European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience

Authors
Umeghalu ICE

Abstract
Nigeria’s locations between two unique terrestrial bodies, the Atlantic Ocean and the Sahara Desert have both influenced her climate and vegetation. These climatic features have given birth to a well-developed tropical rain forest ecosystem in the southern part of Nigeria; which bears timber, fruit bearing trees, citrus, oil palm, cocoa, rubber, kola nut trees and provides home for wildlife. Forest is defined as an uncultivated track of land covered by trees and under wood. It can also be defined as an area with a high density of trees. However, Nigerian forest resources have been heavily exploited and this has led to widespread destruction of forests and soil degradation. It has been reported that Nigeria had the highest rate of deforestation in the world. In the year 2005 alone, about 12.2% of the forest, the equivalent of 11,089,000 hectares had been forested in the country. Between 1990 and 2000, Nigeria has lost an average of 409,700 hectares (35.7%) of its forest cover, or around 6,145,000 hectares. Thus there is need to mechanize the forest sector to boost its resources. Forest mechanization is the application of various machineries, development, introduction and use of mechanized assistance of all forms and at any level of technological sophistication to the various activities of forestry. The objective of this study is to identify the constraints militating against forest mechanization in Nigeria and proffer solutions for conservation of the forests.