Floristic diversity, regeneration status, and vegetation structure of woodlands in Metema Area, Amhara National Regional State, Northwestern Ethiopia

We studied woodland vegetation in broad-leaved deciduous woodlands of Metema in northwestern Amhara regional state, Ethiopia Our objective was to describe plant species composition, diversity, regeneration status, and population structure by a selective approach with asystematic sampling design. A total of 74 quadrats (each for 25 m × 25 m,spaced at intervals of 150 200 m) were sampled along established transect lines following the homogeneity of the vegetation. Vegetation data including cover-abundance, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and numbers of seedlings and saplings of woody species were analyzed using Excel spreadsheet, Shannon Weiner diversity index, and PAST version 1.62. A total of 87 vascular plant species of 74 genera and 36 families were recorded. The dominant family was Fabaceae represented by 16(18.39 %) species of 13 genera. Shannon Weiner diversity and evenness were 3.67 and 0.82, respectively, which showed that the area was endowed with rich floral diversity evenly distributed. The vegetation structure, as quantified by cumulative diameter class frequency distribution,plotted as an interrupted inverted-J-shape pattern with a sharp decreasein the 2nd diameter class. This indicated poor vegetation structure. The diameter classes frequency distributions of selected species plotted infour general patterns i.e., interrupted Inverted-J-shape, J-shape,Bell-shape and Irregular-shape. In conclusion, although the area showedhigh floral diversity and evenness, woody species including Sterculea setigera, Boswellia papyrifera, and Pterocarpus lucens showed lowest recruitment of seedlings and saplings.     

DIVERSITY AND DYNAMICS OF MANAGEMENT OF GUM AND RESIN RESOURCES IN ETHIOPIA: A TRADE‐OFF BETWEEN DOMESTICATION AND DEGRADATION

Although the human domestication of forest and tree resources is often considered to result in resource degradation, it may also lead to improved resource potentials. This paper assesses the nature and dynamics of gum and resin focused woodland exploitation and management systems in Ethiopia in the context of degradation and domestication processes. In three sites with commercial gum resin producing woodlands and production history, we studied variation in (i) woodland management and gum resin production systems and (ii) socio‐economic and biophysical factors that condition the management and production systems. On the basis of their organizational features, we formulated nine production models and related them to different phases of domestication and different degrees of ecosystem degradation. The production systems gradually evolved from the extraction of wild trees to production in an adapted forest system. However, domesticated woodlands with an adapted forest structure and composition and increased provisioning services are still little developed despite decades of production history. Many of these woodlands are undergoing serious degradation because of low quality management practices. This is mainly attributable to existing land use practices and the social arrangements for the production of and trade in the gums and resins. The findings illustrate that domestication involves not only a change in ecological and production systems but also the development of social arrangements for production and trade. We conclude that the status of domestication in a social sense determines whether forests and/or specific forest resources are degraded or aggraded in the sense of resource enrichment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.