Multiple Anthropogenic and Climatic Factors Drive Tree Species Attributes in Ecologically Distinct Sacred Groves in Ghana

Abstract

Sacred groves are rich biodiversity hotspots serving as an important habitat for conserving species and providing ecosystem goods and services to meet societal needs. Despite the benefits these sacred groves offer, they are threatened by anthropogenic stressors coupled with climate change impacts, thereby limiting their maximum ability to offer essential ecological and cultural services. On a climatic gradient, we have explored differences in tree attributes (diversity and composition) and how they are shaped by multiple drivers of land‐use change and climatic factors (rainfall and temperature) which drive underlying soil conditions in different sacred groves. These sacred grooves studied are the Mintimrim Kwaye, Antobia, Boako, Nsoatre Botene and Pimpimgyae sacred groves. Tree species diversity and composition differed between the sacred groves with those located in the forest zones more diverse than those located in the dry semideciduous or the savannah zones. These differences in tree attributes were mainly driven by the various degrees of anthropogenic stressors (mining, agricultural activities, logging and wildfire) coupled with variations in climatic factors driving underlying soil conditions. It is quite evident the role climate plays which highlights how tree species react in terms of distribution and composition in this era of climate uncertainty. This therefore calls for the need for conservation efforts to mitigate the consequences of climate change impacts on biodiversity and human societies.