Vegetative structure, floristic composition and natural regeneration of a species in Ylat Forest, Meket Woreda, Northeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract. Tegegne S, Workineh B. 2017. Vegetative structure, floristic composition and natural regeneration of a species in Ylat Forest in Meket Woreda, Northeastern  Ethiopia. Asian J For 1: 40-53.  The high level of biodiversity comprised in natural forests in Ethiopia is threatened by various anthropogenic factors. Therefore, efforts to reveal biodiversity information are urgently required before such forests are gone. This study aimed to examine taxonomic richness, floristic composition and structure, and natural regeneration of vegetation in natural forest of Ylat in Meket Woreda, Northeastern Ethiopia. A systematic sampling design was used in this study to gather vegetation information. For each of the sampling sites, five transect lines totaling fifty-four primary plots with 400 m2 (20m × 20m) each were laid out to gather information on woody species along 200m line transects. A total of 60 vascular plant species belong to 41 families and 56 genera were identified of which 13 species (21.67%) were trees, 31 species (51.67%)  bushes, 6 species (10%) climbers and 10 species (16.66) of herbs. Of all the families of woody plants, Lamiaceae was the family with the largest contribution of species (8.33%), followed by Fabaceae, Rosaceae, Solanaceae and Euphorbiaceae with 3 species (5%), then Sapindaceae, Aloaceae, Ranunculaceae, Poaceae, Oleaceae, Polygonaceae and Cucurbitaceae contains 2 species each (3.33%). A total of 2652 woody plant species individuals (1227.77 individual/ha) were found of with the most abundant was Myrsine africana with 405 individuals, while Millettia ferruginea had the lowest with 19 individuals. The total basal area was 1 m2 /ha and frequency of woody species was 258. The overall Shannon-Wiener diversity and evenness indices of woody species was 2.94 and 0.84, respectively, both are classified as high in diversity and distribution. The woody plant species having the highest importance value index (IVI) were Erica arborea (36.31%) followed by Allophylus abyssinicus (28.65) whereas Hagenia abyssinica, Myrica salicifolia, Euphorbia tirucalli, Calpurnia aurea were the lowest IVI and should be given conservation priority. Finally, this study showed that the population structure of most woody plant species in Ylat Timberland was in a great state of regeneration recruitment level.