Woody Plant Species Research Articles

Woody Species Composition, Structure, and Status of Regeneration in Pugnido Forest, Gambella Region, Western Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is a biodiversity hotspot area with a high concentration of plant species that play countless roles in ecosystem resilience and mitigating the effects of climate change. However, forest resources are degrading at an alarming rate due to different anthropogenic factors. Pugnido Forest, which is among Ethiopia's greatest woodland sections, also faced a similar challenge. Thus, this study was intended to assess the composition, structure, and regeneration status of woody plant species in Pugnido Forest, West Ethiopia. Eighty main plots sized 20 × 20 m were sampled systematically on six east-west-oriented line transects, which are parallel to each other and 500 m apart. At the four corners and the center of the main plots, five subplots sized 2 m × 2 m were laid to collect seedling and sapling information. Individual woody species were identified and then recorded per plot. The forest structure and regeneration status data were recorded and analyzed using structural parameters. Communities were identified via cluster analysis. A comparison of diversity and composition among communities was made using the Shannon-Wiener diversity and Sorensen's similarity coefficients, respectively. A total of 106 woody species included in 40 families were documented. Fabaceae stands first in the species-rich family (23.6%), and Moraceae stands second (8.5%). Overall Shannon-Wiener diversity and evenness of species were 4.41 and 0.93, respectively. Four communities were generated from cluster analysis. Sorensen's similarity value among communities ranged from 42% to 59%. The forest's density and basal area were 5298.8 stems·ha-1 and 82.5 m2·ha-1, respectively. The trend in frequency and density classes showed a decreasing number of species towards higher classes. Diameter at breast height (DBH), height, and basal area analyses revealed a normal J-shaped pattern. Several species had a smaller importance value index (IVI) value. Density ratios of juveniles to adult plants indicated good regeneration status. Species with small IVI values and few or no seedlings require conservation priority. Top priority must be given to conserving species with low IVI values and few or no seedlings.

An efficient method for the extraction and the quantitative determination of callose from HLB-affected and healthy citrus

Callose is a 1,3-β glucan responsible for several processes in planta such as cell division, ripening of pollen mother cells, maintaining the plasmodesmata opening, and providing structure to the sieve plates. Besides the physiological roles, callose is deposited during pathogen attacks, forming papillae to prevent pathogen entrance into the tissue or plugging the sieve pores to limit the spread of phloem pathogens. Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the putative causal agent of Huanglongbing (HLB), is a phloem-restricted pathogen whose infection leads to the production of callose in the phloem. Characterizing the dynamics of callose plugging during HLB is important for understanding the disease, but no published protocols are available for the extraction and quantification of the callose in citrus trees, and quantitative data are limited. Detection of callose by microscopy is time-consuming and expensive and does not give information about the distribution of callose in the entire plant. Here, we present a short protocol for the efficient extraction and quantification of the total callose from citrus plants. We compared different tissues from healthy and CLas-infected plants and identified an increase in callose levels in the midribs, the stems, and the fruit peduncles of infected plants. Callose levels were highest in leaves, especially midribs, compared to stems, roots, and fruit peduncles. This method could be applied to other woody plant species.

First Report of Alternaria alternata Causing Leaf Spot on Coffea arabica in China.

