FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE
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Item Factor Analysis of the Morphostructure of Mature Balami Sheep(2010) Osaiyuwu, O.H.; Akinyemi, M.O.; Salako, A.E.Ten body measurements were taken on 100 Balami sheep aged 18-24 months within the humid southwest Nigeria. The body measurements were Wither Height (WH), Body Length (Bl), Rump Height (RH), Rump Width (RW), Rump Length (RL), Shoulder Width (SW), Tail Length (TL), Heart Girth (HG), Neck Circumference (NC) and Body Weight (BW). The study was aimed at investigating the variance structure and to provide a description of the conformation of the sheep using a cluster analysis. Applying wither height for size estimation, the animal measured 83.96±5.99 cm. The other body measurements for the age group were BL = 96.06±11.45 cm, RL = 28.13±5.19cm,RW = 23.14±2.07 cm, RH = 87.18±5.99cm, SW = 27.85±4.37 cm, TL = 57.56±4.56 cm, HG = 95.68±5.31 cm, NC = 41.26t8.36cm and BW = 53.01±9.50kg. Variability was high within body measurementsItem Complexities of local cultural protection in conservation: the case of an endangered African primate and forest groves protected by social taboos(2017) Baker, L.R.; Tanimola, A.A.; Olubode, O.S.Globally, some species and habitats receive protection through local belief systems (e.g. indigenous religions) and informal institutions (e.g. social norms and taboos). Where such systems represent the only form of protection for threatened species or environments, they may be critical to the survival of those taxa and sites. We evaluated the effectiveness of long-standing social taboos protecting the Endangered Sclater’s monkey Cercopithecus sclateri and forest groves in a community complex in Nigeria. Across its range (southern Nigeria), Sclater’s monkey is effectively protected only through informal institutions. At our study site, we conducted a census of the monkey population; measured the area of sacred groves; and compared our findings with estimates from and , respectively. We observed a % increase in the monkey population (from to individuals) in a core survey area. No groves that we assessed in had been fully cleared. Although we observed a decline in tree cover for several sacred forests, most groves used regularly by monkeys had changed little. The social taboos related to monkeys and sacred groves remain largely intact; however, other factors threaten the monkey population and remaining forests in this community complex, including the removal of tree patches to accommodate the construction of large residential buildings and the demand for cropland, as well as increased dumping of waste in forested sites. This study highlights the conservation importance and limitations of local cultural protection, as well as the challenges presented when such protection conflicts with community-perceivedItem Role of local culture, religion, and human attitudesn in the conservation of sacred populations of a threatened ‘pest’ species(2014) Baker, L.R.; Olubode, O.S.; Tanimola, A.A.; Garshelis, D.L.Indigenous belief systems and informal institutions that result in the conservation of wild species or sites exemplify biocultural conservation. The erosion of cultural beliefs and practices can have adverse, often severe, consequences for biodiversity. We explored the relationships among informal institutions, religion, and human attitudes toward sacred populations of a threatened, endemic species, Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), in two communities in southeastern Nigeria. Due to habitat loss and hunting pressure across the species’ range, monkeys in these two sites live alongside people, raid farms and gardens, and are commonly viewed as pests. Using structured (n = 410) and semi-structured (n = 21) interviews, we examined factors influencing residents’ views of the monkeys, mechanisms affecting adherence to social taboos against harming monkeys, and implications for conservation. Our analyses revealed that most residents, particularly those from one community, women, and farmers, held negative opinions of the monkeys. Crop and garden raiding by monkeys had the most adverse effect on people’s attitudes. Although the adoption of Christianity weakened residents’ views regarding the no-killing taboos, continued adherence to the taboos was particularly influenced by supernatural retribution in one site and community disapproval in the other. Only one community widely conferred symbolic importance on the monkeys. Such site differences illustrate the value of local cultural understanding in conservation. Pre-intervention studies of this nature allow for the development of locally and culturally sensitive conservation programs, as well as better-informed assessments of what interventions are most likely to be effective.Item Role of local culture, religion, and human attitudesn in the conservation of sacred populations of a threatened ‘pest’ species(2014) Baker, L.R.; Olubode, O.S.; Tanimola, A.A.; Garshelis, D.L.Indigenous belief systems and informal institutions that result in the conservation of wild species or sites exemplify biocultural conservation. The erosion of cultural beliefs and practices can have adverse, often severe, consequences for biodiversity. We explored the relationships among informal institutions, religion, and human attitudes toward sacred populations of a threatened, endemic species, Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), in two communities in southeastern Nigeria. Due to habitat loss and hunting pressure across the species’ range, monkeys in these two sites live alongside people, raid farms and gardens, and are commonly viewed as pests. Using structured (n = 410) and semi-structured (n = 21) interviews, we examined factors influencing residents’ views of the monkeys, mechanisms affecting adherence to social taboos against harming monkeys, and implications for conservation. Our analyses revealed that most residents, particularly those from one community, women, and farmers, held negative opinions of the monkeys. Crop and garden raiding by monkeys had the most adverse effect on people’s attitudes. Although the adoption of Christianity weakened residents’ views regarding the no-killing taboos, continued adherence to the taboos was particularly influenced by supernatural retribution in one site and community disapproval in the other. Only one community widely conferred symbolic importance on the monkeys. Such site differences illustrate the value of local cultural understanding in conservation. Pre-intervention studies of this nature allow for the development of locally and culturally sensitive conservation programs, as well as better-informed assessments of what interventions are most likely to be effective.Item Role of local culture, religion, and human attitudesn in the conservation of sacred populations of a threatened ‘pest’ species(2014) Baker, L.R.; Olubode, O.S.; Tanimola, A.A.; Garshelis, D.L.Indigenous belief systems and informal institutions that result in the conservation of wild species or sites exemplify biocultural conservation. The erosion of cultural beliefs and practices can have adverse, often severe, consequences for biodiversity. We explored the relationships among informal institutions, religion, and human attitudes toward sacred populations of a threatened, endemic species, Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), in two communities in southeastern Nigeria. Due to habitat loss and hunting pressure across the species’ range, monkeys in these two sites live alongside people, raid farms and gardens, and are commonly viewed as pests. Using structured (n = 410) and semi-structured (n = 21) interviews, we examined factors influencing residents’ views of the monkeys, mechanisms affecting adherence to social taboos against harming monkeys, and implications for conservation. Our analyses revealed that most residents, particularly those from one community, women, and farmers, held negative opinions of the monkeys. Crop and garden raiding by monkeys had the most adverse effect on people’s attitudes. Although the adoption of Christianity weakened residents’ views regarding the no-killing taboos, continued adherence to the taboos was particularly influenced by supernatural retribution in one site and community disapproval in the other. Only one community widely conferred symbolic importance on the monkeys. Such site differences illustrate the value of local cultural understanding in conservation. Pre-intervention studies of this nature allow for the development of locally and culturally sensitive conservation programs, as well as better-informed assessments of what interventions are most likely to be effective.Item Sacred populations of cercopithecus sclateri: analysis of apparent population increases from census counts(Wiley Periodicals, Inc., 2013) Baker, L.R.; Tanimola ,A.A.; Olubode, O.S.The development of effective conservation and management actions for populations of wild species generally requires monitoring programs that provide reliable estimates of population size over time. Primate researchers have to date given more attention to evaluating techniques for monitoring primates in natural habitats compared to populations that occur in villages or urban areas. We conducted censuses to estimate the abundance and density of two sacred, village‐dwelling populations (Lagwa and Akpugoeze) of Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri), a threatened species endemic to southeastern Nigeria, and compared these data to previous census results. We recorded population increases in both sites: a 66% increase over 41/2 years in Lagwa (from 124 to 206 individuals) at an annual rate of 10.2%, and a 29% increase over 4 years in Akpugoeze (from 193 to 249 individuals) at an annual rate of 5.7%. Mean group size also increased in both sites. Density in Lagwa was 24.2 individuals/km2, and density in a core survey area of Akpugoeze was 36–38 individuals/km2. Our results may have been affected by monkey ranging and grouping patterns and improved detectability due to our revised census technique, which included secondary observers. With further work on methodology for censusing populations that occur in human‐settled environments, techniques can be refined and customized to individual sites for more accurate estimates. Our investigation of Sclater’s monkey in Lagwa and Akpugoeze, two sites critical for conservation of the species, indicated that both of these populations have increased, and neither faces immediate risk of extirpation. Such population growth, while encouraging, will likely exacerbate human–monkey conflict and thus should be understood in terms of potential socioeconomic impacts.Item Correlates with the distribution and abundance of endangered sclater’s monkeys (Cercopithecus sclateri) in Southern Nigeria(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Afr. J. Ecol., 2007) Baker, L.R.; Olubode, O.S.A distribution survey of the endangered Sclater’s monkey (Cercopithecus sclateri) was conducted over a wide area in southern Nigeria using forest surveys and hunter interviews. Sclater’s monkey, Nigeria’s only endemic primate species, is restricted to a land area of about 28,500 km2 in the densely human-populated, oil-producing region of southern Nigeria. Results indicate that this species is not as rare as previously thought; we confirmed its presence