Floristic Composition, Diversity and Structure of Woody Plant Species in Menagesha Suba State Forest, Central Ethiopia
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Date
2011-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The study presents analysis of woody plant diversity and structure of Menagesha
Suba Forest, in Central Highlands of Ethiopia. Seventy five quadrats each 20 m X 20 m were
laid out along three line transects in Menagesha Suba State Forest to collect vegetation data. A
total of 112 woody plant species, representing 84 genera and 51 families were recorded. The
Family Fabaceae with 12 species had the highest number of species followed by Asteraceae,
with 8 species, and Rosaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae and Oleaceae with 5 species each.
The forest had the Shannon- Wiener diversity index of 2.57 and evenness of 0.92. Six
community types were recognized from the hierarchical cluster analysis of polythetic divisive
TWIINSPAN output: Dovyalis verrucosa - Maytenus arbutifolia, Dovyalis verrucosa -
Sideroxylon oxyacanthum, Dovyalis abyssinica - Myrsine africana, Myrsine melanophloeos -
Landolphia buchananii, Myrsine africana - Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata and Juniperus
procera - Ficus sur. A floristic comparison of Menagesha Suba State Forest with other related
forests in Ethiopia revealed relatively high floristic similarity. The analysis of the diameter at
breast height distribution shows normal inverted J-shaped pattern. The five most dominant tree
species of Menagesha Suba State Forest occupied 41.77% of total important value index. By
recognizing the significance of Menagesha Suba State Forest, recommendation is made to
improve the protection and conservation status of the forest, through modern joint forest
management approaches and sustainable utilization.
Key Words: Biodiversity, Dry Evergreen Afromontane Forests, Menagesha Suba State Forest,
Woody Plant Diversity, Plant Community
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Keywords
Biodiversity, Dry Evergreen Afromontane Forests, Menagesha Suba State Forest, Woody Plant Diversity, Plant Community