Assessment of tree species diversity and benefits in selected recreation centres for biodiversity conservation in Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria

The present study assessed the trees species diversity and the benefits that arise from their presence in five selected recreation centers in the urban area of Ibadan: Agodi Gardens, Ibadan Recreation Club, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan Golf Club and Ibadan Polo Club. The selected areas were purposively chosen due to the presence of tree species in the urban landscape. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Agodi Garden had in total 537 individuals, 46 tree species within 25 families. Ibadan Recreation Club had the total number of 148 trees, whereas 32 species within 22 families were represented. National Museum of Unity had a total number of 770 trees, classified in 23 species within 17 families. Ibadan Polo Club had a total number of 97 trees, 20 species and 15 families were represented. Ibadan Golf Club had a total number of 915 trees, 31 species and 9 families. Fabaceae family had the highest occurrence in Ibadan Recreation Club, National Museum of Unity, Ibadan Golf Club and Ibadan Polo Club, while Verbenaceae was more represented in Agodi Gardens. The study has shown the high occurrence of invasive species in tropical environment based on their regeneration potential. Data collected on total number of tree species, frequency of occurrence and families were subjected to descriptive analysis. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information. These centers serve as ex-situ urban centers/parks that still maintain and conserve various tree species and are important resources for social, economic and educational use. Biodiversity indices were also analyzed and it can be concluded that the type of organization and the main activity of the centers strongly influence the species diversity. The trend of Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') showed that Ibadan Polo Club was the most diverse. Despite the higher number of individual trees encountered in NMUI, the H' value was very low, indicating the dominance of a few tree species within the area. From EH values obtained in the study, it can be concluded that trees species are most evenly distributed in IPC, followed by IRC, AG, IGC and lastly by NUMI.