Diversity,regeneration status and population structure of gum- and resin-bearing woody species in south Omo zone,southern Ethiopia

South Omo Administrative Zone in Ethiopia is home to 18 indigenous ethnic groups whose livelihood is vulnerable due to recurrent drought and degradation. Despite the preliminary observation showing the rich dry-forest resource base that, if sustainably managed could enhance livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, there is lack of empirical data on its current status. We conducted a study aiming at quantifying the population status of gum- and resin-bearing species in two randomly selected districts, Hamer and Bena-Tsemay. Seventy-five quadrats(35 at Hamer and 40 at Bena-Tsemay) each measuring 400 m2 were established along line transects to assess species diversity and equitability, density, frequency, dominance, importance value and population structure. We recorded a total of 27 woody species of 12 families and 14 genera. Fifteen species(9 at Hamer and 14 at Bena-Tsemay) of the genera Acacia, Boswellia, Commiphora and Sterculia, were identified as either major sources of commercial gums and resins or their adulterants. Gum- and resin-bearing species comprised 56% and 57% of species richness, 48% and 50% of total density per ha, 95% and 98% of basal area, and 64% and 56% of importance values at Hamer and Bena-Tsemay, respectively. Diversity of the entire woody species assemblage and of the gum- and resin-bearing species was slightly higher at Bena-Tsemay(H= 2.61, 1.4) than at Hamer(H′= 2.48, 1.28), respectively. The diversity and abundance of the resource base suggest potential for development of value-added commercialization of gum and resins to enhance livelihoods and encourage sustainable management of the forest at these study areas. We recorded, however, declining natural regeneration of most gum- and resin-bearing species, and this calls for integrated and participatory species management and landscape rehabilitation.     

Informal surveys to assess social forestry at Dibandiba and Aleta Wendo,Ethiopia

Two surveys were carried out at Dibandiba, a semi-arid site in central Ethiopia, and Aleta Wendo, a sub-humid site in southern Ethiopia, to assess farmers' attitudes toward and perceptions of tree planting, levels of social forestry and uses of tree products. At Dibandiba, farmers planted mostlyEucalyptus camaldulensis trees, exclusively on homesteads andAcacia albida was left on farmland. Trees were planted mainly for construction (32%), fuelwood (29%), shade (11%) and cash (11%). Major (85%) uses were fencing, fuelwood, construction and plough handles. Dung was the major source of fuel (56%). At Aleta Wendo, planting consisted ofEucalyptus globulus mostly on private woodlots and homesteads, ofMilletia ferruginea andCordia abyssinica on farms, and ofEuphorbia abyssinica on fences and boundaries. Avocado and pears were also planted. The uses were the same as at Dibandiba. Major constraints were lack of seedlings and shortage of land at both sites, plus shortage of water at Dibandiba. Also, a review of information obtained from previous surveys on household composition and income, farm holding, cropping pattern, livestock composition and the use of labour was made.     

埃塞俄比亚咖啡生产的历史、现状及前景

埃塞俄比亚是咖啡原产地,经实地调研、访问专家、查阅资料等多种方式考察了埃塞俄比亚的咖啡生产情况,扼要介绍了埃塞俄比亚咖啡生产的历史和现状．旨在为我国咖啡产业的发展提供参考.     