Yunnan Province is the major region for coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivation in China, contributing to over 98% of the national yield and total production value (Ma et al. 2022). In May 2023, brown spot symptoms were observed only on the leaves of coffee plants in a field located in Baoshan City (98°52'37.988400"E, 24°58'17.673600"N), Yunnan Province. Notably, brown and irregularly shaped spots initially started on the leaf bases. The spots enlarged and developed concentric rings with dark brown margins, which are often surrounded by yellow halos. Finally, the necrotic spots spread across the entire leaf and caused the leaf to curl and fall off. The incidence of the disease was approximately 3% of the coffee plants (n = 600). The symptomatic leaves collected from 10 plants were sectioned (5 × 5 mm), subjected to surface sterilization with 70% ethanol for 40 s, rinsed with sterile distilled water, air-dried, and transferred to potato dextrose agar (PDA). Fungi with grayish-white, cotton-like aerial mycelia grew after 7 days at 28°C. The older mycelia of these isolates displayed dark gray pigmentation. Single conidia were cultivated on PDA, and 15 morphologically similar monosporic isolates were ultimately obtained. Microscopic observation revealed that these isolates produced branched, septate, transparent and amber mycelium. Brown, elliptical or pear-shaped conidia with 2 to 4 transversal septa and 0 to 3 longitudinal septa, measuring 9.6 to 33.3 long × 6.0 to 15.0 μm wide (n = 30), were observed on potato carrot agar (PCA). Molecular identification of multiple genes, such as ITS (Schoch et al. 2012), RPB2 (O'Donnell et al. 2010) and GAPDH (Berbee et al. 1999), indicated consistent 100% identity among these isolates. Sequences of the representative isolates CFSY1-CFSY5 were deposited in GenBank (acc. nos.: OR351112, PP188577, PP188578, PP294863, PP294864, OR509742, PP215341-PP215344, OR509740 and PP239378-PP239381), revealing 98.35% - 100% homology with distinct Alternaria alternata strains previously deposited in GenBank (acc. nos.: PP110780, MN649031 and OR485338). The multigene phylogenetic analysis positioned isolates CFSY1-CFSY5 within a distinct cluster, alongside diverse A. alternata isolates. Based on morphological and molecular characterizations, the pathogen was identified as A. alternata. To verify its pathogenicity, a conidial suspension (1×106 conidia/mL) of isolate CFSY1 was sprayed on six leaves of three healthy one-year-old C. arabica seedlings. Subsequently, the inoculated seedlings were covered with plastic bags and placed in a growth chamber under controlled conditions (a 14 h daylight period and a 10 h dark period at 28°C). The experiment was repeated three times. After 20 days, typical brown spot symptoms analogous to those originally observed in the field appeared on the leaves in all inoculated plants. Reisolation, morphology identification and DNA sequencing substantiated Koch's postulates. In contrast, control plants treated with sterilized water remained asymptomatic, and no pathogen was reisolated from them. Significantly, A. alternata has been previously reported as the causal agent for leaf spot disease in a diverse variety of woody plant species in China, including Prunus avium (Ahmad et al. 2020), Magnolia grandiflora (Liu et al. 2019) and citrus (Wang et al. 2010). This study represents the first report of brown leaf spot caused by A. alternata specifically on C. arabica in China, enriching the contents of fungal pathogens under Chinese coffee cultivation conditions.

Seed‐dispersal mode and habitat connectivity underpin variation in carbon stocking between Brazilian biomes

Abstract In tropical forests, about 60%–80% of woody plant species depend on animal–plant interactions for dispersal. The dependence on animal species for dispersal makes this interaction very fragile in the face of anthropogenic changes in land use. Disrupting seed‐dispersal processes, principally zoochoric dispersal, could significantly alter the long‐term carbon storage potential of tropical forests. An important question is how landscape structure changes tree carbon stocks in different types of tropical vegetation and how variation is mediated by the dispersal mode of animal (zoochoric) or abiotic (non‐zoochoric) seeds. We focused on tree plots at 126 sites in Brazil spanning four types of forest and savanna vegetation, and calculated carbon stored in zoochoric, non‐zoochoric, and large frugivore‐dispersed species. Our results showed that carbon stocks in zoochoric species and non‐zoochoric species differ significantly among vegetation types, with rainforests having higher stocks in zoochoric species and deciduous seasonally dry tropical forests having higher values in non‐zoochoric species. A greater area of native vegetation promotes higher proportions of carbon stocks dispersed by large frugivore species, whereas a higher mean shape index reduces this proportion. Synthesis. This study highlights that seed‐dispersal type underpins the variation in carbon stocks between vegetation types and that the maintenance of habitat of large dispersers and connectivity are key for retaining carbon stocks in zoochoric species, particularly in rainforest and cerrado sensu stricto.

