Woody species composition, structure and regeneration status of Alka forest Beyeda District, North Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Northern Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Ethiopia's varied geography, from the Simien Mountains to the Great Rift Valley, creates unique microclimates that support an incredible range of plant species. However, forests are declining due to the expansion of farmlands, settlements and overgrazing. Therefore, there is a need for extensive assessments to inventory woody species composition, structure and regeneration status of the Alka forest.

Methods: A reconnaissance survey was carried out in February 2021 to obtain a general understanding of the research area and vegetation. The vegetation sampling was carried out via a systematic sampling technique. A total of 40 main plots, each measuring 20 m × 20 m and spaced 100 m apart, were placed along the marked transects at 50 m intervals to collect vegetation data. Five 2 m × 2 m subplots were laid out to collect vegetation data on the seedlings and saplings. Trees and shrubs with a DBH greater than 2.5 cm at breast height or 1.3 m above ground were measured via diameter tape in each plot, and their heights were recorded. Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed by using R statistical software version 3.4.0 to sort vegetation into vegetation community types.

Results: A total of 48 woody species within 37 families were identified. Among the total number of species, four were found to be endemic to Ethiopia. Fabaceae was the dominant family, followed by Asteraceae. Four types of plant communities were investigated in the Alka forest. Moreover, the densities of woody plant species for mature individuals, saplings and seedlings were 2556.875, 1633.125 and 1641.25 stem/ ha-1 respectively.This implies that the forest is categorized under fair regeneration status. Juniperus procera had the highest IVI value (24.24), followed by Hagenia abyssinica (12.073).

Conclusion: The findings showed that the forest contain considerable numbers of woody plant composition in addition to endemic plant life. Families represented by only one species will be extinct from this forest if thorough conservation measures are not implemented. Through the government's "green legacy initiative," people will be encouraged to plant native tree species to lessen the number of natural forests in in situ conservation methods, and further investigations are needed to evaluate the soil seed bank in the Alka forest.