Economic analysis of closing degraded Boswellia papyrifera dry forest from human interventions — A study from Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, environmental degradation leads to a reduction of forest areas with economically important tree species like Boswellia papyrifera. In an attempt to reverse this development and assist natural rehabilitation, closing degraded forest from free grazing, fuel wood collection and other interference is practiced in Tigray. Sustainability of this management will, among other things, depend on the resources' tangible benefits. This study aimed to determine and compare net benefits (in Ethiopian Birr (ETB) per ha) from the closed and open Boswellia papyrifera forestlands. Production and household surveys were carried out in Jijike and Siye tabias of Abergelle woreda in northern Ethiopia. Data on costs and benefits of frankincense production were collected from firms trading the product. Net benefits from forestlands and croplands were determined using the Net Present Value criterion. The estimated mean frankincense productions were 127 kg/ha/yr for closed forestland and 84.54 kg/ha/yr for open forestland. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between per tree mean frankincense yield of closed and open sites. The average grass harvest from closed area was 2851 kg/ha/yr. The financial Net Present Values were 8622 ETB/ha for closed and 6468 ETB/ha for open forestlands. These values were by 4574 ETB and 2005 ETB higher than the sum of NPV from crop and crop residuals of a hectare of cropland in the study area of the two sites, respectively. Exporting frankincense could generate foreign exchange of 53.28 and 39.05 USD/ha/yr from closed and open sites, respectively. Rural households earn about 74% of the annual total revenue (ETB/ha) from closed and open area as wage for tapping and collecting frankincense and using of grass. Sensitivity analysis showed that managing degraded Boswellia papyrifera forestland as closed area always generates a higher NPV than the open one in case of changes in discount rate and prices of inputs and outputs. Thus, managing the forest through closed areas is a competitive land-use alternative and provides higher net benefits than both open forestland and agricultural croplands.     

Models for estimation of carbon sequestered by Cupressus lusitanica plantation stands at Wondo Genet,Ethiopia

This study compared models for estimating carbon sequestered aboveground in Cupressus lusitanica plantation stands at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Ethiopia. Relationships of carbon storage with tree component and stand age were also investigated. Thirty trees of three different ages (5, 12 and 24 years), comprising 10 trees from each stand, were sampled in order to generate dry biomass and carbon data from tree components. Five linear and non-linear biomass and carbon models were compared and evaluated for estimation of overall aboveground carbon, carbon by age groups, and carbon by diameter at breast height (DBH) classes using performance indicator statistics. Among the models compared, a carbon model described by Y = b ₀ D ² H + ? (p-value < 0.001), where D = DBH (in cm), H = total height of the tree (in m), ? = error, and b ₀ is a parameter, was found to be the best model for estimation of carbon sequestered aboveground in C. lusitanica plantation stands of the study area. The study also indicated the overall superiority of carbon models over biomass models in estimation of aboveground carbon of C. lusitanica. It was concluded that, for the range of DBH utilised in the current study, the carbon model described can be a useful tool in estimation of carbon storage of C. lusitanica plantations in the study area and other related sites.     

The role of disturbance severity and canopy closure on standing crop of understory plant species in ponderosa pine stands in northern Arizona,USA

Concerns about the long-term sustainability of overstocked dry conifer forests in western North America have provided impetus for treatments designed to enhance their productivity and native biodiversity. Dense forests are increasingly prone to large stand-replacing fires; yet, thinning and burning treatments, especially combined with other disturbances such as drought and grazing, may enhance populations of colonizing species, including a number of non-native species. Our study quantifies plant standing crop of major herbaceous species across contrasting stand structural types representing a range in disturbance severity in northern Arizona. The least disturbed unmanaged ponderosa pine stands had no non-native species, while non-native grasses constituted 7–11% of the understory plant standing crop in thinned and burned stands. Severely disturbed wildfire stands had a higher proportion of colonizing native species as well as non-native species than other structural types, and areas protected from grazing produced greater standing crop of native forbs compared to grazed unmanaged stands. Standing crop of understory plants in low basal area thinned and burned plots was similar to levels on wildfire plots, but was comprised of fewer non-native graminoids and native colonizing plants. Our results also indicate that size of canopy openings had a stronger influence on standing crop in low basal area plots, whereas tree density more strongly constrained understory plant standing crop in dense stands. These results imply that treatments resulting in clumped tree distribution and basal areas <10 m² ha⁻¹ will be more successful in restoring native understory plant biomass in dense stands. Multiple types and severity of disturbances, such as thinning, burning, grazing, and drought over short periods of time can create greater abundance of colonizing species. Spreading thinning and burning treatments over time may reduce the potential for non-native species colonization compared to immediately burning thinned stands.     

Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks Under Plantations in Gambo District,Southern Ethiopia

The effect of six plantation species in comparison to natural forest (NF) on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) stocks, depth-wise distribution, biomass carbon (C), and N was investigated on plantations and cultivated lands on an Andic paleudalf soil in Southern Ethiopia. The SOC, N, and bulk density were determined from samples taken in 4 replicates from 10-, 20-, 40-, 60-, and 100-cm depth under each site. Similarly, the biomass C and N of the plantation species and understory vegetation were also determined. The SOC and N were concentrated in the 0- to 10-cm depth and decreased progressively to the 1-m depth. Next to the NF, Juniperous procera accrued higher SOC and N in all depths than the corresponding plantations. No evidence of significant difference on SOC and N distribution among plantations was observed below the 10-cm depth with minor exceptions. The plantations accrue from 133.62 to 213.73 Mg ha^–1 or 59.1 to 94.5% SOC, 230.4 to 497.3 Mg ha^–1 or 6.9 to 14.9% TBC and 420.37 to 672.80 Mg ha^–1 or 12.5 to 20% total C-pool of that under the NF. The N stock under Juniperous procera was the highest, while the lowest was under Eucalyptus globulus and Cupressus lusitanica. We suggest that SOC and N sequestration can be enhanced through mixed cropping and because the performance of the native species Juniperous procera is encouraging, it should be planted to restock its habitat.     

射阳洋马药材基地抗癌植物资源调查分析

对盐城市射阳洋马药材基地的抗癌植物资源按种属进行了整理、分类,结果表明该基地的抗癌植物约57科117 种.概述了其中主要抗癌植物的药用部位及活性成分,分析了基地抗癌植物开发利用状况,提出了合理开发利用抗癌植物资源的对策.     

Implications of crude oil pollution on natural regeneration of plant species in an oil-producing community in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

The study evaluated the impact of crude oil pollution on natural regeneration of plant species in a major oil-producing community in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Three sites—unpolluted site(US), polluted and untreated site(PUS), and polluted and treated site(PTS)—were purposively chosen for the study. The seedling emergence method was used to evaluate soil seed banks in the various sites at two depths, 0 to 10 cm and 10 to 20 cm. Woody-plant species richness, abundance, and diversity were higher in the US seed bank than in the PUS and PTS seed banks. The highest number of non-woody plants was observed in the US, followed by the PTS, and then the PUS. Both species richness and diversity of non-woody plants were highest at the US, followed by the PUS, and lowest in the PTS. Woody species in the US seed bank were 87.5% and 80% dissimilar with those of the PUS and PTS at 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm respectively. No variation was observed between woody species in the PUS and PTS seed banks. Non-woody species at 0-10 cm US seed bank were 73.08% dissimilar with those of PUS at the two soil depths and 81.48/88.46% dissimilar with those of the 0–10/10–20 cm of the PTS respectively. At 10–20 cm, non-woody species of the US were 69.66% dissimilar with those from each of the two soil depths in PUS; and 73.91/81.82% dissimilar with those of 0–10/10–20 cm of the PTS respectively. Non-woody species variation between the PUS and PTS was higher at 10–20 cm than 0–10 cm. The poor seed bank attributes at the polluted sites demonstrates that crude oil pollution negatively affected the natural regeneration potential of the native flora because soil seed banks serve as the building blocks for plant succession. Thorough remediation and enrichment planting are recommended to support the recovery process of vegetation in the polluted areas.     

Ethnobotanical study of forage/fodder plant species in and around the semi-arid Awash National Park,Ethiopia

We undertook ethnobotanical study of forage/fodder plant species used by the Afar and Oromo （Kereyu and lttu） Nations in and around the semi=arid Awash National Park （ANP）, Ethiopia. The study aimed at investigating and documenting indigenous knowledge （IK） on forage/fodder plant species and threats to their survival. Ninety-six in= formants between 20 and 80 years old were selected using prior informa- tion. Data were collected using semi-structured interview, guided field wail discussion and field observation. Preference ranking, Jaccard＇s coefficient of similarity and priority ranking were used for data analysis. One hundred twenty-six forage/fodder species of 90 genera and 43 fami- lies were collected in the study area. More than 88% of the species were reported with their vernacular names, where 68% were reported by the Afar Nation and 70% by the Oromo Nation. Family Poaceae was repre- sented by 25 species （20%）, followed by Fabaceae 18 （14%）. Preference ranking for the most preferred forage grasses as perceived by key informants revealed that Chrysopogon plumulosus was the most important forage/fodder species. Overgrazing was the major threat in the study area, scoring 22%.     

