Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure and carbon stock of a dry evergreen montane forest of Lendikinya forest reserve in Tanzania

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##

PDF
DOI https://doi.org/10.13057/biodiv/d240164
Issue
Vol. 24 No. 1 (2023)
Section
Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

MPONIE LEISON MWALUSEKE
Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture. P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
EZEKIEL EDWARD MWAKALUKWA ♥
Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture. P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
SALIM MOHAMMED SALIM MALIONDO
Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture. P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania

Abstract

Abstract. Mwaluseke ML, Mwakalukwa EE, Maliondo SMS. 2023. Vegetation composition, diversity, stand structure and carbon stock of a dry evergreen montane forest of Lendikinya forest reserve in Tanzania. Biodiversitas 24: 551-562. There is limited information on woody plant diversity and vegetation patterns in African dry forests, particularly in East Africa, and hence increasing the interests in understanding species composition, diversity, and structural attributes of catchment forest reserves found in Tanzania. Moreover, tree species composition, species richness, and carbon stock are not well documented in most montane forests in the region, apart from Ethiopia. Their potential in terms of carbon storage is also important for understanding their productivity and the extent to which they can be used in mitigating the effects of climate change. This study assessed vegetation composition and diversity, stand structure and potential carbon stocks of Lendikinya Forest Reserve, a dry evergreen montane forest located in Monduli District in Tanzania. A total of 56 concentric circular plots with subplots of 2 m, 5 m, 10 m, 15 m and 20 m radii were used to collect woody species data on standing trees and stumps across the entire forest of 3,689 ha. A total of 79 species belonging to 36 families were identified. Drypetes natalensis (9.2%), Diospyros abyssinica (7.1%) and Dombeya rotundifolia (6.5%) were the most important species as per the Importance Value Index (IVI). The diversity indices have indicated the forest reserve to have a high diversity of woody species. Stand structure comprises 1,398 ± 679 stems ha-1, basal area of 11.42 ± 5.41 m2ha-1and standing volume of 54.47 ± 24.1 m3ha-1 while the mean carbon stocks were 16.04 ± 7.7 t C ha-1. The alarming disturbances stress the urgent need for increased conservation efforts in order to protect the existing biodiversity and increase carbon storage and enhance water conservation in the reserve.

