Floristic Inventory of Herbaceous Angiosperms and Conservation Needs in the University of Maiduguri Campus, Nigeria

Abstract

Herbaceous angiosperms provide ecosystem services such as the provision of food, local herbal medicines, and maintaining ecosystem properties and functions. The study was conducted at the University of Maiduguri Campus in Borno State, Nigeria, to document and compile an inventory of herbaceous angiosperms within the university campus. From the study, we found that many fields around the campus are disturbed by agricultural activities and infrastructural developments.  From our findings, no active undisturbed fields or reserved area specially for botanical garden collections or reserve sites specifically meant for conservation of wild plant biodiversity. Some herbs we documented around the campus are weeds on farms, while some herbs live naturally in drainages and marshes. 8 sampling sites with 14 sampling units were selected for the study. The quadrat sampling method was used, measuring 10x10m for herb documentation since fields around the University of Maiduguri Campus are disturbed by agricultural activities and infrastructural developments. A total of 65 herbaceous angiosperms belonging to 22 families were documented. The family Poaceae has the highest richness of species recorded, with 13. The study contributes to a checklist and in-situ photographs of herbaceous angiosperms. Allocation of permanent undisturbed conservation sites within the University of Maiduguri Campus or University Botanical Garden will play a crucial role in the conservation of native wild flora.