Abstract
The diversity, abundance and height structure of naturally regenerated woody species were analyzed and compared for undergrowth reservoir associated with vegetation patches as bowal, shrubland and woodland for understanding the effect of vegetation conditions on spatial distribution of woody plants in Sudanian ecosystem. All undergrowth individuals (height 2) laid out in each vegetation patch during rainy season. In total 52 undergrowth species and 2224 stems arranged in 38 genera and 21 families out of which 25, 36 and 38 species were found in bowal, shrubland and woodland respectively and 15 shared species. Combretaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Mimosaceae families were the most abundant and species density was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in shrubland and woodland than bowal, and increase diversity in only shrubland (P = 0.002) comparing with bowal. Undergrowth was abundantly concentrated in small height class as canopy benefit and indicate a specific-site distribution. Results also showed that bowal had a particular vegetation which vary in function of tree community characters in place (P < 0.05) while woodland and shrubland are similar vegetation patches. As conclusion, the study vegetation patches form suitable regeneration niches for the undergrowth reservoir of limited number of species which in return can be predictor of species richness and abundance and thus the structure of tree community. Woody undergrowth community could be considered in biodiversity management and degraded land restoration. Supplementary works could be undertaken to understand the characteristics of seed bank for bowal, shrubland and woodland regarding the undergrowth and tree communities.
Highlights
Restoring woody community for conservation goal with its species diversity basednaturally occurrence in savanna and woodland ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions have always been of broad concerns for vegetation management by plant ecologists, biologists, evolutionists and environmentalists
Our results showed that undergrowth reservoirs varied across vegetation patches as response to the degree of heterogeneity in the study sites
A particular undergrowth vegetation set is growing in bowal as area specific-species and stem density which positively vary in function of the associated tree community characters
Summary
Restoring woody community for conservation goal with its species diversity basednaturally occurrence in savanna and woodland ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions have always been of broad concerns for vegetation management by plant ecologists, biologists, evolutionists and environmentalists. Many efforts have been conceded and are increasingly underway [3] [4] [5] [6] to overcome these concerns, the mechanisms or way in which plant species colonize or regenerate and recruit in a given area and vegetation condition vary largely in the literature [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] It is reported in West Africa, in Sudano-Sahelian ecosystems that many woody species asexually regenerate naturally in the landscapes of Daniellia oliveri, Detarium microcarpum or Isoberlinia doka [9] while species as Crossopteryx febrifuga is able to recruit and resist in a wider range of fire conditions than Piliostigma sp [8]. These authors have recorded 54 woody species in high human impacted forest, 66 in low impacted and 56 in intact forest at seedling stage against 55, 73 and 77 at sapling stage and 90, 102 and 98 at tree stage respectively and significant increase in sapling density for high impacted forest and similar distribution in seedling density
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