Abstract
The study was conducted in protected woodland and free graze woodland located in Dugda Woreda, Oromia state, Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to explore the floristic composition, structure, and regeneration of woody species. In the park, the vegetation ecology has not been studied up to date, which is necessary for conservation. The systematic sampling technique was used to collect vegetation and human disturbance (presence and absence) data from August to December 2017. The vegetation data were collected from 30 plots from each woodland with a size of 900 m2 (30 m × 300 m) for tree/shrub, while subplots of size 400 m2 (20 m × 20 m) for sapling, respectively, were established in the main plots. Individual tree and shrub diameters at breast height (DBH) ≥2.5 cm and height ≥ 2 m were measured using a tape meter and clinometer, respectively. Diameter at breast height (DBH), frequency, density, basal area, and importance value index (IVI) were used for vegetation structure description, while the densities of mature trees, sapling, and seedling were used for regeneration. A total of 446 individual stems from free grazed woodland and 641 individual stems from protected woodland with a DBH of ≥2.5 cm were encountered from 30 studied sample plots that are protected and free grazed woodlands. Of these, from the total woody species, 68.42% were trees and 31.57% shrubs found in protected woodland; 76.92% were trees and 23.07% shrubs found in free grazed woodland. The total basal area of the woody plant was 3.1 ± 1 m2/ha in free grazed woodland and 4.2 ± 2 m2/ha in protected woodland, calculated for 19 woody species. Fabaceae, Balanitaceae, Capparidaceae, Verbenaceae, and Boraginaceae families were the most abundant families in both woodlands. However, there is a good initiation for the conservation of the park; still, the vegetation of the park was threatened by human-induced fire following intensive farming, gold mining, and overgrazing.
Highlights
40% of tropical forest areas and 14% of total African surface area have been covered by woodland [1]
A total of 446 individual stems from free grazed woodland and 641 individual stems from protected woodland with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of ≥2.5 cm were collected
18 woody species belonging to 17 genera and 7 families were identified from protected woodlands and woody species belonging to genera and 4 families were recorded from free grazed woodland (Table 1)
Summary
40% of tropical forest areas and 14% of total African surface area have been covered by woodland [1]. To forest resources, protected woodland has a huge wealth of biological resources [3]; the woody diversity and vegetation structures are crucial elements to clearly visualize the human activities and environmental factors affecting the vegetation of a given area [4]. About 97% of the remaining woodland area is at the risk of being further fragmented and degraded by fire, fuelwood collection [5], and grazing damage [6]. Half of Ethiopia’s land surface is located in dry areas and associated with woodland [7]. The depletion of vegetation resources in woodland and environmental degradation has become an issue of national and global concern [10]. Dugda Woreda woodland is found in Girba Korke Adi kebele, East Shewa zone, Ethiopia. e woodland benefited the local community
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