index was Urena lobata L . (65.47%) and the species with lowest importance value index were Palisota hirsuta , Cassia rotundifolia , Amorphophallus abyssinicus , and Corchorus olitorius with (2.93%). These plants therefore require urgent conservation measures.