Floristic composition and community analysis of woody species in Hereje Natural Forest, southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

The floristic composition, diversity, and conservation status of woody plant species in Ethiopia are determined in this study. Data on vegetation are collected using a systematic random sampling method from 45 20 m × 20 m  (400m2) plots laid every 100 m along four parallel transect lines running from south to north. The Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea identification key (Volume I–VIII) is used to identify the scientific names of all woody plant species. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index is used to calculate species diversity, whereas Sorensen's similarity coefficient is used to assess similarities and differences among plant communities. The studied forest contains 44 plant species from 29 families and 40 genera. The Fabaceae is the most dominant family, followed by the Rubiaceae and Combretaceae. In terms of habit, the collected woody species consisted of 30 (68.2%) trees and 14 (31.8%) shrubs. The two most frequent species are Syzygium guineense (51.11%) and Maytenus gracilipes (46.66%). Three plant community types are identified using Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster Analysis. Most species (Calpurnia aurea-Combretum molle) are observed in community type two. The study is generally limited to the floristic and diversity of woody plant species. Therefore, a thorough investigation of all species' floristic composition, population structure, regeneration status, and ecological aspects is recommended.