广西十万大山自然保护区外来入侵植物研究

十万大山属北热带山地,有着丰富的生物多样性,但目前已遭到外来种植物入侵。通过实地调查和查证文献资料,初步确定十万大山自然保护区内外来入侵植物有23种,隶属于12科21属,其中菊科种类最多,6种,占入侵植物总数的26.1%;其次为苋科,3种,占入侵植物的13.0%。从来源看,23种入侵植物中,有21种来自热带美洲,占入侵植物种的91.3%。23种入侵植物均为r-选择对策种,其中有草本20种,占入侵植物种类总数的87.0%。23种入侵植物几乎全部是由人类活动直接或间接引入。最后对保护区内入侵植物的危害性及防治措施也作了初步的分析。     

北京八达岭植物群落多样性特征分析

根据34个样地的调查资料,分析了该地区森林植物群落物种多样性的特征:群落内各层物种丰富度指数的大小为草本层>灌木层>乔木层;多样性指数的大小为乔木层<灌木层和草本层。灌木层与草本层的多样性指数随林分郁闭度变化而变化,在林分郁闭度为25%的侧柏黄栌混交林中,灌木层的多样性指数和丰富度指数小于草本层;在郁闭度53%的杂木林中,灌木层和草本层的多样性指数接近;在郁闭度53%以上的各个群落内,草本层的多样性指数和丰富度指数基本上都大于灌木层。人工林中的物种多样性变化多样,明显低于天然林,林分层次单一,更新不良,缺乏灌木层和地被植物,生态系统很不稳定。     

西藏特有珍稀植物巨柏的研究进展与展望

对巨柏的生物学特性、分类学特征、地理分布状况、生境条件及生长状况、研究及保护现状进行了综合的论述和分析,并通过实地考察和勘测,对一些前人的论述做了相应的补充,提出了一些自己的见解和推测。最后对巨柏在学术研究和开发应用方面的前景进行了展望,以期为今后进一步的研究和开发起到一定的导向或参考作用。     

五指峰木本植物资源调查与区系分析

在对上犹县五指峰木本植物资源进行充分调查和查阅相关资料的基础上,对该区木本植物区系进行了分析和探讨。主要结论如下：1)五指峰地区木本植物资源丰富,共有木本植物116科319属869种,其中裸子植物9科21属30种,被子植物107科298属839种。2)五指峰木本植物科属组成中,寡种科和寡种属、单种属较多,大种科和大种属、中等属较少。3)五指峰木本植物区系的地理成分复杂,对五指峰木本植物区系分布类型在科级和属级水平上进行了分析,结果表明,五指峰木本植物以热带性成分为主,温带成分占有一定的比例,总体呈亚热带向暖温带过渡的性质,并具有一定的古老性,其中有珍稀濒危木本植物22种。     

湖南黄桑国家级自然保护区主要植物群落类型特征的研究

通过87个样地的调查研究表明,黄桑国家级自然保护区的主要植物群落有:栲林、木荷林、亮叶水青冈林、石栎林、华榛林、鹅掌楸林、桦木林、枫香林、华南五针松林、润楠林、马尾松林、杉木林、闽楠林、云山白兰林、三尖杉林、龙胜杜鹃林、映山红灌丛、竹林、马兰灌草丛等。植物群落景观具有明显的垂直性分布:海拔1 200 m以下为常绿阔叶林带;海拔1 200~1 400 m之间为常绿与落叶阔叶混交林(包括针阔叶混交林);海拔1 400~1 700 m之间为山顶矮林;海拔1 700 m以上为中山灌丛、草丛带。植物群落物种多样性与群落结构的复杂性呈正相关,各群落类型物种多样性指数普遍较高。     

