Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1
Map showing the research area at Ada Songor Ramsar site in Volta estuary
1. To assess the distribution and structural characteristics of
mangrove
and the white mangrove (Avicennia sp.). The climate of the
region is controlled by two air masses: the north-east trade
winds and the south-west trade winds (UNEP
2007
; Spal-
ding et al.
2010
); three types of climatic zones can be
identified in the region: the humid south with two distinct
rainy seasons, the tropical transition zone with two seasons
of rainfall very close to each other, and the tropical climate
north of lat 9N, with one rainfall season that peaks in
August. Average annual rainfall varies across the basin
from approximately 1,600 to 300 mm in the south-eastern
section of the basin in Ghana (Aheto et al.
2011
).
forest
in
the
coastal
areas
of
Ghana
and
Cameroon.
2. To determine mangrove litterfall production of man-
grove forest in the coastal areas of Ghana and Cameroon.
3. To assess carbon stocks in mangrove litterfall in the
coastal areas of Ghana and Cameroon.
Materials and Methods
Study Sites
Douala-Edea Reserve, Cameroon
The study area has been described (Fig.
2
) by Ajonina and
Usongo (
2001
). Douala-Edea Reserve (931
0
-1005
0
E,
314
0
-353
0
N) is one of the largest and biologically rich
mangrove reserve of Cameroon. It is situated within the
Kribi-Douala Basin of the coastal Atlantic Ocean and covers
a greater part of the coastal plains of the Cameroon Coast
(160,000 ha). The area has a very dense hydrological net-
work, being a meeting point of the estuaries of Cameroon's
largest rivers (Rivers Sanaga, Nyong, Dibamba and Wouri).
Ada Songor Ramsar Site, Ghana
The study area, located at Ada-Foah, Songor Ramsar site
(545
0
-600 N, 025
0
-035
0
), lies in the Dagme East Dis-
trict of the Greater Accra Region at about 79 km from the
national capital, Accra (Fig.
1
). It is the second largest
Ramsar site along the coast of Ghana and covers an area of
53.33 ha and is the only natural point where the Volta River
enters the sea. The mangrove in this area covers 28.740 ha
and comprises mainly the Red mangrove (Rhizophora sp.)
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