Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9849957 |
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| author | Dereje Egeta Giche Yadesa Abeje Eshete Hailu Belay Urge Charu Tensay Teshome |
| author_facet | Dereje Egeta Giche Yadesa Abeje Eshete Hailu Belay Urge Charu Tensay Teshome |
| author_sort | Dereje Egeta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ethiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in the country. The current study aims to investigate the woody species composition, structure, regeneration, diversity, and distribution of the soil seed bank in a degraded part of the Gera moist Afromontane forest. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect tree data. Twenty representative sample square plots, each measuring 400 m2 for trees and shrubs, were established. Inside the main plots, five subplots measuring 9 m2 were assigned for regeneration data collection. Another five subplots were also marked for soil seed bank data collection that are 9 cm deep and 15 cm wide. The forest had twenty-one woody species that belonged to seventeen families. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s indices, and evenness of the whole forest were recorded to be 2.17, 0.82, and 0.42, respectively. Syzygium guineense had the highest species-specific value indices (68.49), accounting for 22.83 percent of the total. The first DBH and height class patterns encompass over 61.16 and 59.92 percent of the total individuals, respectively. There were two growth phases (seedling and saplings) missing in three tree species (Allophylus abyssinicus, Olea welwitschii, and Schefflera abyssinica). The soil seed bank in the forest contained 77 plant species belonging to 41 families. Compared to other moist Afromontane forests, the Gera forest has a smaller composition of woody species and medium diversity. The soil seed bank did not significantly contribute to the restoration of the forest. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3e3134971e4247ffab13c2b4d3add327 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9376 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Forestry Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-3e3134971e4247ffab13c2b4d3add3272025-02-03T07:23:26ZengWileyInternational Journal of Forestry Research1687-93762024-01-01202410.1155/2024/9849957Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern EthiopiaDereje Egeta0Giche Yadesa1Abeje Eshete2Hailu Belay3Urge Charu4Tensay Teshome5Ethiopian Forestry Development Jimma CenterEthiopian Forestry Development Jimma CenterEthiopian Forestry DevelopmentEthiopian Forestry Development Jimma CenterEthiopian Forestry Development Jimma CenterEthiopian Forestry Development Jimma CenterEthiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in the country. The current study aims to investigate the woody species composition, structure, regeneration, diversity, and distribution of the soil seed bank in a degraded part of the Gera moist Afromontane forest. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect tree data. Twenty representative sample square plots, each measuring 400 m2 for trees and shrubs, were established. Inside the main plots, five subplots measuring 9 m2 were assigned for regeneration data collection. Another five subplots were also marked for soil seed bank data collection that are 9 cm deep and 15 cm wide. The forest had twenty-one woody species that belonged to seventeen families. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s indices, and evenness of the whole forest were recorded to be 2.17, 0.82, and 0.42, respectively. Syzygium guineense had the highest species-specific value indices (68.49), accounting for 22.83 percent of the total. The first DBH and height class patterns encompass over 61.16 and 59.92 percent of the total individuals, respectively. There were two growth phases (seedling and saplings) missing in three tree species (Allophylus abyssinicus, Olea welwitschii, and Schefflera abyssinica). The soil seed bank in the forest contained 77 plant species belonging to 41 families. Compared to other moist Afromontane forests, the Gera forest has a smaller composition of woody species and medium diversity. The soil seed bank did not significantly contribute to the restoration of the forest.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9849957 |
| spellingShingle | Dereje Egeta Giche Yadesa Abeje Eshete Hailu Belay Urge Charu Tensay Teshome Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia International Journal of Forestry Research |
| title | Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia |
| title_full | Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia |
| title_short | Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Soil Seed Bank of the Degraded Parts of the Gera Moist Afromontane Forest, Southwestern Ethiopia |
| title_sort | woody species composition structure and soil seed bank of the degraded parts of the gera moist afromontane forest southwestern ethiopia |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2024/9849957 |
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