Investigating the use of snags and downed logs by wild animals in Federal College of Wildlife Management, New-Bussa, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the uses of snags and downed logs in the Federal College of Wildlife Management, New Bussa. The research aimed to identify the kinds of trees that produce snags and deadwood logs in the study region as well as the ways that wild animals utilize these snags and deadwood logs in the study area. The methodology employed involves the use of plot sampling method. Field observation of plant species that have turned into dead trees was carried out. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics (tables and charts). The results showed that a significant number of plant species were identified as snags and down logs; the finding indicates that Terminelia glaucocens having (12.5%) occurrence and Pterocarpus erinaceus (10.71) was the predominant species in the study area. These dead trees species are used by wild animals in a variety of ways; for instance, 50% of wild animals use the snags and down logs for perching, 17.44% use them as foraging sites, and 4.65% use them as nesting sites. The most common users are squirrels, accounting for 13.95% of the total, followed by francolins birds (11.63%) and hawks (1.16%). Since many wildlife species rely on these trees to survive, it is imperative to protect these tree species inside the college estate to stop the extinction of wild animals. It is not advisable to remove snags.