Abstract.
In view of the recurrent drought and human population pressures which have
drastically reduced the density of pasture species within the Nigerian savannas, the nomadic
herdsmen rely mostly on silvipastoralism, grazing their herds in Eucalyptus plantations. In this
study, the population of understorey forage and non-forage species and the relative light
intensities on the forest floors of two Eucalyptus species, viz: E. citridodora, and E. camald~lensis
were compared with those of open savanna lands at Kabama, Samaru and Guga, all within
the Northern Guinea savanna zone.
At normal 3 m by 3 m spacing between trees, the herbages were fewer in the plantations and
the E. eitriodora plantation had only about half the number of species observed under E.
camald~lensis in the same and other sites despite similarities in light intensity levels in all the
plantations. This information forms a guideline in using eucalypts for establishing silvopastoral
farms.