Clearing House mechanism of Ghana - Other Experts' Publications<p style="text-align: justify;">There are a number of experts conducting various kinds of research on Ghana, who are not affiliated to any of the universities or research institutions in the country. Their publications are in most cases published as individual private outputs in journals and books. This folder contains some of the publications of such national and international experts. </p>2018-12-24T12:43:01Ztag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-expertshttp://gh.chm-cbd.net/misc_/CHM2/Site.gifClearing House mechanism of GhanaEmpirical Trials of Plant Field Guidestag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2015-05-05:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/empirical-trials-plant-field-guides2015-05-05T15:18:12ZAnthony Adu-GyamfiAnthony Adu-Gyamfi<p>We designed 3 image-based field guides to tropical forest plant species in Ghana, Grenada, and<br />Cameroon and tested them with 1095 local residents and 20 botanists in the United Kingdom. We compared<br />users’ identification accuracy with different image formats, including drawings, specimen photos, living plant<br />photos, and paintings.</p>Flavor Formation and Character in Cocoa and Chocolate: A Critical Reviewtag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2015-06-09:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/flavor-formation-and-character-cocoa-and-chocolate-critical-review2015-06-09T14:18:16Zstephen afriyiestephen afriyie<p align="LEFT">Chocolate characters not only originate in flavor precursors present in cocoa beans, but are generated during post-harvest</p>
<p align="LEFT">treatments and transformed into desirable odor notes in the manufacturing processes. Complex biochemical modifications</p>
<p>of bean constituents are further altered by thermal reactions in roasting and conching and in alkalization.</p>
<p>Please contact Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Department of Biosciences and Biotechnology, University of Strathclyde, 204 George Street, Glasgow<span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: xx-small;" face="Times-Roman" size="1"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: xx-small;" face="Times-Roman" size="1">. E-mail: </span></span>e.afoakwa@strath.ac.uk,e <a href="mailto:afoakwa@yahoo.com">afoakwa@yahoo.com</a> for more information.</p>UNU-INRA : 2014 ANNUAL REPORTtag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2015-06-09:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/unu-inra-2014-annual-report2015-06-09T15:01:44Zstephen afriyiestephen afriyie<p>The United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) located in the University of Ghana is one of the 15 research and training centres / programmes that constitute the United Nations University’s worldwide network. UNU-INRA’s mission is to empower African universities and research institutions through capacity strengthening.</p>
<p>The report below prepared by the University provides some information on biodiversity issues in Ghana. </p>A taxonomic and geographical catalogue of the seaweeds of the western coast of Africa and adjacent islandstag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2015-07-14:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/taxonomic-and-geographical-catalogue-seaweeds-western-coast-africa-and-adjacent2015-07-14T07:16:55Zstephen afriyiestephen afriyie<p>The first critical assessment of the seaweeds of tropical West Africa began during the 1960s; the first part dealing with the green algae was published by George Lawson and James Price in 1969. Over this period of almost 40 years, considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the distribution of West African seaweeds and many taxonomic and nomenclatural changes have taken place.</p>Probing Adaptive Farm-Based Decision-Making: Assessing Micro-Catchment Practices towards Smart Agricultural Intensification within Muooni Sub-Catchment, Kenyatag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2016-05-13:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/probing-adaptive-farm-based-decision-making-assessing-micro-catchment-practices2016-05-13T15:16:26ZNehemiah Odjer-BioNehemiah Odjer-Bio<p>Riparian areas provide many critical ecosystem functions, including reducing nutrients and sediments from surface runoff, reducing erosion, and providing shade and organic matter to stream ecosystems. In this paper the researchers examined the conservation practices of the riparian vegetation in the Muooni dam microcatchment with in-depth interviews, transect walks and field observation techniques and noted that diverse land use practices are seriously affecting the quality of the riparian vegetation and the quality of the dam by increasing sediment loading within the dam.</p>What is happening to our Lagoons? The example of Butuah Lagoon in Ghanatag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2016-05-13:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/what-happening-our-lagoons-example-butuah-lagoon-ghana2016-05-13T15:16:26ZNehemiah Odjer-BioNehemiah Odjer-Bio<p>Lagoons are among the most important ecosystems in the world. To find out how activities around lagoons affect their physical and chemical properties, the researchers assessed the physicochemical properties and concentrations of seven heavy metals from samples of sediments, Tilapia fish and water of Butuah Lagoon in Ghana, as an example.</p>Sustainable Agricultural Intensification:Evolving Adaptation Fissures and Ecosystem Services Resiliencetag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2016-05-13:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/sustainable-agricultural-intensification-evolving-adaptation-fissures-and2016-05-13T15:16:26ZNehemiah Odjer-BioNehemiah Odjer-Bio<p>Vulnerable habitats and conditions are becoming fragmented and fragile while species behaviors and disrupting mutualisms of long standing are altering. In this article the authors discussed gaps, highlighted one promising climate smart innivation, the Bhungroo Irrigation Technology and the most efficient ways by which rural communities could be engaged.