Woody Diversity Research Articles

Exclosure effects on soil physicochemical properties and woody species diversity in the south Rift valley basin of Ethiopia

Establishing exclosures has become common rehabilitation and restoration of degraded lands in Ethiopia. This study examined the effects of exclosure on identified soil physical and chemical properties, and woody diversity at the Wamole sub-watershed. Representative soil samples were taken from the open grazing land and eight-year-old exclosure. Six transects and 18 plots, with an area of 20 m × 20 m and containing nine from each open grazing ground and nine from the exclosure, were constructed alongside to sample the vegetation. From every plot, by ‘X’ design, composite soil samples were collected for investigation of total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil pH and soil organic carbon content (SOC), and the bulk density (BD) of the soil, 18 undisturbed soil samples were taken from 0 to 20 cm deep. 34 and 28 woody species belonging to 25 and 20 families were registered between exclosure and adjacent open grazing land respectively. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher Index Shannon-Wiener (3.36) in the exclosure indicated better species diversity in the exclosure than in the open grazing land (3.13). Soil properties such as available phosphorus, pH, OC, TN, and CEC showed significant differences (p < 0.05) across different land uses. Exclosures facilitated to reclaim of degraded lands by re-establishing vegetation and improving soil nutrient status in a comparatively short period. It suggests that further research on socio-economic aspects of exclosures has to bring livelihood improvement in the locality to establish additional degraded open grazing lands in the research sub-watershed.

Woody species diversity and the carbon stock potentials of different land use types in agroecosystem of Jimma Ganati District, Western Ethiopia

We investigated the impact of land use types and topographical variables on the diversity of wood species and their carbon stocks in the studied agroecosystems. A generic allometric equation developed for woody plants in agricultural landscapes was used to estimate the carbon stock. We used a mixed-effects linear model using the lmer function in the lme4 package to test the effects of land use types and topographic variables on wood species diversity (Shannon diversity) and stem carbon stock potential. Our study result showed that there is significantly higher woody diversity (P < 0.05) in forests, home gardens and riverine than in grazing lands and croplands. Conversely, woody DBH (cm) and height (m) are relatively higher for croplands followed by grazing land, but lower for home garden and forest land use. There is a statistically significant difference between land use types in their carbon stock (χ² (4) = 18.164, p=0.0011), with forest having the highest total carbon stock, followed by home gardens, but grazing land having the relatively lower total carbon stock of woody species. The study finds that species diversity has a positive and significant (P<0.05) effect on both aboveground and belowground carbon stocks. However, its effect is modulated by land use types, where it is stronger in forest patches, but weaker in more disturbed land use types (e.g., grazing lands and cropland). The study also finds that topographical variables (elevation, slope, and aspects) have no significant (P>0.05) effect on aboveground and belowground carbon stock. The tree species' structural attributes such as height, DBH size, and basal area (BA) have a positive and statistically significant (P < 0.05) effect on carbon stock. The study also found that only a few high DBH class (old growth) tree individuals that are deliberately spared in cropland and grazing land matrix have a high carbon stock contribution. For example, seven species, Podocarpus falcatus, Ficus vasta, Prunus africana, Schefflera abyssinica, Ficus sur, Ekebergia capensis, and Apodytes dimidiate, contribute an estimated 70% of the estimated total carbon stock in the landscapes. These results indicate the need to protect such scattered old-trees in agricultural landscapes both for biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration thereby integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies into subsistence farming systems.

Impacts of Diffuse Land-Use on Plant Diversity Patterns in the Miombo Woodlands of Western Zambia

Land use is known to influence the diversity of vascular plants in the Miombo woodlands. However, little is known about the interaction between soil and land use in herbaceous and woody species. We compared the diversity of vascular plants at the plot level (20 m × 50 m) and site level for three sites in the Miombo woodlands of western Zambia subject to different levels of intensity classes of diffuse land use (e.g., livestock herbivory and selective timber harvesting). For each of the sites, twenty plots were randomly selected for assessment of species composition of vascular plant species, indicators of land-use intensity, and soil chemistry per plot. We hypothesized that the site with the lowest human impact would have the highest richness and diversity of woody and herbaceous species. At the site level, we found that richness and diversity of woody species were unaffected by land-use intensity, whereas herbaceous species richness was higher for the protected site (28 species on average per 1000 m2) than the two other sites (23 and 21 species on average per 1000 m2). At the plot level, herbaceous species richness was positively associated with woodcutting and soil pH. We interpret the positive effect of woodcutting on herbaceous species richness as the effect of lower competition by the woody component for resources such as water, nutrients, and light. With regard to the absence of any effect of land-use intensity on the richness of woody species, we conclude that in our study areas selective timber harvesting may be at a sustainable level and might even have a positive effect on the diversity of the herbaceous layer.

