Composition and diversity of woody plant species in agro-ecosystems of Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania

Abstract

Woody plant species are important components of agro-ecosystems that determine their productivity and biodiversity conservation in tropical mountain landscapes. This study investigates woody plant species composition and diversity through simple random sampling of sixty (10 × 10 m) plots in crop fields, hedgerows, and homegardens at Uluguru Mountains, Morogoro, Tanzania. In total, 85 woody plant species, representing 82 genera and 40 families were recorded. The most species-rich families were Proteaceae (with 323 individuals), Lauraceae (205), and Meliaceae (185). Among the woody plant species, Grevillea robusta (Proteaceae) showed the highest importance value index of 41% across different agro-ecosystem types. Shannon (1.87), Simpson (0.82), and evenness (0.91) diversity indices were highest in hedgerows compared to other agro-ecosystems. Hedgerows recorded the maximum richness, followed by homegardens and lastly crop fields. Present agro-ecosystems should be promoted to enhance the restoration and conservation of agro-biodiversity in mountain landscapes.