The Niger Delta swamp forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern Nigeria. It consists of freshwater swamp forests in the Niger Delta of the Niger River. This swamp forest is the second largest in Africa after the Congolian swamp forests. Although there are large cities just outside the ecoregion, the area has been relatively isolated by the difficulty of building roads across the swamps, although this is changing with development of oil and logging industries, like the planned construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Scientific surveys have only begun in recent years, and new species were being identified into the 1990s. Crude oil exploration and pollution has been a threat to forests in the Niger Delta region.
Location and description The Niger Delta swamp forests ecoregion covers a triangular territory at the mouth of the Niger River. The southern edge is set back about 10 km from the Gulf of Guinea, buffered by the Central African mangroves ecoregion where the effects of salt water are more pronounced. The western border of the ecoregion is formed along the Benin River, the northern tip is just north of the city of Aboh, and the eastern edge runs along the Imo River. The city of Port Harcourt is in the southeast corner of the ecoregion. The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is located along the Gulf of Guinea. It is the largest delta in Africa and the third largest delta in the world and also the most extensive marshland in West and Central Africa.Akegbejo-Samsons, Y., & Omoniyi, I. T. (2009). Management challenges of mangrove forests in Africa: A critical appraisal of the coastal mangrove ecosystem of Nigeria. Nature and Faune, 24, 50–55. The region spans from Aboh (5°33′49″ N and 6°31′38″ E) Ndokwa East, Delta State in the North to Palm Point (4°16′22″ N and 6°05′27″ E) Bayelsa State in the south. The east–west boundary lies between Benin or Ethiope River estuary (5°44′11″ N and 5°3′49″ E) Delta State in the west and Imo River estuary (4°27′16″ N and 7°35′27″ E) Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State to the east.NDDC. (2005). Niger Delta regional development master plan. Port Harcourt: Author. Niger Delta Environmental Survey (NDES). (1997). Environmental and socio-economic characteristics. Port Harcourt: NDDC.
The Niger Delta is built up from silt deposits from the Niger River. The landscape is flat with meandering branches of the main river. The Niger Delta is made up of various networks of rivers and creeks mostly distributaries of the Niger River. The soils of the delta vary by the shifting rivers and creeks, with sand and loam marking the remains of old levees, water-logged heavy clay in the backswamps behind the levees, and silty loam and clay on the higher ground. Niger delta can be delineated into four different ecological zones: namely mangrove forest, freshwater swamp forest, lowland rain forest and other vegetation occasioned by human impact on the environment.Udo, R. K. (1978). A comprehensive geography of West Africa (pp. 226–247). Ibadan: Heinemann Educational Books Mangroves are intricate intertidal forest that grow at the intersection within dry land and open sea in tropical regions and is the source of huge biological and none living resources.Adams, W. M. (1993). Indigenous use of wetlands and sustainable development in West Africa. Geogr J. 159(2):209 – 218 Nigeria's mangrove forest is located in the Niger delta region and is arguably the most exploited mangrove forest in the world.Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2007. The worlds Mangroves 1980 – 2005. FAO Forestry paper 153 FAO, Rome The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has a land mass of about 70000 km² representing 7.5% of Nigeria's land mass. It is made up nine oil – producing states viz; Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers. These states contain more than 40 ethnic groups and have 185 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and inhabitants that speak about 250 different dialects. The Niger Delta region is amongst the highest hydrocarbon-rich regions on planet earth. Exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons started in the region in 1957 with discovery of oil at OloibiriOnuoha, F.C. (2008). Oil Pipeline Sabotage in Nigeria: Dimensions, Actors and Implications for National Security L/C. African Security Review, 17(3) in River State and has since been going on till date (2023).
Climate The ecoregion has a tropical monsoon climate, according to the Köppen climate classification (Am). This climate is characterized by a distinct dry season and rather constant temperatures throughout the year, with the average temperature of each month above 18 °C (64 °F). Less than 60 mm, but more than (100-(average/25) mm, of precipitation fall during the driest month. This climate is in the middle of a tropical savannah and a tropical rainforest. The rainy season runs from March–April to October. Precipitation ranges from 2,500 mm/year in the north to 4,000 mm/year along the coast in the south. Relative humidity is 90–100% for most of the year.
Degradation is putting freshwater marsh forests in the Niger basin in danger, so it's important to comprehend their composition, distribution, and trends. In a study that evaluated the floristic diversity and composition of sixteen one-hectare forest patches, 116 species from 82 genera and 36 families were discovered. Sites that were disturbed exhibited reduced species richness but greater species variety and stem density. The study highlights the necessity for species stability and biodiversity and stresses the significance of focused conservation in damaged areas.
Flora and fauna Approximately 67% of the ecoregion is covered in closed forest, mostly broadleaf evergreen. Another 13% is open forest, 8% herbaceous wetland, 5% urban or built up, 3% under agricultural cultivation, and the remainder permanent and seasonal water. The abura (Hallea ledermannii) tree, formerly common, has mostly been logged out of the delta. Common trees in the flood forest include Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), Azobe tree (Lophira alata), African nutmeg (Pycnanthus angolensis), Ricinodendron heudelotii, Hallea ledermannii, Flatcrown tree (Albizia adianthifolia), Wild mango (Irvingia gabonensis), (Klainedoxa gabonensis), (Treculia africana), and species of (Ficus).