Biodiversity and Carbon Stock Potential of Forest-Farm Interface in SouthCentral Highland of Ethiopia

Woody species diversity and carbon stocks of Forest-Farm interface (FFI) and adjacent natural forest (NF) and farm land (FL) were assessed in south-central highlands of Ethiopia. Vegetation and biomass carbon stock data were collected from a total of 30 plots from each land use. In each plot, diameter at breast height (DBH) of all woody species ≥ 2cm and height of ≥ 1.5m height was measured. A total of 15 soil sample were collected from every other plots of woody species inventory plots. Soil samples were collected from 0-30 cm and 30-60 cm depths from three diagonally established subplots containing (1m2). One-way analysis of variation (ANOVA) was used to compare variation of total carbon stocks and woody species diversity and two ways ANOVA was used for multiple comparison of soil organic carbon stock (SOC) among depth and land use. Pearson correlation was used to determine relationship between woody diversity and carbon stocks. The result showed that Fisher alpha diversity in FFI is 7.34 and that of NF and FL are 5.22 and 3.38 respectively and it is significantly different (F= 58.7; DF =2, 87; p &lt; 0.05). The total carbon stock in FFI is 2044.05 (SE = ± 13.9) tons ha-1 while it is 348.5 (SE = ± 47.6) tons ha-1 in NF and 28.1 (SE = ± 12.5) tons ha-1 in FL. Similarly, the total carbon stock of FFI is significantly higher than FL ((F = 28.9; DF = 1, 28; P &lt; 0.05) and is significantly lower than that of adjacent NF (F = 8.4; DF = 1, 28; P &lt; 0.05). The result shows that the relationship gets stronger with increasing species diversity (r = 0.10, 0.21 and 0.40 for FL, FFI and NF respectively at P &lt; 0.05). In every aspects assessed in this study, the FFI has proved to play significant role in conserving biodiversity and carbon stock as compared to the adjacent NF. Hence, sustainable management of the landscape under FFI is important to sustain its environmental and economic contributions.

Drought and fire determine juvenile and adult woody diversity and dominance in a semi‐arid African savanna

AbstractThe aim of this study was to understand how communities of adult and juvenile (seedlings and saplings) woody plants were impacted by fire and the 2014–2016 El Niño drought in Kruger National Park, South Africa. We used a landscape‐scale fire experiment spanning 2013–2019 in a semi‐arid savanna in the central west of Kruger National Park (mean annual precipitation, 543 mm). Adult and juvenile woody species composition were recorded during and after the drought in 40 plots that experienced a mix of no fire, moderate fire, and frequent fire treatments. Using multivariate modeling, we related community composition in juvenile and adult woody plants to year of sampling and the experimental fire treatments. Post‐drought, there was significant adult woody plant top‐kill, especially in dominant species Dichrostachys cinerea (81% reduction in abundance), Acacia nigrescens (30%), and Combretum apiculatum (19%), but there was no significant change in adult species richness. Two years post‐drought, abundance of all juveniles decreased by 35%, and species richness increased in juveniles in both the frequent fire (7%) and no fire treatments (32%). Counter‐intuitively, the El Niño drought increased species richness of the woody plant community due to the recruitment of new species as juveniles, a potential lasting impact on diversity, and where different fire regimes were associated with differences in community composition. Drought events in semi‐arid savannas could drive temporal dynamics in species richness and composition in previously unrecognized ways.

Constant hydraulic supply enables optical monitoring of transpiration in a grass, a herb, and a conifer.