in 27 formerly unknown sites. Based on encounter-rate and distribution data, Sclater’s monkey is one of the two most abundant diurnal primate taxa across its range. However, the species primarily occupies isolated and degraded forest fragments. Although hunting is widespread, selective hunting of larger-bodied primate taxa offers some respite for the smaller Sclater’s monkey. We encountered this species more frequently in forests with relatively high hunting pressure, possibly indicating competitive release in the heavily hunted forests of southern Nigeria. Long-term persistence of Sclater’s monkey, which has no official protection throughout its range, depends on the willingness of hunters to target smaller-bodied wildlife (effortprofit trade-off), local bushmeat demand and protection of key forest fragments and the few larger forests in the region.Item Technical and Allocative Efficiency of Poultry Egg Producers in Nigeria(2011) Ashagidigbi, W.M.; Sulaiman, S.A.; Adesiyan, AThis study carried out an analysis of the determinants of efficiency among poultry egg farmers in Jos metropolis of Plateau state, Nigeria. A three stage random sampling technique was used in collecting the data used for this study. The study shows clearly that farm size and cost of drugs are the most important inputs in poultry egg production in the area. About 69% variation in the output of poultry egg production was found to be due to the technical inefficiency of the farmers. Technical efficiency of poultry egg farmers in the study area was found to be high with a mean of 94.2%. Further, analysis reveals that the intensity of output (total production), average price of feed, price of drugs, capital input and cost on utilities are the determinants of allocative efficiency while farming experience and access to credit facilities have significant impact on cost inefficiency. The study recommended the need for stakeholders in poultry egg production to intensify effort in ensuring farmers access to credit and extension services and also sensitize farmers with respect to the right level of input combinations that can improve efficiency level of poultry egg production in NigeriaItem Effects of Social Capital on Rural Poverty in Nigeria(2007) Okunmadewa,F.Y; Yusuf, S.A; Omonona B.TAgainst the backdrop of increasing focus on the use of Local Level Institutions (LLIs) in addressing poverty and the growing literature on impact of social capital on welfare and poverty, this study provides empirical evidence for Nigeria. The study focuses on households’ memberships in LLIs using primary data from 587 households in 6 participating pilot states under the World Bank’s assisted Community-based Poverty Reduction Project (CPRP). Six measures of social capital were identified. These are density of membership, internal heterogeneity of associations, meeting attendance, payment of membership due, labor contribution and decision making. The study reveals that an average household size of 9 participates in at least 3 LLIs. Further, internal heterogeneity reveals some level of diversity in each group while meeting attendance index averaged about 60% for all participating members of households. An average of N4, 254.90 membership due and 43 days of labour are contributed by households to LLIs. The basic data from the study indicate that households with higher social capital are less poor using different dimensions of poverty. The study shows that while a unit increase in household size tend to aggravate poverty by 3.1%, one extra year of educational attainment reduces the extent of poverty by 1.6%. The level of heterogeneity of the associations, meeting attendance index, cash contribution score and the labour contribution score are the key social capital dimensions with dampening effect on poverty, in the order listed, a unit change in each of these dimensions of social capital leads to 0.85, 1.2, 0.82 and 0.3%, respectively. The findings of this study support recent emphasis on investing in social capital. In addition, it has been shown that investments in LLIs need to be part of poverty alleviation programmesItem Welfare Effects of Policy-induced Rising Food Prices on Farm Households in Nigeria(AgEcon search, 2014) Shittu, A. M.; Obayelu, O.A.; Salman, K. K.Against the background that domestic policies in Nigeria have been linked to an endemic - high, volatile and rising food prices in the country, this paper empirically examined the transmission of key monetary policy variables to domestic food prices in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study employed estimates of policy induced price changes from estimated cointegrating relations between commodity prices and policy variables, and demand elasticities from a system of household demand equations to estimate the associated compensating variation as a measure of the welfare impacts on farm households. The study found that government management of exchange rates and money supplies as well as withdrawal of subsidies from petroleum products have been the main driver of rising food prices in the country. While an average farmer was found to have benefited from the policy induced rising food prices with the mean compensated variation of -3.3% of the household budget, most of the farm households ended up being losers. The gainers were mostly owners of the relatively few large farms (-36.9%) including the commercial livestock farms (-38.9%), rice farm (-35.0%), and fish farms (-27.8%). Smallholders, which constituted about three-quarter of the farm households, lost on the average, about 8.1% of their purchasing power to the rising food prices, with female headed households also loosing 6.6% of their purchasing power.