Forestry & Wood Technology.

EWM 305
Wildlife Production and Utilisation
EWM 305 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is an exploratory, first course in wildlife production and utilisation designed primarily for students in ecotourism and wildlife and allied disciplines. It is a course that provides hands-on training in the ranching and domestication of wildlife species particularly ungulates and rodents as well as processing of hides and skins for leather industries. As a practical course, the focus is to impart useful skills on the students in order to enhance their self reliance and prepare them for other specialised applications to be encountered at higher levels. Topics to be covered include wildlife production systems; game ranching with emphasis on establishment of a ranch for ungulates; wildlife domestication; assessment of the characteristic features that make wildlife fit for various forms of utilisation; production of hides and skin.

FWT 303
Forest Survey
FWT 303 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is designed to trained students on how to carry out the survey of forest lands using some simple survey equipment such as compass, chain, poles, arrows, field books, optical instruments etc and simple construction surveying for rural applications. The students are practically exposed to various survey equipments and how to handle them. Students are also trained on how to produce the map of an area that has been surveyed, closing of errors in maps and computation of land areas from a map using different methods. Some of the topics to be covered include procedures in ground survey and ground survey instruments. Chain surveying (open and close traversing) and triangulation, Obstacles in chain survey, how to overcome them and the various sources of errors during survey exercise. Others are Compass survey: function, limitations and use during survey exercise and sources of errors, plotting of survey maps, plans and methods of area calculations, lettering and conventional signs, levelling and contours, plane tabling, the Theodolite: uses in tachiometry and Forest road alignment.

FWT 305
Principles of silviculture
FWT 305 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

The course is designed to teach students in Forestry and general agriculture to acquire knowledge on the principles that relates to tree growth and productivity. The contents of the course include introduction to the problems of raising tree crops; application of ecological principles for establishment and maintenance of tree plantation; tree seed collection and processing; seed testing, pre-treatment and storage; photosynthesis; water uptake and loss in a tree; nutrient cycling in forest ecosystem; principles underlying choice of species; species and provenance trials.

FWT 309
Basic Properties of Wood
FWT 309 | FWT | 1st Semester |

Course Synopsis

Sources and types of wood, macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of wood; including cell-wall ultra-structure. Mechanism of wood formation, normal variability and growth defect in wood. Wood structure: relation to physical and mechanical properties and uses of wood, wood-water relationship, density, porosity, fluid flow, and wood response to force systems. Natural durability and identification of principal commercial timber species.

FWT 311
Wood Chemistry
FWT 311 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Chemical composition of wood: elemental and molecular. Structure of wood primary components: Cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and wood extractives (classes and effect on wood and wood utilization). Determination of wood primary components. Physical and chemical reactions of wood. Wood chemical derivative: hydroxymethyl cellulose, acetate, xanthrate, and nitrate. Introduction to the chemistry of wood conversion to pulp and paper.

FWT 313
Plant Introduction and quarantine
FWT 313 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Principles and effectiveness of plant quarantine; Quarantine regulations and the drawbacks; Pest/pathogen detection techniques; Methods of salvaging infested materials; Examination of pest/pathogen risks; principles of plant introduction and tree improvement; seed certification; utilisation of gene resources.

FWT 315
Forest Pests and Diseases
FWT 315 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

The major pests and diseases of forest trees. Taxonomy, biology and method of control of these diseases of forest, major pests and disease of forest trees. Brief outline of shortcomings and advantages of different pest assessment and control methods.

FWT 317
Natural Ecosystem and Plant Taxonomy
FWT 317 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Distribution, structure and dynamic of land and fresh water ecosystems with special reference to West Africa; the flow of energy and materials through natural ecosystems; the importance of conservation: environmental conservation and tree genetics. The forest ecosystem concept: energy dynamics at producer and consumer tropic levels. Photosynthetic efficiency of forest; nutrient cycling in forest ecosystem (geochemical and biological nutrient cycling). The tropical forest communities (vertical and horizontal structures). Classification of forest trees (families of trees) and their relationships to ecological zones; morphology, taxonomy and ecology of tropical trees. Variation and modifications of plant morphology and biodiversity indices. Plant collection and herbarium techniques

FWT 319
Principles of Forest Management
FWT 319 | FWT | 1st Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Principles of Forest Management (FWT 319) is a compulsory course designed for undergraduate students in the forestry and wood technology degree programme, to provide them opportunity to learn basic concepts and techniques related to making decisions in managing both natural and plantation forests to achieve variety of management objectives. Specific topics to be covered in this course include: Definition and importance of forest management; History of forest management in Nigeria; Introduction to the characteristics of forest ecosystem types – Natural forest, plantation forests, even-aged forest, uneven-aged forests; Forest Management goals; Forest Management tools/techniques, to include application of linear programming as decision tools in forest management; Management alternatives to meet various forest objectives; Economic, social and environmental objectives; Forest management decision-making problems; Annual Allowable Cut, sustained yield and rotation age; Conflicts in forest management; Preparation of forest management plans and corresponding business reports.

FWT306
Industrial plantation Establishment and Technology
FWT306 | FWT | 2 Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

The course is designed to train students in Forestry and general agriculture the techniques of raising tree seedlings in the nursery, establishing the tree seedlings in the field and nurturing them into mature tree. The various aspect of the training includes nursery site selection and preparation; seed sowing techniques; nursery management; plantation site preparation; planting operations and techniques; care and management of planted trees.

