Azura-Edo Independent Power Plant Environmental Impact ... - IFC

Overview of Results
Edo State flora is characterised by a combination of lowland rainforest, farm
land, mangrove swamp vegetation, plantations (particularly for rubber and oil
palm) and derived savannah.
The Study Area in particular is also characterised by human activities that have
impacted upon the vegetation structure. This is a result of non-intensive
agricultural activity, the construction and use of roads, dwellings and other
structures and footpaths. The level of agricultural activities is shown in Figure
4.8 illustrating the typical slash and burn practice conducted in the area.
Figure 4.8
Typical Agricultural Activities at Proposed Plant Facility Location
Source: Environmental Accord Nigeria Limited, 2011
The vegetation types encountered within the Study Area were similar to those
in the rest of the State and included:
• areas of fallow bush of varying ages;
• abandoned and functional subsistence and commercial farmland;
• plantations for wild and domesticated oil palm and rubber species; and
• degraded secondary rainforest as well as statutory, personal and communal
forests.
Photographic evidence of the secondary forests that were observed during the
wet and dry season sampling is shown in Figure 4.19 and Figure 4.20
respectively. Inclusion of both figures allows for a comparison in the vegetation
changes between seasons, in addition to any human influences that may have
affected growth between the two seasons.
AZURA EDO IPP
4-26
DRAFT EIA REPORT