Plant transpiration is an inevitable consequence of photosynthesis and has a huge impact on the terrestrial carbon and water cycle, yet accurate and continuous monitoring of its dynamics is still challenging. Under well-watered conditions, canopy transpiration (Ec) could potentially be continuously calculated from stem water potential (Ψstem), but only if the root to stem hydraulic conductance (Kr-s) remains constant and plant capacitance is relatively small. We tested whether such an approach is viable by investigating whether Kr-s remains constant under a wide range of daytime transpiration rates in non-water-stressed plants. Optical dendrometers were used to continuously monitor tissue shrinkage, an accurate proxy of Ψstem, while Ec was manipulated in three species with contrasting morphological, anatomical, and phylogenetic identities: Tanacetum cinerariifolium, Zea mays, and Callitris rhomboidea. In all species, we found Kr-s to remain constant across a wide range of Ec, meaning that the dynamics of Ψstem could be used to monitor Ec. This was evidenced by the close agreement between measured Ec and that predicted from optically measured Ψstem. These results suggest that optical dendrometers enable both plant hydration and Ec to be monitored non-invasively and continuously in a range of woody and herbaceous species. This technique presents new opportunities to monitor transpiration under laboratory and field conditions in a diversity of woody, herbaceous, and grassy species.

Land use conversion to agriculture impacts biodiversity, erosion control, and key soil properties in an Andean watershed

AbstractThe conversion of natural vegetation to agricultural land uses in mountainous Andean landscapes threatens an array of key ecological processes and ecosystem services (ES). In protected areas and buffer regions that provide water to cities, it is critical to understand how interactions between plants and soil communities sustain a range of ecosystem functions associated with nutrient recycling, soil structure, and erosion control. We sought to examine how land use conversion within a mountainous tropical forest landscape influences the diversity of vegetation and soil macrofauna communities, soil physicochemical properties, and hydrological regulation services. Biodiversity and a suite of key soil‐based ES were compared in five major land uses of the Cali River watershed: (1) annual cropping systems, (2) coffee plantations, (3) pastures, (4) abandoned shrubland, and (5) secondary forests. The diversity of woody and herbaceous vegetation, as well as soil macrofauna, was assessed in each land use. Soil chemical fertility and aggregate morphology were assessed via laboratory analyses and visual separation of soil aggregates based on their origin. Infiltration, runoff, and sediment production were measured using a portable rainfall simulator. We found a decrease in the diversity of woody vegetation across land uses to be associated with lower diversity of soil macrofauna. At the same time, agricultural management, annual crops in particular, supports the largest earthworm populations, likely due to increased organic inputs and low impact tillage, which appears not to diminish soil fertility and water infiltration. In contrast, the low soil fertility in pastures was associated with the lowest values of soil C, poor aggregation, and high bulk density and likely reflects overgrazing, with negative implications for water infiltration and erosion. Associations between the different sets of variables, evaluated with co‐inertia analysis, highlight the hierarchical relevance of plant cover and woody diversity on ES. The biological complexity associated with intact forest cover appears to generate “bundles” of co‐occurring ES, with this land use demonstrating the highest infiltration, and low runoff and sediment losses. Our findings demonstrate that forests and tree‐based agricultural systems may better contribute to the provision of multiple ES, including biodiversity conservation and hydrologic regulation.

ANALYSIS OF THE DENDROFLORA OF THE VILLAGE OF BAY-KHAAK OF THE TANDINSKY DISTRICT

The article presents the data of the results of studies of the species composition of the dendroflora of the village of Bay-Khaak of the Tandinsky district of Tuva. Various types of woody plants and shrubs grow on the territory of this village, and of various origins. As a result of the complex analysis, detailed taxonomic, systematic, biomorphological, geographical analyses of tree and shrub vegetation are presented. The materials obtained are of practical importance for the development of the improvement of the streets of the village, as well as ways to improve the condition and preserve the diversity of woody and shrubby plants.&#x0D; For the first time in the village of Bay-Khaak, a research work was carried out to identify the species composition of tree and shrub vegetation and their comprehensive analysis.

