Loss of Biodiversity Through Different Sources of Pollution.

Abstract

A major source of loss of plant biodiversity has been traced to anthropogenic factors, in which pollution is an important aspect. This necessitates establishment of facts on different polluted sites in Oyo, and Osun States in order to prevent the occurrence that further leads to loss of biodiversity of the affected ecosystems. Descriptive research was carried out to assess the level of distortion done to the former stabilized environments. This was aimed to assessing the floral composition of two different spent oil and fertilizer polluted ecosystems using quadrat method of sampling. Relative densities, frequencies and Importance value of each plant in the study sites were carefully calculated. The results informed that: the floral composition of the oil spent polluted sites when compared with their respective control sites and the other (2) fertilizer polluted sites, recorded less diverse plant species. There was increased in the density of monocotyledonous plant species such as: Maximum panicum, Pennisetum pedicellatum, Eragrostis spp and others. However, the fertiliser polluted sites are less reduced in plant species diversity when compared with their respective control sites. Passiflora foetida is the only plant species growing on the two (2) polluted sites but not in all control sites except that of fertilizer polluted control site. Oil spent polluted site, being the most vulnerable site to loss of plant species needs to be checked from continuity in order to guide against the worst occurrence that leads to climate change.