Tree species distribution in natural forest and the factors affecting its diversity and structure in Menit Goldia Woreda, Western Omo Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47540/ijsei.v7i1.2270Keywords:
Diversity, Natural Forest, Regeneration Status, Woody Species DistributionAbstract
This research evaluated tree species distribution and determinants influencing diversity and structural composition within natural forests of Menit-Goldia Woreda. Data collection occurred in three Kebelles using both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were acquired through field observations and systematically sampled forest plots. A total of 35 forest plots (300, 400, and 500 m²) were established along transect lines spaced 50-100 meters apart. Tree density, height, and Diameter at Breast Height measurements characterized vegetative structure. Regeneration status was assessed in five 1m × 1m subplots, categorizing trees as saplings or seedlings. Interviews with 39 participants identified factors contributing to forest degradation using structured questionnaires during key informant interviews and focus group discussions. Data analysis utilized SPSS and Microsoft Excel with descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. The survey identified 16 tree species across 11 families, with Fabaceae being the most predominant, followed by Moraceae and Combretaceae. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') and evenness value (J) were 2.5 and 0.92, respectively. Millettia ferruginea and Comberut mole had the highest frequency (20.7% of total basal area). Comberut mole exhibited the highest Importance Value Index (IVI), followed by Ficus vasta and Cordia Africana, while Ficus sur had the lowest. Seedlings, saplings, and adult trees comprised 20.8%, 16.8%, and 62.4% of the population, respectively, indicating fair regeneration. Significant negative correlations existed between forest decline and population growth (-0.95), agricultural expansion (-0.91), resettlement (-0.79), and charcoal production (-0.64). Conservation efforts should include raising local awareness, exploring alternative livelihood options, and promoting afforestation initiatives.
Downloads
References
Abiyu, A., et al. (2020). Regeneration status of woody species in dry Afromontane forests of Ethiopia. Forest Ecology and Management, 456, 117732.
Ahrens, C.W., et al. (2020). Plant functional traits differ in adaptability and are predicted to be differentially affected by climate change. Ecology and Evolution, 10, 232–244.
Allen, C. D., et al. (2015). On underestimation of global vulnerability to tree mortality and forest die-off from hotter drought in the Anthropocene. Ecosphere, 6(8), art129.
Atsbha, T., et al. (2019). Woody species diversity, population structure, and regeneration status in the Grat-Kahsu natural vegetation southern Tigray of Ethiopia. Heliyon, 5, e01120.
Becker, M., et al. (2016). The forests of Ethiopia: Diversity, distribution and conservation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 25(14), 2647-2669.
Bekele, T., & Abebe, M. (2016). Diversity and regeneration status of woody species in Lammo Natural Forest, Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 27(3), 653-663.
Birhanu, T., et al. (2021). Floristic composition, structure and regeneration status of woody plants in church forests of Dangila, Northwestern Ethiopia. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 7(1), 1932.
Cardelus, C.L., et al. (2019). Human disturbance impacts the integrity of sacred church forests, Ethiopia. PLoS ONE, 14(1), e0210151.
Chave, J. (2004). Neutral theory and community ecology. Ecology Letters, 7(7), 241-253.
Crowther, T.W., et al. (2015). Mapping tree density at a global scale. Nature, 525, 201–205.
Daniel, H., et al. (2024). Ecological study and forest degradation of the Waldiba Monastery woodland in Tigrai, Ethiopia. Discover Sustainability, 5, 57.
De Cárcer, P. S., et al. (2017). Responses of antinomic foliar traits to experimental climate forcing in beech and spruce saplings. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 140, 128-140.
EFDP (Ethiopian Forestry Development Program). (2019). National Forest Inventory Report. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). (2020). The State of the World's Forest 2020: Forests, Biodiversity and People. Rome, Italy.
Forrester, D. I., et al. (2016). Drought responses by individual tree species are not often correlated with tree species diversity in European forests. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53(6), 1725–1734.
Gebre, A.B., Birhane, E., Gebresamuel, G., Hadgu, K.M., Norgrove, L. (2019). Woody species diversity and carbon stock under different land use types at Gergera watershed in eastern Tigray, Ethiopia. Agroforestry Systems, (93), 1191-1203
Gebrehiwot, K., et al. (2019). Classification and ordination of plant communities in Abune Yosef mountain range, Ethiopia. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 40 (5), 398-411.
Gidey, T., et al. (2020). Population status of Boswellia papyrifera woodland and prioritizing its conservation interventions using multi-criteria decision model in northern Ethiopia. Heliyon, 6, e05139.
Gidey, T., et al. (2023). Prioritizing forest conservation strategies using a multi-attribute decision model to address concerns with the survival of the endangered dragon tree (Dracaena Ombet Kotschy and Peyr.). Journal of Nature Conservation, 73, 126404.
Girma, B., & Melese, M. (2020). Woody Species Diversity and Vegetation Structure of Wurg Forest, Southwest Ethiopia. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2020, 8823990.