Effects of time since invasion and control actions on a coastal ecosystem invaded by non‐native pine trees

Abstract Invasive non‐native trees cause structural and functional changes in plant communities, which tend to increase over time since invasion. Native vegetation responses after control operations provide important information for restoration. We evaluated the effects of time since invasion and of pine control on plant community structure and on functional traits in a coastal open ecosystem in southern Brazil. We compared richness, diversity, abundance and cover of woody and non‐woody native plant species, as well as species composition and community‐weighted means (CWM) based on functional traits (dispersal syndrome, fruit type, maximum height and shade tolerance) of plant communities, in four conditions: a non‐invaded area, an area where pines were controlled (managed area), an area of recent invasion and an area invaded longer ago. Woody species abundance, richness and diversity declined over time since invasion. However, while abundance recovered to the point of not differing from the non‐invaded condition in areas where pines were controlled, species diversity and richness were lower in the managed area than in the area that was never invaded. The effects of pine invasion on richness and diversity of non‐woody plants did not increase over time, but plant cover progressively diminished. Woody and non‐woody species composition varied between the four conditions. Species composition similarity was lower between conditions for non‐woody than for woody species. CWM differed between the older invasion and the other conditions, determined especially by native plant height and shade tolerance. Taller plants and more shade tolerant native species were exclusively sampled in the older invasion. Synthesis and application: Pine invasion reduced species abundance, plant cover, richness and diversity, altering the composition of plant community. The escalation of negative temporal effects of pine invasion was observed on the composition of woody and non‐woody species and on functional traits. Although pine control favoured the natural regeneration of non‐woody species, diversity of woody species in the area submitted to pine control was lower than in the non‐invaded condition. Restoration activities are therefore required to increase woody species diversity. These results provide relevant guidance for the restoration of coastal ecosystems following invasive pine control.

Socioeconomic and environmental factors jointly shape beta diversity of woody species in eastern China

AbstractQuestionsIncreasingly, studies have demonstrated that not only environmental factors but also socioeconomic factors are important in determining species richness patterns. However, few studies have explored their effects on beta diversity. Here, we aimed to answer two questions based on woody species composition in a number of geographical administrative divisions: (1) how does beta diversity change with socioeconomic and environmental factors; and (2) what is the relative importance of socioeconomic and environmental factors in driving beta diversity of woody species?LocationEastern China.MethodsWe used abundance‐based beta diversity (Bray–Curtis) and species accumulation rate to quantify beta diversity of woody species of 20 counties in eastern China. Linear regression models were used to test the relationships between beta diversity and socioeconomic and environmental factors. The relative importance of socioeconomic and environmental factors in driving beta diversity was investigated using the variation partitioning method.ResultsWe found that elevation, annual precipitation, and location significantly affected species composition. Species accumulation rate increased significantly with Gross Domestic Product (GDP), GDP per capita and human population density, and decreased with forest cover, topographic and climatic heterogeneity. In addition, abundance‐based beta diversity increased significantly with human population density. Moreover, socioeconomic factors, topographic and climatic heterogeneity independently explained 25%, 15%, and 1% of abundance‐based beta diversity separately.ConclusionSocioeconomic factors may have significant effects on beta diversity patterns of woody plants. Our study highlights the urgent need to consider socioeconomic factors when exploring large‐scale biodiversity patterns in human‐dominated landscapes and formulating related forest management strategies.

