Leaf litter production of <I>Diospyros crassiflora</I> (Hiern–FWTA) in an agroforestry ecosystem in Okwuta-Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study of the leaf litter production of Diospyros crassiflora in an Agroforestry ecosystem in Okwuta- Ibeku, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria was  conducted in the Humid Forest Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN). A Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with  three replicates was used to study the mean monthly leaf litter of Diospyros crassiflora in 4/5 years old plantation. The leaf litterfall was collected from January-December in 2016 and in 2017. Three 1m x 1m leaf litter trays were randomly positioned in each block (10m x 25m). Leaf litter was  collected from block and placed in paper bags every 28th day of each month. The result of the mean leaf litterfall values of January, November and December, 2016 were not significantly different from each other. November, January and February, 2016 had leaf litterfall similar values.  December2017 had significantly highest leaf litter production. Although leaf litter was produced throughout the periods of study (2016 and 2017)
in Diospyros crassiflora plantation, there was much of the leaf litter falling between the dry season months of November to March. The D. crassiflora leaf litter should be conducted in matured/aged D. crassiflora plantations in different ecological zones in Nigeria and other regions.

Keywords: Diospyros crassiflora, leaf litterfall, plantations, agroforestry ecosystem