Effects of Root Architecture on Uprooting Properties between Deciduous and Evergreen Species with Different Growth Habits

Roots anchor plants firmly to the soil, enabling them to effectively resist soil erosion and shear failure. Vegetation restoration has been acknowledged as one of the most useful measures for controlling soil loss; however, which root system characteristics were most beneficial for plant anchoring in the soil remains unclear. In the black soil region of northeastern China, which frequently experiences serious soil erosion, pullout tests were carried out on six species of soil and water conservation woody plants with different growth habits (deciduous shrubs, deciduous trees and evergreen trees), and the root geometry and topology of each species were determined. The results showed that the maximum uprooting force and activation displacement (the displacement at the maximum peak in the relationship curve between pulling force and displacement) of shrubs were significantly greater than those of trees, while deciduous trees were significantly greater than evergreen trees. Therefore, the ability of the whole root system to anchor the soil was the largest for shrubs, followed by deciduous trees, and the smallest for evergreen trees. The uprooting force and activation displacement were mainly affected by the root topological index, total root length and the number of inclined roots. The total root length had the greatest influence on the maximum uprooting force, and the root topology had the greatest influence on the activation displacement, both of which can be used as important predictors of plant root anchorage strength. In addition, the plants with the R-type root structure may have a greater ability to anchor the soi, and can be prioritized for vegetation restoration with black soils. These findings provide references and implications for identifying the effective plant strategies for eroded soil restoration in the black soil region of northeastern China and other areas with similar soil types and bioclimates.

Four new species of Dothideomycetes (Ascomycota) from Pará Rubber (Heveabrasiliensis) in Yunnan Province, China.

The tropical areas in southern and south-western Yunnan are rich in fungal diversity. Additionally, the diversity of seed flora in Yunnan Province is higher than in other regions in China and the abundant endemic species of woody plants provide favourable substrates for fungi. Rubber plantations in Yunnan Province are distributed over a large area, especially in Xishuangbanna. During a survey of rubber-associated fungi in Yunnan Province, China, dead rubber branches with fungal fruiting bodies were collected. Morphological characteristics and multigene phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, SSU, rpb2 and tef1-α) revealed four distinct new species, described herein as Melomastiapuerensis, Nigrogranalincangensis, Pseudochaetosphaeronemalincangensis and Pseudochaetosphaeronemaxishuangbannaensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations and phylogenetic trees are provided to show the taxonomic placements of these new species.

Farm management and landscape context shape plant diversity at wetland edges in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada.

Evaluating the impacts of farming systems on biodiversity is increasingly important given the need to stem biodiversity loss, decrease fossil fuel dependency, and maintain ecosystem services benefiting farmers. We recorded woody and herbaceous plant species diversity, composition, and abundance in 43 wetland-adjacent prairie remnants beside crop fields managed using conventional, minimum tillage, organic, or perennial cover (wildlife-friendly) land management in the Prairie Pothole Region. We used a hierarchical framework to estimate diversity at regional and local scales (gamma, alpha), and how these are related through species turnover (beta diversity). We tested the expectation that gamma richness/evenness and beta diversity of all plants would be higher in remnants adjacent to perennial cover and organic fields than in conventional and minimum tillage fields. We expected the same findings for plants providing ecosystem services (bee-pollinated species) and disservices (introduced species). We predicted similar relative effects of land management on alpha diversity, but with the expectation that the benefits of organic farming would decrease with increasing grassland in surrounding landscapes. Gamma richness and evenness of all plants were highest for perennial cover, followed by minimum tillage, organic, and conventional sites. Bee-pollinated species followed a similar pattern for richness, but for evenness organic farming came second, after perennial cover sites, followed by minimum tillage and conventional. For introduced species, organic sites had the highest gamma richness and evenness. Grassland amount moderated the effect of land management type on all plants and bee-pollinated plant richness, but not as expected. The richness of organic sites increased with the amount of grassland in the surrounding landscape. Conversely, for conventional sites, richness increased as the amount of grassland in the landscape declined. Our results are consistent with the expectation that adopting wildlife-friendly land management practices can benefit biodiversity at regional and local scales, in particular the use of perennial cover to benefit plant diversity at regional scales. At more local extents, organic farming increased plant richness, but only when sufficient grassland was available in the surrounding landscape; organic farms also had the highest beta diversity for all plants and bee-pollinated plants. Maintaining native cover in agroecosystems, in addition to low-intensity farming practices, could sustain plant biodiversity and facilitate important ecosystem services.