DIVERSIDAD DE COMUNIDADES DE LEÑOSAS DEL BOSQUE TROPICAL SECO EN PITAYERAS DE LA SIERRA DE HUAUTLA, MÉXICO

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background. &lt;/strong&gt;Pitayeras are traditional agroforestry harvesting systems that have been poorly studied but can harbor a diversity of trees and shrubs as in tropical dry forest (TDF). &lt;strong&gt;Objective. &lt;/strong&gt; We described the diversity of woody communities&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;in &lt;em&gt;Pitayeras&lt;/em&gt; of the Sierra de Huautla to identify their importance in the conservation of TDF species. &lt;strong&gt;Methodology. &lt;/strong&gt;150 plots with a defined area (10 x 10 m) divided into three &lt;em&gt;Pitayeras&lt;/em&gt; (Plain, Hillside, and Orchard) were sampled. All individuals with a diameter ≥ 1 cm were quantified, and all species were identified. The alpha (H ', &lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;D, &lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;D, &lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;D) and the beta (Bray-Curtis) diversity were estimated. A tree classification was performed to classify the plant communities of the &lt;em&gt;Pirayeras&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Results. &lt;/strong&gt;57 species and 22 families were identified, which Fabaceae, Burseraceae, and Cactaceae were the most diverse. The most dominant species were &lt;em&gt;Euphorbia schlechtendalii&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Stenocereus stellatus&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Mimosa polyantha&lt;/em&gt;. La Huerta was the most diverse &lt;em&gt;Pitayera&lt;/em&gt;, while the Plain had the least diversity. The Plain and Orchard were the most similar &lt;em&gt;Pitayeras&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Implications&lt;/strong&gt;. The diversity of trees and shrubs of the &lt;em&gt;Pitayeras&lt;/em&gt; might be associated with particular edaphic, climatological and management conditions; however, these socio-ecological elements were not monitored. &lt;strong&gt;Conclusions.&lt;/strong&gt; The &lt;em&gt;Pitayeras&lt;/em&gt; harbor a diversity of trees and shrubs similar to the DTF of the Sierra de Huautla Biosphere Reserve and other parts of Mexico.&lt;/p&gt;

Species composition and diversity of woody communities along an elevational gradient in tropical Dwarf Cloud Forest

Species composition and diversity of woody communities along an elevational gradient in tropical Dwarf Cloud Forest

Testing the potential of pollen assemblages to capture composition, diversity and ecological gradients of surrounding vegetation in two biogeographical regions of southeastern Europe

Due to the complex relationship between pollen and vegetation, it is not yet clear how pollen diagrams may be interpreted with respect to changes in floristic diversity and only a few studies have hitherto investigated this problem. We compare pollen assemblages from moss samples in two southeastern European forests with the surrounding vegetation to investigate (a) their compositional similarity, (b) the association between their diversity characteristics in both terms of richness and evenness, and (c) the correspondence of the main ecological gradients that can be revealed by them. Two biogeographical regions with different vegetation characteristics, the Pieria mountains (north central Greece) and the slopes of Ciomadul volcano (eastern Romania), were chosen as divergent examples of floristic regions, vegetation structure and landscape openness. Pollen assemblages are efficient in capturing the presence or absence, rather than the abundance in distribution of plants in the surrounding area and this bias increases along with landscape openness and vegetation diversity, which is higher in the Pieria mountains. Pollen assemblages and vegetation correlate better in terms of richness, that is, low order diversity indices. Relatively high correlation, in terms of evenness, could be potentially found in homogenous and species poor ecosystems as for Ciomadul. Composition and diversity of woody, rather than herb, vegetation is better reflected in pollen assemblages of both areas, especially for Pieria where a direct comparison of the two components was feasible, although this depends on the species-specific pollen production and dispersal, the openness of landscape and the overall diversity of vegetation. Gradients revealed by pollen assemblages are highly and significantly correlated with those existing in vegetation. Pollen assemblages may represent the vegetation well in terms of composition, diversity (mainly richness) and ecological gradients, but this potential depends on land use, vegetation structure, biogeographical factors and plant life forms.

The invasive tree, Ailanthus altissima, impacts understory nativity, not seedbank nativity

Ailanthus altissima, the invasive forest tree commonly known as the tree-of-heaven, has been associated with decreased levels of plant species richness and native species diversity. However, this relationship with resident plants has been inconsistently found and the tree’s influence on the seedbank has yet to be studied. To further understand the long-term impact of this tree, ten paired invaded-uninvaded sites were identified in Virginia, USA in a variety of different-aged stands. The herbaceous and woody understories for each plot were inventoried and soil samples were collected and grown out for 34 weeks in a greenhouse. All plants were identified to the most detailed taxonomic level possible. In total, 35 woody understory species, 62 herbaceous understory taxa, and 77 seedbank taxa were identified. The relationship between A. altissima presence and i) the proportion of individual plants that are native, ii) the proportion of species that are native, iii) the native diversity, and iv) the nonnative diversity were analyzed. In addition, models including the invasion age were also considered. We show that A. altissima invasions were associated with a decrease in the proportion of native plants and species in the understory, but not in the seedbank. Nonnative woody diversity also increased with A. altissima presence. Additionally, the impact on the nativity of the woody understory became more extreme over time. We end by discussing the benefits of both managing A. altissima invasions early to limit its overall impact and including the management of other nonnative plants in A. altissima restoration plans.

