ABSTRACT

Effects of crude oil spillage on plant species was carried out at Gbarain/Etelebu oil well sites, Gbarantoru, Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. The heavily affected, lightly affected, and unaffected areas were selected for the study. In each ofthese areas, six transects of30m were cut at an interval of 100m. Two plots of 10 x 10m were selected at random from each block for the study. Some plant species of the same height that occurred in all the blocks were collected and analysis was done on their leaves and roots to determine the effect of crude oil spills on them. Soil samples were collected from the depths of 0-10cm and 10-20cm for analysis. Water was collected from the surface of the spill site for comparative test analysis. The results revealed that crude oil spillage had adverse effect on the water quality because ofthe toxic hydrocarbons that is been released within (he environment during crude oil spillage. It was observed that crude oil spillage had a negative impact on soil fertility status, specifically the clay content which have the value of 12.02% and 12.002% within the depth of 0-10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area, organic carbon which have the value of 2.66% and 1.60% within the depth of 0-10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area, pH which have the value of 3.82% and 4.29% within the depth of 0-10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area, Nitrogen which have the value of 10% and 23% within the depth of 0-10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area, phosphorus which have (he value of6.65% and 5.98% within the depth of 0- 10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area, and potassium which have the value of 0.05 and 0.04 within the depth of 0-10cm and 10-20cm in the heavily affected area. Using both similarity and richness indices, it was observed that the three sites were significantly different. Plant species were abundant in unaffected areas. The volume of the tree species were 9.80m3, 36.10m3, and 41.97m3 for the heavily affected, lightly affected, and unaffected areas, respectively. It is recommended that adequate environmental protection and conservation policy guidelines should be provided which the oil producing companies should adhere to. Effort should be made in re-establishing the vegetation especially through planting of crude oil resistant economic tree species in areas affected by oil spillage, and introduction of macro-organisms to degrade the soil affected by crude oil spill should be attempted.