Dominant woody plant species recognition with a hierarchical model based on multimodal geospatial data for subtropical forests

Dominant woody plant species recognition with a hierarchical model based on multimodal geospatial data for subtropical forests

Contribution of edible indigenous woody plants as a coping strategy during drought periods in the southeast lowveld of Zimbabwe: a review

Climatic change related extreme events such as droughts negatively affect local communities in the semi-arid savanna ecosystems. This study mainly records and analyses local knowledge on the use of edible indigenous woody plant species by local communities during drought periods, as a coping strategy, in southeast lowveld of Zimbabwe. Secondary data on utilization of edible indigenous woody plants were gathered from literature sources focusing mainly on the southeast lowveld parts of Zimbabwe and covering the period 2000–2019. Quantitative ethnobotanical data analysis involved computing the frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC) and family importance value (FIV) to determine the local significance of indigenous woody plant species. A total of 23 species from 12 families were recorded as being used during drought periods with key species including baobab (Adansonia digitata), bird plum (Tamarindus indica), corky-monkey orange (Strychnos cocculoides) and black monkey orange (Strychnos madagascariensis). Major use categories were food, medicine, and livestock feed. The study findings points to the need for embracing indigenous woody plants as a buffer against drought in semi-arid parts of the savanna. Future projects should focus on developing innovative strategies such as value addition and promoting sustainable use and restoration of non-wood forest products as part of livelihood diversification under drought situations.

A comprehensive analysis integrating phenotypic assessment uncovering thornless cultivar lineages in Aralia elata

Aralia elata is an Araliaceae woody plant species found in Northeastern Asia. To understand how genetic pools are distributed for A.elata clones, we were to analyze the population structure of A.elata cultivars and identify how these are correlated with thorn-related phenotype which determines the utility of A.elata. We found that the de novo assembled genome of ‘Yeongchun’ shared major genomic compartments with the public A.elata genome assembled from the wild-type from China. To identify the population structure of the 32 Korean and Japanese cultivars, we identified 44 SSR markers and revealed three main sub-clusters using ΔK analysis with one isolated cultivar. Machine-learning based clustering with thorn-related phenotype correlated moderately with population structure based on SSR analysis suggested multi-layered genetic regulation of thorn-related phenotypes. Thus, we revealed genetic lineage of A.elata and uncovered isolated cultivar which can provide new genetic material for further breeding.

Opportunistic plant observations reveal spatial and temporal gradients in phenology

Opportunistic plant records provide a rapidly growing source of spatiotemporal plant observation data. Here, we used such data to explore the question whether they can be used to detect changes in species phenologies. Examining 19 herbaceous and one woody plant species in two consecutive years across Europe, we observed significant shifts in their flowering phenology, being more pronounced for spring-flowering species (6-17 days) compared to summer-flowering species (1-6 days). Moreover, we show that these data are suitable to model large-scale relationships such as “Hopkins’ bioclimatic law” which quantifies the phenological delay with increasing elevation, latitude, and longitude. Here, we observe spatial shifts, ranging from –5 to 50 days per 1000 m elevation to latitudinal shifts ranging from –1 to 4 days per degree northwards, and longitudinal shifts ranging from –1 to 1 day per degree eastwards, depending on the species. Our findings show that the increasing volume of purely opportunistic plant observation data already provides reliable phenological information, and therewith can be used to support global, high-resolution phenology monitoring in the face of ongoing climate change.

