Bryophytes in a Changing Landscape: Diversity, Use and Response to Different Land Management Systems in Tulu Korma, in Central-West Ethiopia
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Date
2013
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
771t! sludy lI'al' cOl/ducled 01 lalldholdings of Ihe Cellier for Indigenous Trees Propagalion
and Biodiversity Developmelll of Elhiopia (Restoring) and ils sIIrrollnding area af TIIIII·
Korma, in cemral·lI'eJI Elhiopia. In all Ethiopian contexl, there are largely limited slue/ieJ
011 the !nyophyte,\' 0,\' all inlegra/ part of the lIalllrnl vegewtioll lind key componem of
ecosyslem function Allhough the jlorislic sllldieJ of Tlilu Korma were carried OUi
previollsly. blyophyres and their ecolyslem .~e rllices were 1101 ineluded The currenl sludy
lI'aJ focllj' 011 the waler imerception capacity of Jelected lata of lhis group, To measure
species riclllleJ,\' and dominallce in b,yophyle COllllllllllilies, we haw: IIsed 24 qlladrall', each
having a size of 10,,/ To illveJ/jgare water interceplioll capacily. we selecledfollr ULta. All
statistical allalyses lI'ere carried 0111 by R·2.15 lVindoll' and il/bllill Ms Excel. A 10lal of 56
taxa of bryophyles were recordedfrom the stlldy area, IVhile Ihe proportioll of mOl'ses is 44.
111(1{ of livenl'ort is II and hornworl I, Epiphylic bryophytes are Ihe 1II0st microhabital of
bryophyles in Ihe study area. The bryophy/e COIIIIllI",ity of the study area is grouped il/lo
fi t'(! typeJ. From Jelected fO llr mOJJ specieJ, Leptodontill'" lati/alill'" showed Ihe higheJt
waler holding capacity over a period of 4 weeks, To have a high nllmber of bryophyte
l'jJecieJ. reJlOrillg areal' need to halle key phYJical featllreJ such as 1II0ist ground. refugia
wilh distinct microclilllale, different Jllbslrata. It is ollly a slllall part of Ihe Tlliu Korma
shrubland which is resloring leavillg Ihe larger area to disturballces l'lICh as cut/jng Ireel'.
ellcroachmelll of agricultural fields alld heavy grazing by livestock. If the currelll Irend
continues, Ihe micro·refugia of bryophYles imide Ihe Caril'.m spinanl alld Maylenlls
arblllijolia thickets will be lost with Iheir associated b,yophyte l'jJecies (lnd Iheir ecological
functions. Therefore, Ihe Restoring area should also inelude the remaining area alld
restoralion efforl should also expand to Ihis IlnreslOred portion ofthil' shrub/olld.
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Keywords
Bryophytes, Habitat, Land management, Microhabitat, Refugia, Substratum. Tulu·Korma, Waler interception capacity