Adaptive cluster sampling for assessment of non timber forest products (NTFPs)

Abstract

Various studies have been conducted on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) over the years. These studies have however, concentrated more on socio-economic issues of NTFPs than methods of inventory. Forest inventory methods developed for timber have been found to be inefficient for NTFPs because of the special characteristics of NTFPs. Efficient inventory methods are essential to provide quality information on the abundance and distribution of the species for sustainable management. This study contributes to methods of NTFP inventory by comparing the efficiency of systematic sampling method with adaptive cluster sampling method for inventorying 3 NTFP species in off- reserve areas of the Goaso forest district, Ghana. Calamus deeratus, raphia palms and bamboo were the 3 NTFP species selected through community and market survey and inventoried in the off-reserve areas of the Goaso forest district. Adaptive cluster sampling with a systematic base was designed to inventory the three species. The results showed that adaptive cluster sampling was about 8 times efficient than systematic sampling for all the 3 species inventoried. However, the density of the species was found to be low and this was attributed to habitat destruction. It was suggested that the methods be tried in a forest reserve where habitat destruction is minimum. � 2015 Nova Science Publishers, Inc.