Changes in plant species composition in a semi-arid rangeland of Nigeria.

A major concern in the management of arid and semi-arid rangelands in Africa is the progressive loss of plant species diversity. Losses in plant specie:, diversity have been attributed to (be overuse of rangelands by domestic livestock. ' An understanding of the dynamic interactions between the livestock and plants is required in older to achieve an optimal sustainable use of these rangelands. Unfortunately, studies on (he Sudan Sahclinn ecosystems or Nigeria have severely been limited b\ the paucity of quantitative data. The limited knowledge of the savanna ecosystem dynamics in Nigeria lias negatively affected the efficient management of the rangelands and deterioration of the rangelands has continued unabated This paper provides some quantitative data on the changes in plant species composition in one of (lie largest grazing reserves in the semi-arid region of Nigeria (the Jakusko-Nnsnri Grazing Reserve), which has been subjected to continuous grazing for over 30 years.