Restoration of stream ecosystem integrity in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

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Restoration of stream ecosystem integrity in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

A survey of six first-order streams in Akwa Ibom State revealed landscape modifications arising from agricultural practices and the construction industry as the major causes of perturbations of these aquatic ecosystem. Reduced stream width and depth due to prolonged siltation are common in all streams surveyed. Indices of some community parameters determined were low and many fish species rare, all of which seem to indict modifications of adjacent landscape. This paper used ecological principles to argue against such abuses and emphasizes strict adherence to the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessments Decree irrespective of the scale of the project and location. The principles of ecology and its applied derivatives are to the environment what the political constitution is to a nation.