Assessment of Woody Plants Species and Ground Cover Status of Mandara Hills as Major Determinants of Wildlife Conservation

The study assessed the woody plants species and ground cover status of Mandara hills to seek necessary information for its sustenance. Information on woody plants resources and ground cover will help in the design of management strategies for wildlife conservation and biodiversity preservation. The investigation involved the identification and inventory of woody plant species, assessment of crown area and the ground cover of the Mandara hills. Woody plants’ species status was presented using species richness, frequency, species richness index and Simpson’s diversity index. Girth and height classes, ground cover and crown area were presented using percentages. 40 species of woody plants belonging to 21 families were inventoried. The species richness was highest in Kwalkuga (24) while the lowest was in Kuthu with 18. Among the woody plant’s species identified; Acacia kirkii (224) had the highest frequency, followed by Anogeissus leiocarpus (211). The highest diversity index was recorded in Kwalkuga (0.09) while Fafuma and Makwan with 0.02 each were the lowest. The majority of the trees and shrubs were recorded in the girth classes of 1.0-1.99 and 2.0-2.99 and that of height in 1.1-3.0, 3.1-5.0 and 5.1-7.0 respectively. Results of crown area showed highest value in Kwalkuga (20.92%) and Fafuma had the highest ground cover of grass (34.02%). This study recommends establishment of buffer zones where partial human activity can take place and the improvement of the livelihood of the residents to reduce human pressure on the resources of the hills.

Ontogenetic changes in the mechanical stability of the main species of woody plants in the ecosystems of the city of Donetsk

The paper considers the issues of ontogenetic changes in the mechanical stability of 18 species of woody plants growing in the ecosystems of the industrial city of Donetsk: Acer campestre L., Acer negundo L., Acer platanoides L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Acer saccharinum L., Aesculus hippocastanum L., Betula pendula Roth, Fraxinus excelsior L., Fraxinus lanceolata Borkh., Gleditsia triacanthos L., Populus simonii Carriere, Populus nigra L., Populus balsamifera L., Populus bolleana Lauche, Quercus robur L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Tilia cordata Mill., Ulmus laevis Pall. It has been established that at the initial stages of the ontogenesis of woody plants, their biomechanics ensures survival through high flexibility. This is due to the low critical mass and load, which are easily achieved when static and dynamic factors act on the plant. Only a significant increase in linear dimensions makes it possible to maintain its own mass weighing several tons and above, as well as withstand the effects of adverse climatic factors. The studied ontogenetic dependences of the mechanical stability of the main species of woody plants in the ecosystems of the city of Donetsk should be used in landscaping the city.

Bird‐habitat associations and local‐scale vegetation structure in lowland brushlands

AbstractBrushlands support a diverse suite of bird species, including species of conservation concern in the western Great Lakes region of central North America. Information on how to effectively manage lowland brushlands for birds and associations between breeding birds and local‐scale vegetation structure and composition is lacking. We surveyed lowland brushlands from 2016–2018 in Minnesota, USA, to assess bird‐habitat associations using avian point‐count surveys and fixed‐radius vegetation plots. We used Poisson regression models to assess the associations between breeding bird species richness, total abundance, and abundance of frequently detected species (using counts as an index for abundance) to woody stem density and height, patchiness of woody stem density, variation of woody stem height, and number of woody plant species. Sedge wrens (Cistothorus stellaris), the most abundant species, were negatively associated with multiple woody plant metrics and positively associated with patchiness. Common yellowthroats (Geothlypis trichas) were the second‐most abundant species and associated with low‐stature woody plants (<1 m based on average heights in study sites). Bird species richness, alder flycatchers (Empidonax alnorum), chestnut‐sided warblers (Setophaga pensylvanica), swamp sparrows (Melospiza georgiana), veeries (Catharus fuscescens), and yellow warblers (Setophaga petechia) increased with woody vegetation height. Chestnut‐sided warbler and Nashville warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla) abundances also increased with woody stem density. We suggest that managing lowland brushlands to promote diverse woody plant structure, including tall shrubs and areas with patchy, open herbaceous cover, by implementing temporally and spatially variable disturbance regimes, may benefit bird species that rely on lowland brushlands with a range of vegetation structure requirements.