First-Decade Biomass and Carbon Accumulation, and Woody Community Change after Severe Wind Damage in a Hemlock-White Pine Forest Remnant

Studies of biomass and carbon dynamics and community composition change after forest wind disturbance have predominantly examined trends after low and intermediate severity events, while studies after very severe wind disturbance have been few. This study documents trends in aboveground biomass and carbon across 10 years of forest recovery after severe wind disturbance. In July 1989, a tornado struck mature Tsugacanadensis-Pinusstrobus forest in northwest Connecticut, USA, causing damage across roughly 8 ha. Canopy tree damage and regeneration were surveyed in 1991 and 1999. Two primary hypotheses were tested, both of which derive from regeneration being primarily via the release of suppressed saplings rather than new seedling establishment: (1) Biomass and carbon accumulation will be faster than accumulation reported from a similar forest that experienced similar severity of wind disturbance; and (2) The stand will experience very little change in species composition or diversity. Estimated immediate post-disturbance (1989) aboveground live-tree carbon was 20.7 ± 43.9 Mg ha−1 (9.9% of pre-disturbance) Ten years after the disturbance, carbon in aboveground live tree biomass increased to 37.1 ± 47.9 Mg ha−1; thus for the first decade, annual accumulation averaged 1.6 Mg ha−1 of carbon; this was significantly faster than the rate reported in a similar forest that experienced similar severity of wind disturbance. The species diversity of woody stems ten years after the disturbance was significantly higher (nonoverlapping confidence intervals of rarefaction curves) than pre-disturbance canopy trees. Thus, hypothesis 1 was confirmed while hypothesis 2 was rejected. This study augments the limited number of longer-term empirical studies that report biomass and carbon accumulation rates after wind disturbance, and can therefore serve as a benchmark for mechanistic and modeling research.

The impacts of soil and local humans on plant distribution and diversity in the fluvial floodplain, An Giang province

Four types of alluvial soils in the fluvial floodplain of An Giang province were characterized by silt, porosity, slight acidity, and high nutrients. The results recorded 230 plant species of 80 wild plants and 150 cultivated plants, mainly medicinal and edible plants. Fabaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Cucurbitaceae were the most diverse families. Woody diversity was the highest in Orthofluvic fluvisols. The source of herbs was richest in Orthofluvic fluvisols but most diverse in Gleyic fluvisols. The RDA analysis showed that soil and humans played an equal role in plant diversity (relatively 7.0% explanatory variables by soil, 6.1% by human activities, and 12.6% by the combination of soil and humans). Porosity and silt affected the diversity in Anofluvic and Orthofluvic fluvisols while clay affected the diversity in Gleyic and Cambic fluvisols. Local people's planting habits and hobbies increased woody diversity while weed control and tillage decreased herbaceous diversity.

Floristic diversity of woody stands of the Sudano Guinean Savannah of Mbam and Djerem National Park (PNMD), Cameroon

The combined effect of climatic deterioration and anthropogenic pressure has caused a gradual degradation of the natural resources of the Mbam and Djerem National Park. This phenomenon has not spared the woody stratum which constitutes in this region the main source of forage in the dry season. The rehabilitation of these ecosystems necessarily requires precise ecological knowledge, hence the interest in making a diagnosis of the floristic diversity of the woody stratum. The dendrometric sampling method was used for this study carried out in Mbam and Djerem National Park. This inventory consisted in systematically identifying all the woody species by height class in 3 sites according to factor gradients. This method made it possible to inventory a total of 1,596 trees, divided into 45 species belonging to 24 families. Statistical processing of data obtained in the field shows that the flora is dominated by the family of Euphorbiaceae, Combretaceae, Fabaceae and Rubiaceae group together the maximum of species with, respectively, 7 and 4 listed for the others. The richness of flora is more important in Kpayere which presents a weak similarity with Debiro.