##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##

References
Achard F, Ebeuchle R, Mayaux P, Stibi H, Bodart C, Brink A et al. 2014. Determination of tropical deforestation rates and related carbon losses from 1990–2010. Glob. Change Biol. 20:2540–2554. Doi: 10.1111/gcb.12605.
Barlow J, Gardner TA, Araujo IS, vila-Pires TCA, Bonaldo AB, Costa JE, Esposito MC et al. 2007. Quantifying the biodiversity value of tropical primary, secondary, and plantation forests. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104: 18555–60.
Betts MG, Wolf C, Ripple WJ, Phalan B, Millers KA, Duarte A, Butchart SHM, and Levi T. 2017. Global forest loss disproportionately erodes biodiversity in intact landscapes. Nature 547: 441–444.
Brown S. 1997. Estimating biomass and biomass change in tropical forests. A primer FAO Forestry Paper No. 134.
Conell JH. 1978. Diversity in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Sci 199:1302 – 1310.
Daily GC. 1997. Nature’s Services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems ed G C Daily (Washington, DC: Island Press).
Dugilo NM. 2009. Impact of community-based forest management on resource base governance and livelihood of communities around Selela forest reserve, Monduli, Tanzania. [Dissertation]. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro. [Tanzania].
Erenso F, Maryo M, Abebe W. 2014. Floristic composition, diversity and vegetation structure of woody plant communities in Boda dry evergreen montane forest, West Showa, Ethiopia. Int J Biodivers Conserv 6(5): 382- 391.
FAO 2020. Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Main Report. FAO, Rome.
Galford GL, Melillo J, Mustard JF, Cerri CEP and Cerri CC. 2010. The Amazon frontier of land-use change: croplands and consequences for greenhouse gas emissions. Earth Interact.14:1-24.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1175/2010EI327.1
Gautam CM, Watanabe T. 2005. Composition, distribution and diversity of tree species under different management systems in the hill forests of Bharse Village, Gulmi District, western Nepal. Him J Sci 3(50): 67 – 74.
Gibson L, Lee TM, Koh LP, Brook BW, Gardner TA et al. 2011. Primary forests are irreplaceable for sustaining tropical biodiversity. Nature 478: 378–381.
Hitimana J, Kiyiapi JL, Njunge JT. 2004. Forest structure characteristics in disturbed and undisturbed sites of Mt. Elgon Moist lower Montane Forest, western Kenya. For Ecol Manage 194: 264- 291.
Holmes J. 1995. Natural forest handbook for Tanzania. Forest Ecology and Management. Volume 1. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania.
Houghton RA. 2013. The emissions of carbon from deforestation and degradation in the tropics: past trends and future potential. Carbon Manage. 4(5): 539–546.
Huang W, Pohjonen V, Johansson S, Nashanda M, Katigula MIL, Luukkanen O. 2003. Species diversity, forest structure and species composition in Tanzania tropical forests. For Ecol Manage 173: 11 – 24.
Iddi S. 1998. Eastern Arc Mountains and their national and global importance. Special issue. J East Afr Nat Hist 87:19-26.
IPCC 2019: IPCC special report: Climate Change and Land. An IPCC Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems.
Kent M. 2012. Vegetation Description and Analysis, A Practical Approach, Wiley-Blackwell, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2nd edition.
Krebs CJ. 1999. Ecological Methodology, Hamper Collins Publishers, New York, NY, USA, 2nd edition.
Lovett JC and Pocs T. 1993. Assessment of the Condition of the Catchment Forest Reserves: A Botanical Appraisal, Government Printers, Dar es Salaam.
Luoga EJ. 2000. The effect of human disturbances on diversity and dynamics of Eastern Tanzania Miombo arborescent species. [Thesis]. University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. [South Africa].
Marshall AR, Willcock S, Platts PJ, Lovett JC, Balmford A, Burgess ND, Latham JE, Munishi PKT, Salter R, Shirima DD, Lewis SL. 2012. Measuring and modeling above-ground carbon and tree allometry along a tropical elevation gradient. J Biol Conserv 154:20–33.
Meindertsma JD, Kessler JJ. 1997. Planning for a better environment in Monduli District. A document developed for the better utilization of resources in Monduli District. Department of Environment, Netherlands, Rotterdam.
Mialla YS. 2002. Participatory Forest resource assessment and zonation in Monduli catchment forest reserve, Arusha, Tanzania [Dissertation]. Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro. [Tanzania]
MNRT 2015. National Forest Resources Monitoring and Assessment of Tanzania Mainland (NAFORMA). Main Results. Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 106.
Munishi PKT, Shear TH. 2004. Carbon storage in Afromontane rainforest of Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania: their net contribution to atmospheric carbon. J Trop For Sci 16(1):78-93.
Mwakalukwa EE, Meilby H, Treue T. 2014.Floristic composition, structure, species associations of dry Miombo woodland in Tanzania. ISRN Biod 2014:1 – 15.
Pare S, Savadogo P, Tibagu M, Oden PC, Ouadba JM. 2009. Regeneration and spatial distribution of seedling populations in Sudan dry forests in relation to conservation status and human pressure. Trop Ecol 50(2): 339 - 353.
Swai G, Ndangalasi HJ, Munishi PKT, Shirima DD. 2014. Carbon stocks of Hanang forest, Tanzania: An implication for climate mitigation. J Ecol Nat Environ 6(3): 90 – 98.
Tadele D, Lulekal E, Damtie D, Assefa A. 2014. Floristic diversity and regeneration status of woody plants in Zengena forest, a remnant montane forest patch in northwestern Ethiopia. J For Res 25(2): 329 - 336.
UNDP 2003. United Nations Development Programme. Project implementation report on East African cross borders biodiversity project. Tanzania component, Monduli site. 66pp.
URT 2017. Tanzania’s forest reference emission level submission to the UNFCCC.
URT 1998. The National Forest Policy. United Republic of Tanzania. Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Dar es salaam.
Willcock S, Phillips OL, Platts PJ, Balmford A, Burgess ND, Lovett JC et al. 2014. Quantifying and understanding carbon storage and sequestration within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, a tropical biodiversity hotspot. Carbon Balance Manage. 9 (2).