Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growing systems in Ghana and West Africa consist of diverse tree species and densities. This study was conducted to determine factors that influence tree species configurations and how tree characteristics affect canopy cover in cocoa farms. Eighty-six farmers and correspo...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Asare, R., Anders, R.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Springer 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/76206
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author Asare, R.
Anders, R.
author_browse Anders, R.
Asare, R.
author_facet Asare, R.
Anders, R.
author_sort Asare, R.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growing systems in Ghana and West Africa consist of diverse tree species and densities. This study was conducted to determine factors that influence tree species configurations and how tree characteristics affect canopy cover in cocoa farms. Eighty-six farmers and corresponding farms were selected in a systematic approach in four districts across two agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Results show that men tend to have larger farm sizes, higher tree density and diversity than women. Tree density and canopy cover of shade trees were low on large farms, but diversity increased with increasing farm sizes. Even though there was a significant correlation between diameter at breast height and crown area for all species investigated, tree species differed considerably in their crown area and thus the amount of ground cover provided. Current recommendations for shade are usually expressed in number of trees per ha, and our results suggest that these should be refined to reflect the effects of species, the size of their diameter at breast height and the crown area.
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spelling CGSpace762062025-11-11T10:11:59Z Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana Asare, R. Anders, R. cocoa tree canopy cover agroforestry Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) growing systems in Ghana and West Africa consist of diverse tree species and densities. This study was conducted to determine factors that influence tree species configurations and how tree characteristics affect canopy cover in cocoa farms. Eighty-six farmers and corresponding farms were selected in a systematic approach in four districts across two agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Results show that men tend to have larger farm sizes, higher tree density and diversity than women. Tree density and canopy cover of shade trees were low on large farms, but diversity increased with increasing farm sizes. Even though there was a significant correlation between diameter at breast height and crown area for all species investigated, tree species differed considerably in their crown area and thus the amount of ground cover provided. Current recommendations for shade are usually expressed in number of trees per ha, and our results suggest that these should be refined to reflect the effects of species, the size of their diameter at breast height and the crown area. 2016-03 2016-07-15T14:21:29Z 2016-07-15T14:21:29Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/76206 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Asare, R. & Anders, R. 2016. Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana. New Forests, 47(2), 287–302.
spellingShingle cocoa tree
canopy cover
agroforestry
Asare, R.
Anders, R.
Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title_full Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title_fullStr Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title_full_unstemmed Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title_short Tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in Ghana
title_sort tree diversity and canopy cover in cocoa systems in ghana
topic cocoa tree
canopy cover
agroforestry
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/76206
work_keys_str_mv AT asarer treediversityandcanopycoverincocoasystemsinghana
AT andersr treediversityandcanopycoverincocoasystemsinghana