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Impact of remediation by land farming on biodiversity ecosystem in Ogoniland
1Oluwapelumi
O. Ojuri, 2Ogonnaya Iroakasi and Osondu C. Akoma 3
1Reader,
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Akure,
Ondo State, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
2Team Lead, Monitoring and Reporting, Ogoni Restoration Project, Shell Petroleum Development
Company, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
3Associate Professor, Department of Basic Sciences, Benson Idahosa University, Benin City,
E-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT:
The objective of article is to demonstrate through the status of plant species biodiversity on Ogoniland
remediated certified sites that remediated certified sites have recovered appreciably and fit to function
for crop production purposes like the non-impacted vegetated sites. Species diversity is a key feature
of biological communities and different methods are used to measure it. Biodiversity of plant forms
like trees and shrubs constitute the important component. Post-land farming ecological restoration
progress evaluation was conducted for five (5) selected certified sites; Nonwa, Kira, Bera, Mogho and
Agbonchia from three (3) local government areas (Tai, Gokana, Eleme) in Ogoniland through plant
species biodiversity enumeration. The Study of biodiversity involved documentation of the flora (plant
species) for its abundance and distribution at the five certified sites. Each site was divided into two
sectors namely; Remediated/Certified sector and Control/Non Impacted Vegetated sector. The
enumeration of plant species for the five sites revealed that Most of the abundant plant species for the
control sites such as Aspilia africana (Asteraceae), Panicum maximum (Poaceae) and Kylinga
bulbosa (Cyperaceae) were also either abundant or common for the remediated sites, demonstrating
similar plant species for the certified remediated sites and the control sites. This indicates that
remediated sites have recovered appreciably based on the comparison of plant species diversity for
2013 and 2014 remediated/certified sites and non-impacted sites in Ogoniland. Common identified
plant species (Vernonia cinerea & Chromolaena odoratum – Asteraceae family) for the sites have
been applied for ethno pharmacological uses in China and Ogun State, Nigeria and proven to exhibit
detoxifying, cooling, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory properties. These results confirm that
the Land farming remediation method employed by Shell for the Ogoni sites has no adverse effect on
biodiversity and supports productive ecological functioning of the Ogoni soils.