</p>Local communities’ willingness to pay for sustainable forest management in Ghanatag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-08-22:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/local-communities-willingness-pay-sustainable-forest-management-ghana2018-08-22T12:37:17ZNehemiah Odjer-BioNehemiah Odjer-Bio<p>New policies and interventions for forest management are important because preferences of stakeholders and the state of forests continually change. To achieve sustainable forest management there is the need for information and guidelines that help decision-makers understand the economic value of the forests to local communities as these values influence how they respond and support policies and interventions. This study, using the contingent valuation method, estimated the willingness to pay of 300 respondents from 10 communities around Subri Forest Reserve in the Western Region of Ghana.</p>An Overview of Biodiversity Conservation in Ghana: Challenges and Prospectstag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-10-16:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/overview-biodiversity-conservation-ghana2018-10-16T16:43:12ZSandra FrempongSandra Frempong<p style="text-align: justify;">The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which Ghana became a signatory in 1992, and other Multilateral International Environmental Agreements enjoin signatory Parties to develop strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. In this regard, there has been a Biodiversity Country Study for Ghana. a National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) and a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. Both <em>in situ </em>(use of both traditional and scientific methods - sacred groves and protected areas), and <em>ex situ </em>(gene banks. zoological and botanical gardens) approaches have been used in biodiversity conservation in Ghana. The effectiveness ofthe former has, however, diminished in recenttimes because ofrapid population growth, urbanization, human migration and resettlement, influence of western technology, foreign religions and beliefs, human encroachment, deforestation, poaching, etc. Ghana's environmental conservation initiatives hold quite promising prospects, especially with the current collaboration between local traditional authorities, NGOs, government institutions, academic and research institutions, and the realization that more flexible multidisciplinary and holistic approaches to biodiversity conservation are more likely to yield betterresults. The main objective of biodiversity conservation is to ensure that the use of biological resources does not diminish the variety of genes and species, or destroy important habitats and ecosystems worldwide. The major problem facing biodiversity conservation in Ghana today is the rapid population growth and its resultant urbanization, over-exploitation of forests, need for more agricultural land, etc. The current situation needs a serious appraisal of national population programmes, especially in the areas of implementation and censusing, as well as initiation ofenvironmental awareness campaigns involving stakeholders like environmental NG Os, governmental organizations, District Assemblies, traditional authorities, and the mass media. Poverty alleviation programmes targeted especially at rural communities are also steps in the right direction.</p>Unravelling the Pangolin Bushmeat Commodity Chain and the Extent of Trade in Ghanatag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-10-16:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/unravelling-pangolin-bushmeat-commodity-chain-and-extent-trade-ghana2018-10-16T16:59:45ZVincent Awotwe-PrattVincent Awotwe-Pratt<p>Pangolins (Pholidota: Manidae) are frequently hunted as a source of bushmeat in Ghana. However, no information<br />exists with regards to the level of trade of pangolins outside of major bushmeat market surveys in Ghana. The aim<br />of this study was to determine the level of trade among other stakeholders in the bushmeat commodity chain for pangolins in Ghana. Data were collected from 153 stakeholders using semi-structured interviews and direct observation between September 2013 and January 2014. A total of 341 pangolins were recorded to have been traded in this study period. The white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) represented 82 % and the black-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) 18 % of the observed pangolins traded by the stakeholders. Chopbar operators accounted for the highest retailer sales to consumers. The number of pangolins traded was negatively correlated to the distance between settlements and protected forest regions. The levels of pangolin trade were previously underestimated in Ghana as the pangolin bushmeat commodity chain does not form the supply chain to the major bushmeat markets where most surveys were undertaken. The Wildlife Conservation Act of 1971 (LI 685) that prohibits the hunting of pangolins can be regarded as ineffective and not serving as a deterrent to poaching.</p>Biodiversity status of urban remnant forests in Cape Coast, Ghanatag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/biodiversity-status-urban-remnant-forests-cape-coast-ghana2018-12-24T12:10:27ZEmmanuel DovloEmmanuel Dovlo<p>Cape Coast Metropolis, which is close to Kakum forest, has its native forests being reduced to fragments. Biodiversity in these forest reserves are exposed to the threat of being cleared over night as a result of urbanization. In this study, inventory of vertebrates and invertebrates were undertaken in five remnant forests in Cape Coast. The study sites were surveyed for small terrestrial mammals, large mammals, avifauna, herpetofauna and invertebrates. From the inventory taken, 15604 species of invertebrates belonging to 51 families, 83 species of birds belonging to 30 families were sampled. Furthermore 14 species of mammals belonging to 8 families and 8 species of herpetofauna were also sampled. Although these species were of least concern under IUCN category, it is important to protect these native forests from total destruction. Benefits such as the protection of numerous native pollinators and biological control agents can be derived when these reserves are protected. Furthermore, such reserves can be developed to become biological field stations for research or ecotourism parks which can generate employment and revenue for the community. Conservation of biodiversity is in the interest of generations unborn; not only Ghanaians or Africans but the whole of tomorrow’s mankind.