Grossiord, C. (2019). Having the right neighbors: How tree species diversity modulates drought impacts on forests. New Phytologist, 228: 42-49.
Gurmessa, F., et al. (2012). Structure and regeneration status of komto Afromontane moist forest, East Wollega Zone, west Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 23, 205–216.
Hansen, M. C., et al. (2013). High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change. Science, 342(6160), 850-853.
Hooper, D. U. (1998). The role of complementarity and competition in ecosystem responses to variation in plant diversity. Ecology, 79(2), 704-719.
Hundera, K., & Deboch, B. (2008). Woody species composition and structure of gurra farda forest, SNNPR, south west Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Science, 2, 44–54.
Ibrahim, T., et al. (2020). Diversity of woody species and biomass carbon stock in response to exclosure age in central dry lowlands of Ethiopia. Open Environmental Research Journal, 14, 1–12.
Jucker, T., et al. (2015). Crown plasticity enables trees to optimize canopy packing in mixed-species forests. Functional Ecology, 29(8), 1078-1086.
Kebede, B., et al. (2016). Floristic composition and community types of Gedo dry evergreen montane forest, west Shewa, Ethiopia. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 36, 392–400.
Keenan, R. J., et al. (2015). Dynamics of global forest area: Results from the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment 2015. Forest Ecology and Management, 352, 9-20.
Lutz, J. A., et al. (2018). Global importance of large-diameter trees. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27(7), 849-864.
Magurran, A. E. (2004). Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell Publishing.
Malhi, Y., et al. (2014). The productivity, metabolism and carbon cycle of tropical forest vegetation. Journal of Ecology, 102(1), 45-51.
Mason, N. W., et al. (2015). Patterns of functional diversity in New Zealand forest communities. Journal of Vegetation Science, 26(2), 311-322.
MEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change). (2015). Ethiopia's Second National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Moges, Y., & Abiy, M. (2018). Forest resources and challenges of sustainable management in Ethiopia. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 37(3), 271-291.
Motuma, T., et al. (2010). Floristic composition and structure of the Yayu forest in southwestern Ethiopia. Journal of the Drylands, 3(2), 254-267.
Mueller, L. D., et al. (1974). A Handbook of Vegetation Analysis. Pitman Publishing.
Nasi, R., et al. (2020). The State of the Forests in the Congo Basin: 2020. Center for International Forestry Research.
Neelo, J., et al. (2013). Factors affecting the distribution of woody species in a semi-arid savanna. African Journal of Ecology, 51(3), 423-430.
Neelo, J., et al. (2015). Patterns of woody species distribution along a topographic gradient in a semi-arid savanna. Journal of Arid Environments, 119, 49-56.
Negash, M., & Olsson, M. (2014). Tree regeneration in church forests: implications for conservation of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23(10), 2549-2561.
Negesse, G., & Woldearegay, M. (2022). Floristic diversity, structure and regeneration status of Menfeskidus Monastery forest in berehet district, north shoa, central Ethiopia. Trees, Forests and People, 7, 100191–100210.
Nune, S., et al. (2007). Biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Natural History, 41(5-8), 539-553.
Senbeta, F. (2006). Diversity and regeneration status of woody species in the Harenna Forest, Ethiopia. Journal of the Drylands, 1(2), 163-174.
Siraj, A., & Zhang, J. (2018). Woody species diversity, structure, and regeneration status of a dry Afromontane forest in Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 29(4), 1083-1093.
Siraj, A., et al. (2023). Patterns of tree species distribution and diversity in Ethiopian forests: A review of recent studies. Ecological Processes, 12(1), 1-15.
Tedersoo, L., et al. (2017). Global diversity and geography of soil fungi. Science, 356(6330), 534-538.
Teketay, D., et al. (2018). Diversity and regeneration of woody species in a dry Afromontane forest in Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 29(3), 815-826.
Temesgen, B., & Werkineh, M. (2020). Woody species structure and regeneration status in Kafta Sheraro national park dry forest, Tigray region, Ethiopia. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2020, 4597456.
Tesfamariam, B., et al. (2019). Tree species diversity and carbon stock in a dry Afromontane forest in Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 30(2), 609-618.
Tiwari, J. K., et al. (2010). Regeneration status of tree species in a tropical forest of India. Journal of Forestry Research, 21(1), 103-108.
Unbushe, G., & Tekle, K. (2016). Diversity and regeneration status of woody species in Wotagisho Forest, Ethiopia. Journal of Forestry Research, 27(4), 905-915.
Worku, A., et al. (2022). Patterns of tree species distribution in Ethiopian forests: Implications for conservation. Ecological Indicators, 136, 108594.
Yinger, J., et al. (2008). Forest structure and diversity in the Ethiopian highlands. Journal of Vegetation Science, 19(5), 637-648.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Mehari Hadush, Biniam Tesfaye, Biniam Assefa, Alemitu Worku
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
