Woody Plant Composition, Population Structure and Regeneration Status of Sire Forest in Hidabu Abote District, North Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ecologically, the forest gives important environmental benefits by providing carbon sink/ carbon storage service, watersheds protection services and providing habitats for a large amount of animals.The study was conducted with the objectives to assess woody plant composition, population structure and regeneration status of Sire Forest.In order to collect vegetation data a total of 42 quadrats, each with the size of 20 m x 20 m at an interval of 50 m, were laid along the established transects at 30 m apart. Sire Forest is characterized by species like Syzygium guineense subsp. afromontanum F. White, Vachila abyssinica Hochst .ex.Benth,Eucalyptus Camaldulensis dehnhas a most dominant species.A total of 34 woody species belonging to 21families and 20 genera were recorded from Sire Forest. The results from this study showed that plant species of different life forms (trees, tree/shrub) were identified. Out of the total plant species recorded from the forest, the collected species were composed of 91.17 % (31) trees and 8.82% (3 )Tree/shrubs, (Appendix 1).Fabaceae is the most dominant family with 2 (9.52%) genera and 5 (14.7%) species followed by Myrtaceae which had 1 (4.76%) genera and 4 (11.76%) species.(Appenix 3).Density ha 1 of the woody species used in the analysis was more concentrated in the middle DBH size class and also true for height classes and indicated that most of the woody species recorded during this study were medium-sized plants. Species like Juniperus procera Hochst.ex A.Engl., Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Dehnh, attained the highest value of IVI due to their highest relative dominance, relative frequency. In contrary to this, Albizia gummifera (J. F. Gmel.) C. A. Sm., whichhas lower relative density,had lower IVI.A plant species like Allophylus abyssinicus (Hochst.) Radlkofer.wasnot represented by seedlings or saplings while Rhus glutinosa A. Rich. Subsp. glutlnosa Anacardiaceae,Olea europaea L.supsp.cuspidata (Wall.ex G.Don) Cif.Vernonia amygdalina Del.and few other species were represented by less number of seedlings and saplings than mature plants.However, species such as Ekebergia capensis Sparrm,Juniperus procera Hochst.ex A.Engl.,Teclea nobilis Del.,Ricinus commonis L.represented by more numbers of seedlings and saplings than mature plants and thus they were in a good regeneration status.indigenous knowledge with modern conservation approach in the planning and implementation process must be encouraged.