A Professor of Bryology at the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Olubukunola Oyesiku, has lamented what he described as indiscriminate logging practices in Nigeria, saying, “There will come a time we all wake up to find that animals have taken over the city.”
He noted that this could be avoided if Nigerians refrain from “rapid devastation and logging of priceless rainforests.”
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Oyesiku, who raised the alarm; calling for a concerted effort to save the ecosystem, described the manner of devastation and logging of the nation’s rainforests without any guide or collaboration with botanists as “astonishingly rapid” and “demoralising.”
He said the indiscriminate logging practices – especially the felling of large trees, were disrupting the plant and animal ecosystems and their methods of existence.
He delivered the 100th inaugural lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU, Ago – Iwoye.
Speaking at the lecture titled “Romance with Mosses,” he said man’s activities have harmed plants and animals in the rainforest’s ecosystem.
He explained that he had deployed the knowledge of bryophytes to ascertain the status of rainforest within his scope of research.
“There will come a time we all wake up to find that animals have taken over the city. Why? As a result of our indiscriminate logging practices.
“Their ecosystems and method of existence (niche) are under a serious threat. Our actions have harmed them,” he said.
To arrest the trend of devastation and logging of rainforests with the attendant risks to man eventually, the inaugural lecturer called on individuals, community and nation to develop “national reforestation policies” to reduce climate change, stabilise the carbon concentration in the atmosphere and soil air.
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