English

The study was aimed at contributing to sustainable management of Ajei Highlands Watershed Community Forest, one of the vulnerable and highly threatened biological hotspots remaining within the Cameroon western highlands through an analysis of its woody species diversity and stand structure. The results of inventory of its 12 gallery forest patches through 17 permanent sample plots (20 m x 50 m) with multiple spatial scales subplots (1, 10 and 100 m2) using Whittaker plot sampling method showed that a total of 3644 individuals&nbsp; were recorded (124 species showing exclusive affinity to forest patches, 90 genera and 46 families). Diversity indices were 4.34 and 0.93 for Shannon-Weaver and Simpson indexes, respectively, indicating a highly diverse forest. The mean density was 1820 &plusmn; 24 stems/ha and the basal area 27.72 &plusmn; 0.04 m2/ha; with mean and maximum diameter of 9.3 and 140 cm, respectively. Species importance value index ranged from 0.35 to 35.19%, the most dominant species being Macaranga occidentalis, Xymalos monospora and Rauvolfia vomitoria. Euphorbiaceae, Apocynaceae, Moraceae and Rubiaceae were the most important families. Although this forest presented a high diversity and a certain floristic richness; few potentially commercial timber species were identified. Management options are prescribed within the framework of a participative management plan promoting watershed protection and habitat restoration, targeting livelihoods sustenance through agroforestry and reforestation activities favoring local tree species. &nbsp; Key words: Woody diversity; watershed, gallery forest, community forest, Cameroon.

How do the green components of urban green infrastructure influence the use of ecosystem services? Examples from Leipzig, Germany

ContextThe pressure on remaining open spaces of urban green infrastructure (UGI) is high due to increasing urbanization and the multiple requirements of a diverse urban population. Thus, a good quality and high capacity for ecosystem services of UGI is crucial to support a good quality of life.ObjectivesThis study analyses the influence of tree cover and other green parameters like species richness on ecosystem service use in urban parks and green brownfields. The outcomes contribute to design and management of resilient UGI.MethodsWe assessed the diversity of woody and herbaceous flowering species in 36 study sites with low, medium and high tree cover in the city of Leipzig, Germany. UGI users were counted, and randomly selected visitors (n = 1750) were interviewed about their use of ecosystem services.ResultsWe found tree cover in urban parks negatively influencing physical interactions used by respondents. In parks with high tree cover, more respondents were benefitting from regulating services such as noise mediation or shade provision. Brownfield visitors preferred sites with low to medium tree cover, mainly for walking the dog but also for other ecosystem services. Plant species richness did not show significant influence.ConclusionsTree cover in parks and brownfields can be a predictor for a range of ecosystem services typically used by visitors, highlighting how vegetation or green structures in UGI can be employed to steer the use. Brownfields provide additional space for complementary ecosystem service use, thus contributing to the avoidance of potential use conflicts in managed UGI like parks.

Woody diversity plant and non-timber forest products potential in protected forest area of protected forest management unit model in Sorong City, West Papua

Abstract. Lekitoo K, Khayati L. 2019. Woody diversity plant and non-timber forest products potential in protected forest area of protected forest management unit model in Sorong City, West Papua. Pros Sem Nas Masy Biodiv Indon 5: 294-298. Protected forest management unit (PFMU) model of Sorong Selatan is one of the models from three types of forest management units existed in Papua Barat Province. Floral biodiversity study in the PFMU model was an inherent aspect towards underpinning a primary responsibility and function of forest management unit in managing the whole forest activities. The output of this study will subsequently be a fundamental part in determining policy and effectuating perpetual forest management. Descriptive method through survey and design continuous strip sampling technique for data collection were applied during this study The result revealed that protected forest area of PFMU consisted of 392 vegetation species from 76 families with the detail of 275 species (68 families) in seedlings phase, 274 species (63 families) in saplings phase, 247 species (61 families) in poles phase (10-19 in diameter), and 225 species (52 families) in trees phase (? 20 cm in diameter). Dominant family in all growth phases is Moraceae with 32 species. Species diversity index based on growth rate was 4.844 in seedlings, 4.842 in saplings, 4.760 in poles and 4.518 in trees. Non timber forest product (NTFP) found can be grouped into resin-based product (7 species), essential oil (6 species), fat oil (4 species), food material (60 species), tannin-based product (5 species), colored-based product (12 species), medicinal plants (76 species), decorative plants (50 species), rattan-based product (5 species), bamboo (5 species), edible shots (15 species), bioethanol-based product (4 species), and biodiesel-based source (14 species).