Distribution of the Woody Vegetation along the Altitudinal range from Abay (Blue Nile) Gorge to Choke Mountain, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara National Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia.
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Distribution of Woody Vegetation along altitudinal ranges from Abay Gorge to Choke Mountain
was conducted in East Gojjam Zone of Amhara Regional State, North West Ethiopia, with aim of
assessing floristic composition, species diversity and structure of woody plant species in the
study area. Systematic line transect sampling method was applied to collect woody vegetation
data. Accordingly, 56 quadrats each with 400 m2 (20 m X 20 m) at a distance of 50 m. a. s. l.
along a transect line for tree and shrubby species and subquadrats of 5 m X 5 m within the main
quadrats were laid to record saplings and seedlings of woody plants and soil sample. Vegetation
classification was performed by using R Software packages. Four clusters were identified and
designated as local plant community types. Each community was named after two or three of the
dominant tree or shrub species in the group. Shannon-Wiener diversity index was used to
compute species richness and evenness of the communities. Ecological dissimilarity of
communities was determined by Euclidean distance. CCA was used to correlate pH and altitude,
while FSO was used to correlate environmental factors. DBH, Density, Frequency and IVI were
computed to describe the structure of vegetation. A total of 120 woody plant species in 90 genera
and 48 families were identified. Fabaceae and Asteraceae were the most dominant families with
16 and 14 species and with 11 and 10 genera each respectively. Shrubs were the dominant life
forms. Thirteen endemic species were recorded, from which 4 are new records for FEE. Altitude
and soil pH have great impact in vegetation distribution. Future research directions and
recommendations were suggested for the sustainable utilization of the vegetation.
Key words/Phrases: Floristic Composition, Plant Community, Species Diversity, Woody
Vegetation, Tree, Shrub, Endemic species, Soil pH
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Keywords
Floristic Composition, Plant Community, Species Diversity, Woody Vegetation, Tree, Shrub, Endemic species, Soil pH