Response of seasonal pond plant communities to upland forest harvest in northern Minnesota forests,USA

Small seasonally flooded forest ponds have received increased attention due to a growing recognition of their abundance in many landscapes, their importance as habitat for a variety of organisms, and the contributions they make to species and ecosystem diversity. There also is concern over potential negative effects of forest management in adjacent uplands on seasonal pond ecology. Several studies have examined invertebrate and songbird responses to upland harvest around seasonal ponds. Less attention has been given to examining how seasonal pond plant communities respond to adjacent forest harvesting. We studied the response of seasonal pond plant communities to adjacent upland timber harvests, assessing whether buffers around ponds (15.25 m uncut and partially cut) mitigated changes in species abundance and community composition, relative to changes in ponds that were clearcut to the pond margin. We addressed our objective using an operational-scale experiment in northern Minnesota, which included pre-harvest sampling, replicated treatments, and uncut controls. After treatment, changes in tree basal area and canopy openness in the pond basins reflected reductions in upland basal areas. Specifically, control ponds had significantly higher basal area and lower openness than ponds cut to their margins, while ponds with uncut buffers and partially cut buffers were intermediate. Changes in plant communities were evident in the ground layer and shrub/large regeneration layer. After treatment and over time, the control stands did not change significantly in ground layer structure or shrub/large regeneration layer composition. The three upland harvest treatments displayed increasingly greater deviation from their starting conditions and from the control along a gradient of increasing treatment intensity, from the buffer treatment to the partially cut buffer to the clearcut. The response in the ground layer was largely associated with increased sedge and grass cover, while the response in the shrub/large regeneration layer was associated with increases of Salix sp., Alnus incana, and Populus tremuloides. Our results indicate that adjacent upland timber harvest can lead to altered plant communities within seasonal ponds, at least temporarily. Moreover, uncut forest buffers (∼15.25 m) surrounding seasonal ponds can mitigate plant community changes to some degree. If seasonal ponds are an important resource on the management landscape and a high percentage of upland forest is in a recently cut condition at any given time, than use of harvest buffers around seasonal ponds may be an appropriate approach for mitigating short term alteration of pond plant communities.     

海南长臂猿的猿食植物及主要种群的结构特征

海南长臂猿主要觅食植物（猿食植物）已知有35科68种,以乔木树种为主,其中尤以桑科（Moraceae）和樟科（Lauraceae）树种为多。大部分猿食植物出现在海拔400～1200m之间,海拔超过1200m几乎很少有猿食植物出现,海拔低于400m的猿食植物种类也较少。根据固定样地调查结果,原始林中的猿食植物种类最多,而退化地次生植被中则很少,不适合海南长臂猿的生存,必须对这类植被进行改造。对6个主要猿食植物的种群龄级结构分析,表明受人类干扰较大的物种呈不稳定的种群结构,而主要分布在原始林中的物种则呈正常增长型的种群结构。在退化地上人工种植猿食植物、恢复森林生态系统是保护和扩大海南长臂猿种群的主要手段。     

燕山山脉天然次生油松林群落物种多样性及生态位分析

通过植物群落学的调查方法,对位于冀北山地河北省围场县木兰围场自然保护区内不同立地条件下油松(Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.)天然次生林的群落特征、物种多样性及物种生态位进行了研究。结果表明:在木兰围场自然保护区内共记录到乔木树种1种,灌木6种,草本30种。灌木层和草本层的α多样性指数在一定海拔梯度下所呈现的趋势大致相同,都是比较典型的双峰曲线。随着海拔差的增大,群落间β多样性指数均呈逐渐增大的趋势。灌木层中土庄绣线菊(Spiraea pubescens Turcz.)的生态位宽度最大,草本层中披针苔草(Carex lanceolata Boott)、林地早熟禾(Poa nemoralis Linn.)和小红菊[(Dendranthema chanetii(Lvl.)Shih)]的生态位宽度最大。海拔1125m地段生态位重叠度最大的种群为照山白(Rhododendron micranthum Turcz.)和女娄菜(Melandrium apricum(Turcz.)Rohrb.),海拔1250m地段生态位重叠度最大的种群为细裂叶蒿(Artemisia tanace-tifolia Linn.)和阴地蒿(Artemisia sylvatica Maxim.),海拔1325m地段生态位重叠度最大的种群为披针苔草和隐子草(Cleistogenes caespitosa Keng)。     