Comparative Analysis of Dehydrins from Woody Plant Species.

We conducted analyses on 253 protein sequences (Pfam00257) derived from 25 woody plant species, including trees, shrubs, and vines. Our goal was to gain insights into their architectural types, biochemical characteristics, and potential involvement in mitigating abiotic stresses, such as drought, cold, or salinity. The investigated protein sequences (253) comprised 221 angiosperms (85 trees/shrubs and 36 vines) and 32 gymnosperms. Our sequence analyses revealed the presence of seven architectural types: Kn, KnS, SKn, YnKn, YnSKn, FSKn, and FnKn. The FSKn type predominated in tree and shrub dehydrins of both gymnosperms and angiosperms, while the YnSKn type was more prevalent in vine dehydrins. The YnSKn and YnKn types were absent in gymnosperms. Gymnosperm dehydrins exhibited a shift towards more negative GRAVY scores and Fold Indexes. Additionally, they demonstrated a higher Lys content and lower His content. By analyzing promoter sequences in the angiosperm species, including trees, shrubs, and vines, we found that these dehydrins are induced by the ABA-dependent and light-responsive pathways. The presence of stress- and hormone-related cis-elements suggests a protective effect against dehydration, cold, or salinity. These findings could serve as a foundation for future studies on woody dehydrins, especially in the context of biotechnological applications.

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

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.

Seed mass and seed resources – testing the defense trade-off hypothesis in woody plants

Physical and chemical defenses of seeds are essential for plant survival and reproduction. By protecting their seeds from herbivores and other threats, plants can ensure that their offspring have a bet­ter chance of surviving and growing into adult plants. Plant seed-size variation can affect their ability to allocate defense resources and nutrients. Smaller seeds tend to contain fewer resources and are likely to be more constrained in resource allocation to defense or to nutrient supply for the germinating seedling than larger seeds. In this study, we hypothesized that (1) the trade-off between physical and chemical defenses and reserve materials (in this study TNC content) in seeds is related to the allocation of those resources to seeds, 2) the direction of allocation of these resources is mediated by seed size. Based on seeds of 77 woody plant species collected in the Kórnik Arboretum located in western Poland, we measured several physical and chemical seed traits: seed mass, total phenols, tannin content, crude fiber, lignin content, and total non-structural carbohydrates. We revealed that chemical defense (phenol content) and total non-structural carbohydrates increased with seed mass, whereas physical defense (fiber content) had the opposite effect. We found that the trade-off between physical and chemical defense in plants was often mediated by seed size.

A novel Populus euphratica DUB gene, PeMINDY3, enhances drought and salt tolerance by promoting ROS scavenging

Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) are essential for plant responses to abiotic stress. However, the function of these genes in Populus euphratica, an ideal woody plant species for investigating abiotic stress response mechanisms, is largely unknown. In our previous study, a novel DUB gene, PeMINDY3, was revealed to contribute to the resistance of seeds to salinity stress. In the current study, PeMINDY3 was cloned and functionally characterized. A phylogenetic analysis indicated PeMINDY3 belongs to the MINDY subfamily of DUBs. Subcellular localization results showed that PeMINDY3 is located in chloroplasts. According to the qRT-PCR and GUS staining analyses, PeMINDY3 expression was induced in response to drought and high salinity treatment. The ectopic expression of PeMINDY3 in Arabidopsis thaliana increased the tolerance to drought and salt stress. Moreover, compared with the wild-type (WT) plants, A. thaliana plants ectopically expressing PeMINDY3 had longer primary roots and higher fresh weights, relative water contents, and antioxidant enzyme activities, but lower relative electrical conductivities. Additionally, stress-related genes were more highly expressed in the PeMINDY3 ectopically expressing plants than in the WT plants after the abiotic stress treatments. Furthermore, yeast one-hybrid and luciferase assays identified PeRAV2 as a regulator of PeMINDY3 expression. These findings suggest that PeMINDY3 positively modulates drought and salt stress tolerance, providing a foundation for further exploration of the function of DUB.