FWT 316
Wood Seasoning and Preservation
FWT 316 | FWT | 2 Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course will examine the concept of wood as hygroscopic material, essentials of wood drying and preservation in post-conversion process before use. Various methods of drying will be discussed; behaviour of wood in service due to moisture loss and defects will also be examined This course is an exploratory, first course in computer usage designed primarily for students in forestry and allied disciplines. However, it also meets the need of students in other fields, as a course that provides hands-on training in the use of computers for word processing, descriptive data analysis and preparation of slides for presentation. As a practical course, the focus is to impart useful skills on the students in order to enhance their computer literacy level and prepare them for other specialised applications to be encountered at higher levels. Topics to be covered include computer hardware components and their functions; operating systems with emphasis on Windows Operating System; file and disk management; Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and use of the Internet.

FWT 308
Forest Mensuration
FWT 308 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Forest measurement is essential for taking management decision and planning. This course is designed to trained students on how to carry out some basic measurement in the forest, estimation of forest yield (basal area, volume and biomass estimation per unit area). Students are adequately taught the use of the various equipments for measurement in the forest. Such equipments are Girth/Diameter tape, Caliper, bark gauge, simple hypsometer, Haga altimeter, Spiegel relaskop, etc. The students are practically exposed to these equipments and how to handle them. Students are also trained on the management of forest resources for sustainable production with the knowledge of tree growth and increment. Some of the topics to be covered include fundamentals of resource inventory and mensuration, theory of tree measurements (diameter, height, back thickness, crown depth & width etc) and tree measurement’s Instruments, taper and form, tree and stand volume estimation methods, volume equations. Concepts of growth, increment of trees and stands. Stand table projection; volume tables and yeild tables, growth and yield equations/modelling, concept of stand structure, stand density and stocking, site quality assessment and site index and tree biomass estimation.

FWT 310
Principles of Forest Economics
FWT 310 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is to give a clear picture of the economic environment within which forestry operates, to help the students in understanding the many economic relationship which exist in forestry. The course is aimed at introducing students to the concept and practices of forest economics. The course is to establish the economic basis for forestry and to furnish the students with tools and methods of financial analysis in coping with economic problems as they arise in natural resource management. The course is designed to expose students to the classification of forest goods and services as well as review of economics principles in relation to forest resources. The course will start by reviewing important principles of microeconomic theory applicable to forest/natural resources. After establishing this solid foundation of microeconomic view of forestry, we will focus on studying timber supply and demand models, financial analysis and economic impact analysis, timber/ecosystem valuation and multiple-criteria decision making tools to aid better decision making in natural resource management.

FWT 312
Wood Based Panel Products
FWT 312 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Definitions of wood based panel products. Importance of wood based-panel production. Sustainable production of wood based panel products. Wood-based panel manufacturing: plywood, particleboard and fibreboard (raw materials and manufacturing processes; properties and uses). Other variants: Plywood (blockboard, laminboard and battenboard); particleboard (cement-bonded particleboard); fibreboard (hardboard, softboard). Quality assurance and environmental impact of wood based panel products manufacturing.

FWT 314
Sawmilling
FWT 314 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is to introduce the students to primary mechanical processing of logs into boards, different machine woodworking, sawmill layout/ management and pollution control measure. Students are expected to visit sawmill and other wood processing industries for proper understanding of wood processing.

FWT 320
Forest Soils
FWT 320 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

Forest soils and forestry practices will be discussed, with emphasis on tropical soils. Attention will be given to forest soil development, forest land capability and the effects of management practices (harvesting, fertilization, and site preparation) on soil properties. Interrelationships among nutrients and carbon cycling and environmental concerns will be examined. This course will provide students with basic knowledge and skills in forest soil management. It will cover topics such as Physical properties of forest soil. Features of forest soils: soil physics, chemistry, or organism and water movement. Determination and maintenance of forest soil fertility with reference to tropical conditions. Value of forest as soil conservation agents. Mychorrhizae and their importance to forest trees

FWT 322
Computer Applications in Forestry and Wood Technology
FWT 322 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is a follow-up course to FWT 204 (Introduction to use of computers in natural resources). It will provide students with more knowledge of computer applications in Forestry and Wood Technology. The course will be a practical course where emphasis will be on skill acquisition. Hence, real-life situations will be used to give students hands-on training in computer usage. Our main focus will be on how we can use computer technologies to better manage forests in a sustainable manner. As forestry and wood technology are very broad in scope, it would not be possible to cover specific computer applications in all aspects. However, the very essential aspects will be covered with the hope that each student can use the skills acquired in the course as basis for extending the application to other areas. The objective of this course is to teach the students necessary skills to facilitate their use of computer in various aspects of Forestry and Wood Technology.

FWT 324
Remote Sensing
FWT 324 | FWT | 2nd Semester |  Download Courseware PDF

Course Synopsis

This course is an introductory course in remote sensing designed primarily for students in forestry and allied disciplines. The course introduces students to the basics of remote sensing, characteristics of remote sensors and remote sensing applications in forestry. It details the physical principle upon which a variety of photographic and non-photographic sensors operate and describes the existing satellite systems used for remote sensing. Topics to be covered include the basics of remote sensing, electromagnetic spectrum, optical remote sensing and Landsat multispectral remote sensing