Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management

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Browsing Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management by Author "Abdena, Feyera"

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    Floristic composition and structure of vegetation of Chato Natural Forest in Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, Oromia National Regional State, west Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2010-06) Abdena, Feyera; Nemomissa, Sileshi (Professor); Senbeta, Feyera (PhD)
    Structural and floristic study was carried out in Chato Natural Forest, Horo Guduru Wollega Zone, West Ethiopia, with the objectives of determining the floristic composition and structure of the vegetation found in the area. Data were collected from 40 quadrats, each with 20 m X 20 m (400 m2), for trees and shrubs. In addition, 2 m X 2 m subplots were laid within the main plot to sample herbaceous plants. Vegetation sampling sites were selected by preferential methods from Google Earth and coordinates were fed into Garmin eTrex GPS. Altitudes and geographic coordinates were recorded for each quadrat, and cover/abundance value was estimated for all species. Height and diameter at breast height of all woody species taller than 2 m and 2 cm were measured. One hundred fifty-four species of vascular plants were identified which were grouped in to 138 genera and 67 families. Asteraceae followed by Euphorbiaceae and Fabaceae were found to be the most abundant families in the study area. Out of these, 23 species were new records for Wollega floristic region. Furthermore, Chato Natural Forest harbours 12 endemic species; one of these species was identified as a vulnerable species following the IUCN Red list criteria. Three plant community types were identified and named by one/ two or three species with higher indicator values. Structural analysis of the Chato Natural Forest revealed a density of 980 stems/ ha and a total basal area of 65 m2/ ha. The most dominant tree species relatively with the highest importance values recorded in the area were Pouteria adolfi-friederici, Podocarpus falcatus, Celtis africana, Mimusops kummel, Pyschotria orophila, Olea capensis subsp. macrocarpa. Analysis of population structure for majority of species revealed normal distribution patterns. Floristic comparisons with other similar forests in Ethiopia showed that Chato Natural Forest is more similarity to the moist montane forests. Key Words/ Phrases: Chato Natural Forest, floristic composition, FIV, moist montane forest, plant community, SIV, vegetation structure.