Biodiversity and Structural Analysis of Woody Plant Species of Home Gardens in Basona Worana District, North Shoa Zone of Central Ethiopia.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biodiversity and structure of woody plants of HGs in the Basona Worana district (BWD). For this, six kebeles and 138 HGs from three agroecologies of BWD were selected using various sampling techniques. The plot size used per HG was 400 m2. Diversity and important value indices (IVIs) were computed. For their structural analysis, the diameter at breast height (DBH) and height were also measured for trees and shrubs fulfilling the standards (diameters at breast height (DBH) ≥2.5 cm and height >2 m). Thus, a total of 42 woody species belonging to 37 genera and 26 families were identified. Fabaceae was the most abundant family, followed by Euphorbiaceae. Trees were the dominant habit. The richness in Kola HGs (33) was higher than Dega (14) and Woinadega (19) HGs, with an overall mean richness of 4.14 per HG of BWD. The Shannon, Simpson, and evenness indices for HGs in the district were 1.05, 0.55, and 0.75, respectively, showing their moderate diversity with even distribution. The Sorenson's similarity of HGs between Dega and Woinadega, Kola and Dega, and Kola and Woinadega were 40%, 28%, and 32%, respectively. The multiple site similarities of woody species among three ecological zones (36%) were still <50%, showing no similarity. The overall DBH and height classes' patterns of the woody species individuals abruptly decreased towards their highest classes. Similar DBH and height classes' patterns of woody species individuals were also observed in Kola and Woinadega agroecologies, indicating their selective tree cutting. The mean values of DBH, height, basal, and crown areas of the woody species in the district were ∼14 cm, ∼6 m, ∼29 m2·ha-1, and 5 m2, respectively. Based on IVI, most of the HGs were dominated by Eucalyptus globules (93.35), followed by Eucalyptus camaldulensis (45.04), Rhamnus prinoides (22.4), and Cupressus lusitanica (22.33). Hence, actions should be taken to promote the diversity and managing of HGs' woody species of BWD.

Woody Plant Assemblages of Recently Declared Village Land Forest Reserve in The Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot

Understanding of species composition of village land forest reserves and their driving factors informs adequate development of effective restoration strategies and sustainable forest management of miombo woodlands. This study assessed the effects of human disturbance as well as environmental variables on woody plant species composition using 24 square plots of 10 x 10 m in a recently declared village land forest reserve in the Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot of Tanzania. Ordination analysis technique canonical correspondence analysis was used to identify important vegetation gradients and significant factors that explain the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. Results showed that, 779 individual woody plants were recorded, of which 379 were seedlings (48.6%), 102 saplings (13.1%) and 298 adults (38.3%). The three most dominant plant species were Brachystegia spiciformis (42.2%), Diplorhynchus condylocarpon (9%) and B. boehmii (8.7%), while the least were Multidentia crassa and Diospyros squarrosa with each species having less than 1% overall abundance. Pterocarpus angolensis, a highly protected and near-threatened tree species, was also recorded but with only very few individuals. Canopy cover and soil pH were the two most important variables explaining the spatial variation in species composition of woody plants. These results emphasise that village forests are important for preserving native and threatened tree species, and improved management should discourage all practices that change natural conditions of canopy cover and soil pH to safeguard the remaining village forests, biodiversity and rural livelihoods.