Logging and topographic effects on tree community structure and habitat associations in a tropical upland evergreen forest, Ghana

We determined the response of tree community structure to logging disturbance and topography, and the patterns of tree-habitat associations in Tano Offin Forest Reserve, Ghana. We sampled trees in 27 20 m × 20 m plots randomly and equally distributed in three topographic habitats (slope, valley, and hilltop) in each of two forests: logged and unlogged. Two topographic features, altitude and degree of slope, were measured and related with species composition. Overall, there were significant effects of logging and topographic habitat and their interaction on species diversity and composition, with the unlogged forest and valley habitat supporting higher diversity. Tree diversity varied among the topographic habitats in the logged but not in the unlogged forest. There were topographic effects on abundance of individual species but not on tree community abundance and basal area. Logging and its interaction with topographic habitat showed significant effects on tree abundance and basal area. Some species were associated with specific topographic habitats or a combination in the logged and unlogged forests. However, the patterns of habitat associations of the species differed between the logged and unlogged forests.