(a) On a sketch map of Nigeria locate and name any four vegetation belts (b) Highlight four ways in which the forest vegetation contributes to the economy o...

(a) Vegetation belts in Nigeria

As shown on the sketch map above, the major vegetation belts are arranged broadly from the humid coastal south to the dry northern frontier. Any four of the following are correctly located and named:

• Mangrove swamp forest: found along the Atlantic coast, especially around the Niger Delta and coastal creeks.
• Freshwater swamp forest: found immediately inland of the mangrove belt, particularly in the lower Niger and Niger Delta floodplain.
• Tropical rainforest: found in the southern interior, including parts of Edo, Ondo, Ogun, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States.
• Guinea savanna: occupies much of the Middle Belt, north of the forest zone.
• Sudan savanna: found in the northern part of Nigeria.
• Sahel savanna: occurs in the extreme north-east and north-west, close to the borders with Niger and Chad.

(b) Contributions of forest vegetation to the economy of Nigeria

• It provides timber and wood products for building, furniture making, paper production, plywood and fuelwood.
• It provides employment for lumbermen, sawmill workers, carpenters, forest guards, transporters and furniture makers.
• It earns revenue and foreign exchange through the sale and export of timber, logs, wood products and other forest produce.
• It supplies raw materials such as latex, gums, resins, fruits, herbs and medicinal plants for pharmaceutical and other industries.

(c) Problems associated with the exploitation of forest vegetation

• Inaccessibility: Many forest areas are remote, swampy or poorly served by motorable roads, making the evacuation of logs difficult and expensive.
• Mixed or heterogeneous tree species: Valuable trees are often scattered among less valuable trees, so locating and extracting economic species requires more time and money.
• High cost of operation: Forest surveying, purchasing machinery, constructing logging roads, felling trees and transporting logs require large capital investment.
• Danger involved in logging: Tree felling and the use of heavy equipment can cause accidents, injuries and loss of life to forest workers.