</p>Assessment of the status of the development of standards for the Terrestrial Essential Climate Variablestag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/assessment-status-development-standards-terrestrial-essential-climate-variables2018-12-24T12:18:06ZAnthony Adu-GyamfiAnthony Adu-Gyamfi<p style="text-align: justify;">Land cover change is a pressing environmental issue, acting as both a cause and a consequence of climate change. Reliable observations are crucial to monitor and understand the ongoing processes of deforestation, desertification, urbanization, land degradation, loss of biodiversity and ecosystem functions, water and energy management, and the influence of land-cover changes on the physical climate system itself. A number of disciplines (i.e. geography, ecology, geology, forestry, land policy and planning, etc.) use and refer to land cover and land-cover change as one of the most obvious and detectable indicators of land surface characteristics and associated human induced and natural processes. Current and future IPCC Assessment Reports are based upon an uncertain understanding of the land surface and related processes. Applications of land cover and land dynamics in climate change related Earth System Models and Impact Assessment Models should be better linked and coordinated. The importance of these issues requires continuous monitoring systems and data.</p>Macroalgae-Derived Biofuel: A Review of Methods of Energy Extraction from Seaweed Biomasstag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/macroalgae-derived-biofuel-review-methods-energy-extraction-seaweed-biomas2018-12-24T12:24:02ZAnthony Adu-GyamfiAnthony Adu-Gyamfi<p style="text-align: justify;">The potential of algal biomass as a source of liquid and gaseous biofuels is a highly topical theme, but as yet, there is no successful economically viable commercial system producing biofuel. However, the majority of the research has focused on producing fuels from microalgae rather than from macroalgae. This article briefly reviews the methods by which useful energy may be extracted from macroalgae biomass including: direct combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, trans-esterification to biodiesel, hydrothermal liquefaction, fermentation to bioethanol, fermentation to biobutanol and anaerobic digestion, and explores technical and engineering difficulties that remain to be resolved</p>Modifier Ontologies for frequency, certainty, degree, and coverage phenotype modifiertag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/modifier-ontologies-frequency-certainty-degree-and-coverage-phenotype-modifier2018-12-24T12:24:02ZAnthony Adu-GyamfiAnthony Adu-Gyamfi<p>When phenotypic characters are described in the literature, they may be constrained or clarified with additional information such as the location or degree of expression, these terms are called “modifiers”. With effort underway to convert narrative character descriptions to computable data, ontologies for such modifiers are needed. Such ontologies can also be used to guide term usage in future publications. Spatial and method modifiers are the subjects of ontologies that already have been developed or are under development. In this work, frequency (e.g., rarely, usually), certainty (e.g., probably, definitely), degree (e.g., slightly, extremely), and coverage modifiers (e.g., sparsely, entirely) are collected, reviewed, and used to create two modifier ontologies with different design considerations.</p>Isothecium myosuroides var. brachythecioides (Dixon) Braithw. reinstated as a species, I. interludens Stirt.tag:gh.chm-cbd.net,2018-12-24:/biodiversity/biodiversity-research/other-experts/isothecium-myosuroides-var.-brachythecioides-dixon-braithw.-reinstated-species2018-12-24T13:11:30ZAnthony Adu-GyamfiAnthony Adu-Gyamfi<p style="text-align: justify;">The taxon currently known as Isothecium myosuroides var.brachythecioides (Dixon)Braithw is reinstated as a species, I. interludens Stirt., the name originally assigned by Stirton when it was first described. The morphological characters separating I. myosuroides s.s. and I. interludens are summarised. The sporophytes of I. interludens, described here for the first time, differ in shape, and pattern of exothecial cells from those of I. myosuroides. A molecular analysis based on variation of the ITS region shows that I. holtii Kindb. and I. alopecuroides (Lam. ex Dubois) Isov. are not monophyletic, calling for a re-assessment of these species, whereas the monophyly of the other species, including I. interludens, cannot be rejected. The analysis failed, however, to yield molecular synapomorphies for I. interludens and other species within I. myosuroides s.l., which we interpret as the incomplete sorting of alleles among recently evolved species. Isothecium interludens is a European endemic with a hyperoceanic temperate distribution. Its nested position within a clade including the two Macaronesian endemics I. prolixum (Mitt.) M.Stech and I. montanum Draper, Hedenäs, M.Stech, T.Lopes & Sim-Sim is suggestive of a Macaronesian origin, in line with the idea that the European Atlantic fringe flora assembled during the course of the last interglacial from Macaronesian ancestors. Isothecium therefore offers a model of prime importance for the study of ongoing speciation in mosses.<br /></p>