Floral Checklist Records of Some Forest Reserves in Ghana

Study Extent

The study areas for the sampling event data collection were the Western and Brong Ahafo regions in Ghana. Ecologically, these regions fall within the transitional, dry semi deciduous, dry deciduous, moist ever green and wet ever green forests zones of Ghana, with parts of the area falling within the wildfire prone areas. These areas are characterized by high diversity of pioneer tree species. The sampling of flora species were restricted to eleven (13) selected forest reserves that were found between latitudes 7.906669 North and 5.317087 South and longitudes-3.006151 West and -1.854438 East. Out of the sampled forest reserves, four (4), four (4) and three (3) were moist semi-deciduous, moist evergreen and dry semi-deciduous forest types respectively. The information taken from these reserves were baseline biological and carbon survey in collected from January to December, 2013.

Sampling

Occurrence of flora were recorded through human observation at the eleven forest reserve and checklist records culled from it to produce final checklist of floral datasets

Quality Control

Only flora species were recorded. All data cleaning and publishing protocols were followed.

Method steps

1. All data points were entered in excel worksheet using the Darwin Core standard template for Core Taxon (Checklist) data and cleaned from errors using the filter on the excel worksheet. All names were resolved and verified or validated using the Global Name Resolver. The cleaned checklist datasets were then uploaded into the OpenRefine software for further cleaning and the cleaned dataset was then downloaded as text file and uploaded into the IPT for publishing by filling and completing all required metadata associated with the dataset Data for the purpose of the publication was Darwin Core formatted. Scientific names were crossed using the Global name resolver tool and verified using the GBIF backbone Taxonomy and Catalogue of Life. Further cleanings were also done using the OpenRefine.

The checklist flora data were collected in areas lying within geographic coordinates -2.8125 West, 0.439453 East, 5.812756 South and 8.407168 North.