Rivers State University of Science and Technology

About: Rivers State University of Science and Technology is a education organization based out in Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Threatened species. The organization has 1826 authors who have published 1833 publications receiving 15183 citations.

Test scores of urban and rural bank workers in Nigeria: an analysis of the effect of location on test performance

Abstract: Reviews the literature relating to job‐related testing, and describes a specific study which examined the test scores, on written tests, of urban and rural bank workers in a national bank. The purpose of the test was to determine the effect of location on test performance of the two sets of bank workers. Also compares the test performance of individual bank workers in both urban and rural branches, and attempts to determine the degree of difficulty and/or ease of the materials to both urban and rural bank workers. Concludes that the location of the bank workers does not have any significant effect on test performance, nor do the individual test scores of both urban and rural bank workers have any significant relationship with location. Also concludes that the test materials were equally difficult for both categories of worker.

Line-transect data may not produce reliable estimates of interannual sex-ratio and age structure variation in West African savannah ungulates

Abstract: Adult sex ratios and age structures are important wildlife population parameters, but they have been poorly investigated in ungulate species in West African savannahs. We used line transects to investigate these parameters in 11 ungulates from a protected area in south-western Burkina Faso during the period 2010-2018. We created an empirical model of “detectability” for each species based on its main ecological characteristics (habitat and group size) and body size, and then compared the observed interannual inconsistency in sex ratios and age structures with the a priori detectability score. Six out of 11 species showed low interannual inconsistency in sex ratio and age structure. In 82% of the study species, however, the predicted detectability score matched the observed score, with two exceptions being Tragelaphus scriptus and Sincerus caffer.

Insights into the illegal ivory trade and status of elephants in Togo, West Africa

Abstract: In Togo, the illegal trade of African elephant (Loxodonta africana ) ivory is widespread despite efforts made by the government to curtail these activities. By using data gathered from CITES institutions and natural resource management authorities in the country, we investigated the extent of ivory trafficking in Togo. We also conducted surveys in villages around protected areas, which still contain elephant populations to assess the species’ current status in the country. Our surveys indirectly corroborated that there are probably no more than 150 elephants collectively within the country's protected areas, most of them in the Fazao-Malfakassa National Park. We also estimated that a minimum of 41.65 tons of ivory (elephant tusks and carved objects) was intercepted in Togo between 2008 and 2018. Despite the fact that presently illegal elephant hunting is unlikely in Togo, we show that this country is the entry point for ivory from Central Africa (Cameroon and Gabon). We maintain that Togo's position as an intermediary country in the illegal ivory trade is a tangible threat to elephants throughout their range countries and is also likely to affect the dwindling population of these animals in the country if adequate enforcement is not implemented.

The Efficiency and Effectiveness of Open Pollination in Musa Breeding

Abstract: Aims: This field experiment was conducted to determine if hand and open pollination methods affected performances of Musa progenies from 4x - 2x crosses and to identify promising progenies for recurrent selection. Study Design: The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with two replications of 6 plants per genotype. Place and Duration of Study: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) High Rainfall Station, Onne (4º51’N, 7º03’E, 10 m above sea level), in Rivers State, South-south Nigeria for 24 months. Methodology: Two-month old seedlings of hand pollinated (6 diploid, 6 tetraploid) and open pollinated (6 diploid, 6 tetraploid) progenies, along with parental clones (2x) and (4x) of each genotype were planted at 3 m x 2 m spacing. Data on phenology, vegetative growth, yield and yield characters were collected at flowering and harvest over three crop cycles. Genotypes were partitioned into 5 clusters assayed by means of orthogonal contrasts to compare the performance of progenies from both pollination methods. Results: Pollination methods produced no significant (P = .05) differences, unfavourable effects or reduction in performance of economically important yield and yield components of 4x and 2x progenies of similar genotype. Some significant (P = .05) linear correlations and relationships between phenological and vegetative traits; and yield and yield components changed with pollination methods and ploidy levels but did not affect final outcomes. Promising open pollinated diploids include the early maturing TMP2x 2829-62OP; and for high yield and yield components measured, TMB2x 8084-2OP and TMP2x 1448-1OP. Promising open pollinated tetraploids include TMP4x 7002-1OP and TMP4x 2796-5OP. Conclusion: Open pollination did not result in unfavorable effects or reduction in performance of economically important yield and yield components in progenies of similar genotypes. Therefore, open pollination could be considered for Musa breeding. This will reduce cost, labour, time and stress involved in Musa improvement.