Fucalvntus 
camaldulensis 
along rivers 
and streams 
alluvial flats 
at edges of 
shallow dep 
ressions 
posts, poles, 
sleepers, fuel 
texitile pulp 
Parkia clapper- 
toniana 
mainly alona 
stream courses 
also in wood 
land of the 
derived sava 
nnah 
food from pods 
fuel, avenue 
tree, fertili 
zers 
Parkinosonia 
aculeata 
generously on 
sandy river 
beds and 
alluvial fans 
for soil fixa 
tion and ero 
sion control 
of the burned veaetation. The nutrients availability 
stimulates an exnlosive growth of bacteria, algae 
zooplankton which contribute to the enormous food 
resources on the basis of which there is rapid repro 
duction of all varieties of fish. With the rising 
levelsof the stream water the fishes migrate upstream 
and spread laterally out on to the flood plains. 
They may spawn in the stream channels or the orass 
swamps during the early floods on the floodplains. 
It is durincr the flood season that feeding, growing 
and fattening mostly take place. With the fall in 
the levels of flood water, the fishes move into the 
main channels where harvesting is done in the dry 
season. 
Two situations have created seme interest in integra 
ted fishery and crop development: one is the general 
protein deficiency among the population, and the 
other the promotion of aqua-culture as a rural enter 
prise. It is therefore a useful thina to have carto 
graphic expression of the distribution of the potent 
ial areas for fishery and rice development. FAO is 
expressing seme interest in the development of small 
scale integrated fishery and rice farming (FAO, 1985) 
in the neighboumood or the study area. The PCC 
expression of the possible area as mapped, (Fig. 4) 
was estimated to be 4.17 thousand hectares, which 
is approximately 9% of the total area mapped. 
the riperian woodlands 
With population increase in the savannah, wood is 
becoming scarcer, “/fetter conditions in the valleys 
Favour gallerv forestry, which according to local 
uses of wood (FAO, 1974) supplies i’^ortant utiliza- 
ole species (Table 2). 
Table 2 
Riparian Forestry, site characteristics and 
utilization of some of the economic tree species 
With the onchocerciasis (as the main limitation to 
occupation in the riparian land) now controlled, the 
spontaneous occupation of wooded terraces and levees 
for agriculture has already began. What perhaps is 
recruired is anticipatory environmental planning and 
introduction of agro-forestry and acruacultural pract 
ices to forestall possible losses of water,soil and 
trees. Based Partly on the known ecoloaical sites 
indicated in Table 2, the imagery provided distribu 
tion of the riparian woodland. ~t was mapped (ficr. 6j 
mid the extent estimated to be 7.25 thousand hectares 
or 16% of the study area. 
the upland shrub and tree savannah as range resour- 
resource 
Estimatesof ranae animals in the area, based on 
1975 information, (Ghana National Atlas Project) of 
the livestock population,are 7,000 cattle, 4,000 
sheep and 5,000 Croats. These finures mav be conser 
vative orrather too rough, but thev indicate seme 
certainty of range uses of the native veaetation. 
From ranaeland point of view, the natural vegeta 
tion is of forage production as it is a hatitat for 
aarme animals and watershed manaaement (Humphrey 
R.R. 1949). Same studies have been done on the 
rangeland potentials of the savannahs (Innes RR 
1977, Boudet, 1975, FAO, 1968). Sane estimates 
have also been made of the carryina capacity of the 
major vegetation types of the study area (Table 3) 
Table 3 
Available foraae production and estimated 
carryina capacity of the shrub and treee 
Savannah Veaetation 
modem aoriculture and the environment 
The hiah yieldina variety technoloav (HYV) formed 
part of the "areen revolution" which aovemment 
aaricultural policies of the seventies encouraged. 
(Econ Survey. 19879-81 Report). The associated 
mechanized plouahing, the heavy application of agro 
chemicals and the characteristic hiah demand for 
Species 
Riparian site 
Possible uses 
Acacia albida 
Where water table 
is within reach 
of tap root and 
on banks of water 
courses, 
Soil conser 
vation, pods 
good food for 
cattle, bran 
ches useful 
for fences, 
leaves used 
for animal 
feed, wood 
for carving 
and bank con 
taining tan 
nin. 
Acacia nilotica 
inundation 
gum arabic, 
flats bends 
fodder, medi 
of rivers 
cine, woods 
fuel, char 
coal, sawlogs, 
sleepers, 
poles 
Borassus 
Low areas 
construction 
aethiopum 
with high 
in housing, 
water table f 
fencing, etc. 
swamp grass 
the orange 
site 
fruit contain 
three hand- 
coated edible 
seeds surround 
ed by edible 
flesh 
Dalbergia 
common along 
Veneers, 
sisso 
river banks 
carpentry, 
fuel 
Veaetation Type 
Current avai 
lable Foraae 
production 
Kilos/Ha Air 
dry cot 
Estimated 
Carrying capa 
city Ha/a.v./ 
vear 
Shrub Savannah 
1550 - 2065 
1.85 - 2.50 
Tree Savannah 
1940 - 2580 
1.50 - 2.00 
For their uses as forage for the local livestock, 
the upland uncultivated vegetation was also inte- 
preted rather broadly and the extent as well as 
proportion of the study area it takes was estimated 
to be about half of the studv area.