Below-ground root yield and distribution in natural and replanted mangrove forests at Gazi bay, Kenya

Estimation of total biomass in woody ecosystems is important because of its relevance to nutrient turnover and the potential to store carbon. Most work on mangrove biomass, particularly in the Western Indian Ocean Region, has concentrated on the above-ground component; comparatively little is known on below-ground biomass. The current study was conducted at Gazi bay on the southern coast of Kenya. The objective was to determine the below-ground biomass of three species of mangrove, Rhizophora mucronata Lamarck, Avicennia marina (Forsk.) Vierh and Sonneratia alba J. Smith, in natural and replanted stands. The effects of distance from the tree base and of soil depth on root biomass and size distributions were also studied using coring. Live below-ground biomass (mean ± S.E.) ranged from 7.5 ± 0.4 t/ha to 35.8 ± 1.1 t/ha, 48.4 ± 0.7 t/ha to 75.5 ± 2.0 t/ha and 39.1 ± 0.7 t/ha to 43.7 ± 1.7 t/ha for R. mucronata, S. alba and A. marina, respectively, depending on the age of the stand. Including dead roots produced total biomass values of 34.9 ± 1.8–111.5 ± 5.6 t/ha, 78.9 ± 3.3–121.5 ± 7.3 t/ha and 49.4 ± 1.1–84.7 ± 5.4 t/ha for R. mucronata, S. alba and A. marina. These values imply carbon contents of live roots ranging between 3.8 ± 0.2 C t/ha and 17.9 ± 0.6 C t/ha, 24.2 ± 0.4 C t/ha and 37.7 ± 1.0 C t/ha and 19.5 ± 0.4 C t/ha and 21.9 ± 0.9 C t/ha for R. mucronata, S. alba and A. marina stands, respectively, and 17.4 ± 0.9 C t/ha and 55.7 ± 2.8 C t/ha, 39.4 ± 1.7 C t/ha and 60.7 ± 3.6 C t/ha and 24.7 ± 0.6 C t/ha and 42.4 ± 2.9 C t/ha for R. mucronata, S. alba and A. marina stands, respectively if dead roots are included. Stand densities were 4650 ± 177 stems/ha, 3800 ± 212 stems/ha and 3567 ± 398 stems/ha for R. mucronata 6-year old, 12-year-old and natural stands respectively. Mean stem diameter, and basal area were highest in the 12-year-old plantation while below-ground root biomass increased with age. Stand density for S. alba, was highest in the 12-year-old plantation (7900 ± 141 stems/ha) while the 9-year-old stand had trees with the largest diameter (7.7 ± 0.9 cm). Below-ground biomass was highest in the 12-year old (75.5 ± 2.0 t/ha) and lowest in the natural stand (48.4 ± 0.7 t/ha). Stand density for A. marina was highest in the 12-year-old plantation (4300 ± 919 stems/ha) while mean stem diameter (7.9 ± 0.7 cm) and basal area (16.2 ± 2.1 m²/ha) were highest in the natural stand. Below-ground biomass in the 12-year-old (43.7 ± 1.7 t/ha) and natural stands (39.1 ± 0.7 t/ha) was similar. Root densities decreased with soil depth and with distance from the base of trees for all species and stands. Fine roots (diameter <5 mm) constituted between 24% and 45% of the total stand live root biomass. The information generated is important in establishing the total biomass and thus the potential amount of carbon sequestered by mangroves in the study area.