The delta's three zones are the middle backswamp area, the eastern delta flank, and the flood forest. Although there is a limited diversity of faunal species in the delta, new species have been discovered recently. It is unknown which plants are native to the delta, despite the unusual floral ensemble. The development of roads and canals, the finding of petroleum, and the felling of abura, a valuable timber species, have all contributed to the habitat loss of the delta. The region is confronted with issues such as expanding human populations, political instability, conflicts, and unsustainable resource extraction.
Protected areas While about 8% of the ecoregion is nominally under some form of administrative protection, most such territory is in forest reserves subject to heavy logging pressure due to economic growth and social development. Expectedly, Nigeria has several national parks and conservation areas but lately, the conservation and protected areas are in serious contracting trajectory as a result of deforestation and conversion of forest resources to non forest use.Ayanlade A. Remote Sensing of Environmental Change in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. PhD thesis submitted to Department of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, London: University of London; 2014
Some of the protected areas in the Niger Delta Region include:
Edumanon forest reserve
The last sighting of chimpanzee some decades ago in the Niger Delta Region was at the Edumanon Forest Reserve.Erefitei A., 2016, Bayelsa State Forest Management http://www.bodmasnewsblog.com/2016/05/bayelsa-state-forest-management.html Edumanon forest reserve includes part of old Nembe and Brass local government areas in Bayelsa State. It has a calculated area of about 9,324 hectares. The area is home to several oil and gas installations. Other activities going on in the area encompass construction, hunting, agricultural production including oil palm cultivation. The road connecting Ogbia to Nembe traverses Edumanon forest reserve. Edumanon Forest Reserve is home to some important wildlife species. A survey in 2006 identified the presence of the endangered Nigeria-Cameroon chimpanzee in the Edumanom Forest Reserve and Ologbo Forest Reserve in the region.
Apoi creek forest reserves
Niger Delta Region has 2 Ramsar-listed coastal and freshwater wetlands; Apoi creek forest reserve and Upper Urashi. Notably, there are a total of 11 Ramsar-listed coastal and freshwater wetlands in Nigeria covering about 1,076,730 hectares. Apoi Creek forest reserve was earmarked as a Ramsar site #1751 in 2008.Ayanlade A., 2014, Remote Sensing of Environmental Change in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, PhD thesis submitted to Department of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, University of London 2014; Erefitei A., 2016, Bayelsa State Forest Management http://www.bodmasnewsblog.com/2016/05/bayelsa-state-forest-management.html Other common features of the Niger Delta ecosystem such as marshes, mangroves and freshwater swamps are also present in Apoi creek forest reserves. Apoi Creek forest reserves covers an area of about 29,213 hectares of land. or estimated to be approximately 190 km2.Wildlife conservation society, 2012, Saving the Niger Delta red colobus monkey from extinction: enlisting the support of local communities to help protect Apoi creek forest reserve, Stakeholder Workshop Report, Yenagoa, Nigeria The Apoi creek forest reserves was officially promulgated 1975. Apoi creek forest reserve is of considerable ecological importance and is home to a lot of rare, unique and/or threatened species and is also a note able breeding and nursery ground for fisheries. The Apoi forest reserves is a sort of a castle for some endemic species such as the Niger Delta Red Colobus monkey (Procolobus epieni), Nigerian white-throated guenon (Cercopithecus erythrogaster pococki Wildlife conservation society, 2012, Saving the Niger Delta red colobus monkey from extinction: enlisting the support of local communities to help protect Apoi creek forest reserve, Stakeholder Workshop Report, Yenagoa, Nigeria; Ayanlade A., 2014, Remote Sensing of Environmental Change in the Niger Delta, Nigeria, PhD thesis submitted to Department of Geography, School of Social Sciences and Public Policy, King's College London, University of London including other primates namely the olive colobus. The presence of Niger Delta Red Colobus, Putty-nosed monkey, Red-capped mangabey have been noted in Apoi creek reserves forest particularly in the vicinity of Gbanraun, Kokologbene, Ukubie.Ikemeh R.A., 2015, Assessing the Population Status of the Critically Endangered Niger Delta Red Colobus (Piliocolobus epieni), Primate Conservation, (29):87–96 The International Union for Conservation of Nature have classified Procolobus epieni to be 'alarmingly endangered''' Oates J.F., and Were J.L., 2008, Niger Delta Red Colobus Monkey Procolobus epieni Grubb and Powell, 1999 Niger Delta, Nigeria and is currently reported to be one of the world's 25 most endangered primates. Economic and social activities impact negatively on Apoi creek forest reserves resulting in the shrinkage of the area. These activities are namely hunting, logging, installation of oil and gas exploration and exploitation facilities through canalization. Apoi creek forest reserves resources is an important source of livelihood to the rural population by provision of fuel wood, agricultural land and fisheries.
Taylor creek forest reserve