African Journal of Agriculture Technology and Environment Vol. 6(1): 106-117 June, 2017 E-ISSN: 2346-7290 Ecosystem services and mapping of amenity trees in Port Harcourt Zoo, Nigeria *Oladele A.T. and Udo N.E. Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria *Corresponding author (E-mail: [email protected]) ABSTRACT This paper reports the benefits, which selected stakeholders derive from amenity trees in Port Harcourt Zoo, Nigeria. Two sets of structured questionnaires were administered for data collection among some stakeholders - tourist (99) and residents in the neighbourhood (98), between August and November, 2015. The trees encountered were identified while their benefits to respondents’ were noted and co-ordinates carefully recorded with GPS equipment and subsequently mapped. Results revealed that 41.4% of the tourists were attracted to the park by trees and animals, 39.4% were attracted by the serenity and cool breeze derived under and around the trees. Some tourists visited for collection of plant parts for medicine (18.0%). Benefits derived from the amenity trees by the neighbourhood around the zoo include: cool breeze (35.0%), serene/scenic view of the environment (21.0%), noise reduction (26.0%), games/ bird viewing (10.0%) and local medicinal plants collection (8.0%). In all, 84 amenity trees were encountered in the zoo park comprising 29 species belonging to 18 families. Identified stakeholders were observed to derive environmental, psychological, social and livelihood support benefits from the amenity trees. Keywords: Urban trees, Ecosystem services, Zoo stakeholders, medicinal plants. INTRODUCTION avenues and walkways, city parks and Urban trees play active roles in providing recreation centres, institutions (schools, goods and services, improve livelihood, and research centres, hospitals and public enhance the wellbeing of inhabitants buildings), zoological gardens and other (Fuwape and Onyekwelu, 2011). These roles forms of urban biodiversity conservation can be divided into consumptive (Timber, areas. foods, fuel-wood and medicine) and non- consumptive (ecological and social services The concept of urban forest was reported to such as environmental protection and be well developed in western world and that amelioration, biodiversity conservation, it forms part of urban development plans recreation, beautification and water shed (Simpson and McPherson, 2007; Nowak et protection). Trees in urban areas are also al., 2010); however this is not the case in referred to as amenity trees for the sub Saharan West African countries. In invaluable services they rendered for Nigeria, planned urban trees are mostly humans (Coder, 2004). Amenity trees are restricted to elite’s residential areas usually usually planted in residential facilities, referred to as Government Reservation 106 Oladele and Udo Areas (GRAs) in capital cities and and social services. This may be linked to institutions. They are also available in local high literacy level, modernisation and or community parks, which are scanty and relatively high per capita income in North only exist in major cities. Port Harcourt zoo America compared to the developing and Isaac Boro Park are the only two public tropical countries. recreation centres stocked with trees in the city of Port Harcourt. Although there are The main objective of this study was to other recreation centres such as 3-5 star investigate the perceptions and benefits, Hotels, Golf club, Shell residential area park which selected stakeholders’, derive from and Polo club among other private facilities amenity trees in Port Harcourt Zoo, Nigeria. containing trees but they are not open to the public. Globally, trees are important component of zoological gardens (Ayodele METHODOLOGY and Alarape, 1998; Ayoade et al., 2012; Study Area Lane, 2015; Choudhury, 2015). They The study was conducted in Port Harcourt provide shade, food and shelter for the zoological garden, Trans Amadi area, Obio- animals and mimic those in natural forest Akpor Local Government Area (LGA), environment for good animal health. Other Rivers State, Nigeria, which is popularly benefits include: provision of appealing and known as Port Harcourt Zoo. Port Harcourt serene environment for tourists and as picnic city comprised (Obio-Akpo, Ikwerre and area apart from crucial to educating visitors Port Harcourt LGAs) and lies along Bonny about biodiversity and importance of habitat River in the Niger Delta region. It has preservation. estimated population of 1,189,838 persons (NPC, 2010). The city is under the influence Perceptions of different stakeholders about of tropical monsoon climate, characterized trees in zoos vary based on culture, by lengthy rainy periods and short dry education and levels of social and economic seasons (December and February). development of the people. Residents in the Precipitation is highest (370mm) in