Woody Species Composition Diversity And Structural Analysis Of Angada Forest In Merti Wereda Arsi Zone Of Oromia Region Ethiopia

This study was conducted on Angada Forest in Merti Wereda, which is a dry evergreenrnafromontane type of forest. The objective of the study was to assess woody speciesrncomposition, vegetation structure, diversity and to make a phytogeographicalrncomparison of the forest under study with some similar forests in Ethiopia. Systematicrnsampling method was used to collect vegetation data from eighty 20 m x 20 m samplernplots for woody species and five 2 m x 2 m subplots within each main plot forrnregeneration of woody plants. The sample plots were laid at every 200 m interval alongrntransects at 400 m apart. The composition and population structure data for woodyrnspecies (DBH > 2.5 cm and height > 2 m), saplings (DBH < 2.5 cm and 1 – 2 m height)rnand all seedlings (height < 1 m) and their regeneration count were recorded in each plot.rnThe vegetation classification was performed using PC – ORD software package. Thernquantitative species diversity, richness and evenness were computed to describe plantrndiversity in each community type. Species abundance, cover, and environmentalrnvariables (altitude, aspect, UTM) were recorded in each sample plot. A total of 87 woodyrnvascular plants belonging to 82 genera and 50 families were identified. Fabaceae familyrnhad the highest number of taxa followed by Asteraceae. Five plant community types werernrecognized. Jaccard’s similarity coefficients were below 0.5 for all communities,rnindicating low similarities among the communities. Thus, all the communities identifiedrnare important in terms of woody species diversity and sensitivity from conservation pointrnof view. Woody species densities for mature individuals were 4,964 stem ha-1, 1,199rnstems ha-1 for saplings and 3,929 stems ha-1 for seedlings. The total basal area of thernforest was 79.8 m2ha-1. The population structure of woody plants and the regenerationrnstatus in the forest revealed that there is a need for conservation priority for thosernspecies with poor regeneration status. The presence of strong anthropogenic disturbancernin the area necessitates the need for an immediate conservation action in order to ensurernsustainable utilization and management of the Forest.rnKeywords: afromontane forest, conservation, diversity, plant community, populationrnstructure, regeneration, species composition

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