Fieldwork in Ghana

At the end of this week, PhD and master's students from both the University of Potsdam (Germany) and the institutional partner in Ghana (CSIR-FORIG, Kumasi) have completed the first phase of their current field research activity in Ghana. They worked at two sites, namely Bobiri Forest Reserve and Pra-Anum Forest Reserve in the Guinean ecological zone (moist semi-deciduous forests) of Ghana which represents one of the two climatic zones in their project's research focus. The students counted, identified, and measured the trees, shrubs, and herbaceous layer on a total of 60 selected plots. Further, they collected plant and soil samples from different vegetation and soil layers. All those parameters will serve to calculate carbon pools within and between different land-use systems (near-natural forest, fallow, and cropland).

Starting in May, their field research continues and for the next three months they will be heading North to the second climatic zone, the Sudanian Savanna. This ecological zone is characterized by a savannah landscape with open vegetation and less dense forests than in the Guinean zone. Within the two sites selected at Mole National Park and Gbele Resource Center, plant and soil parameters will be measured and collected in another 60 plots to complete the picture of carbon pool dynamics in vegetation and soil along a climatic and land-use gradient in Ghana.

Congratulations and a good continuation from the whole GreenGaDe Team!