neighbourhood of Agodi gardens in Ibadan, September; average temperature is 25◦C - Nigeria once see garden trees as potential 28◦C (Wizor, 2014). Trans Amadi is a 92500 firewood and fertile arable land due to acre industrial and residential poverty (Ayodele and Alarape, 1998) while neighbourhood (Fig. 1). The zoological park trees in Giza zoo, Egypt were perceived by was established in 1974, opened for public the neighbourhood as providing recreational use on October 1st, 1975 and is currently services in the 1970s (El-Messiri, 2004). managed by the Rivers state Ministry of Wyman et al., 2012 observed that Culture and Tourism. It attracts visitors from neighbourhoods’ of parks and gardens in within and around Port Harcourt city. North America perceived park trees as source of goods as well as environmental 107 African Journal of Agriculture Technology and Environment Vol. 6(1): 106-117 June, 2017 Fig.1: Map of Port Harcourt city showing location of the zoo Data collection and analysis information on demographic characters, reasons and frequency of visit, benefits Data for the study was collected by (social, cultural, psychological, ethno- administering pre-tested questionnaires botanical) and perceived functions of the among randomly selected tourists (99) and trees located in the zoological garden. Co- neighbourhood residents (98) between ordinates of the trees were taken with the August and November 2015. Three (3) help of a modern Global positioning system major stakeholders (Government/Zoo Staff, (G.P.S) facility. Resulting data was Tourists and Neighbourhood residents) were subjected to descriptive statistics, tables, considered out of which two were selected bars and graphs. Tree co-ordinates were randomly for questionnaire administration. used to produce map of amenity trees in the Questions were designed to elicit zoo. 108 Oladele and Udo RESULTS composed of higher number of males Demographic parameters of stakeholders (57.6%) than females (42.4%) tourists while interviewed in the study showed that sex majority were aged below 40 years as distribution of tourists to Port Harcourt zoo reflected in Table 1. Table 1: Demographic characteristics of stakeholders in Port Harcourt Zoo Demographic Characters Tourist Neighbourhood (n = 99) Residents (n = 98) Freq. % Freq. % Sex Male 57 57.6 56 57.1 Female 42 42.4 42 42.9 Age (Years) Below 20 11 11.1 - - 20 – 30 40 40.4 35 35.7 31 – 40 37 37.4 37 37.8 41 – 50 9 9.1 10 10.2 Above 50 2 2.0 16 16.3 Marital status Married 56 56.6 58 59.2 Single 40 40.4 34 34.7 Separated 1 1.0 2 2.0 Widow(er) 2 2.0 4 4.1 Family size 1 – 5 61 61.6 65 66.3 6 – 10 36 36.4 29 29.6 Above 10 2 2.0 4 4.1 Residency (Tourist) Port Harcourt 89 89.9 - - Outside Port Harcourt 10 10.1 - - Residency Trans Amadi Ind. layout - - 33 33.7 (Neighborhood) Slaughter Area - - 18 18.4 Peter Odili Road - - 24 24.5 Total Grace Avenue - - 23 23.5 Source: Field survey, 2015 A greater percentage of the tourists were with modal (66.3%) family size of between married (56.5%) while 57.1% of them were 1 and 5 persons. Large family size is typical males. Some elderly individuals selected for of sub-Sahara Africa as documented by interview declined completing survey many workers (Bongaarts 2011; Taylor and questionnaires hence, most residents Maithya, 2007; Kama, 2017). About 46.0% available for the interview around the zoo of the tourists visit the zoo occasionally, were relatively young and aged 20 – 30 21.0% each visits weekly and monthly, years (35.7%), 31 – 40 (37.8%) and above respectively while 11.0% visits yearly (Fig. 50 years old (16.3%). Most of the residents 2). in the neighbourhood (59.2%) were married 109 African Journal of Agriculture Technology and Environment Vol. 6(1): 106-117 June, 2017 Fig. 2: Tourists frequency of visit to Port Harcourt zoo About 41.4 % of tourists are motivated by trees and animals, animals only motivated 30.3% of the tourist, serenity and environmental coolness motivated 12.1% and trees only attracted 8.1% of the visitors to the zoo (Fig.3). Fig. 3: Factors attracting tourist to Port Harcourt zoo Benefits derived from Port Harcourt Zoo by scenic view of the environment, 26.0% Neighbourhoods perceive trees in the zoo as helping in noise Figure 4 shows 35.0% of the residents’ in reduction, 10.0% enjoy viewing birds that the zoo neighbourhood enjoy the benefit of visit the trees while 8.0% perceive their cool atmosphere due to the presence of trees collection of local medicinal plants and in the zoo, 21.0% of them enjoy beautiful edible fruits as benefits from the zoo. 110 Oladele and Udo Fig. 4: Benefits derived from the zoo by the neighbourhood residents Ethno-botanical utilization of protected in services, food, firewood, live fences, Port Harcourt Zoo ornamentals and treatment of various Table 2 shows that 29 species of trees were ailments locally such as malaria, sickle cell conserved in Port Harcourt zoo.