Conservation status of Boginda forest in the SNNPR region, Kefa zone Gimbo Woreda, Ethiopia
2004
Getachew Berhan | Yoseph Assefa
A study was made on conservation status of Boginda forest, Kefa zone, Southern Nationalities and Peoples region, Ethiopia. Three transects were taken from Gojeb valley to Saja escarpment. Physiographic data, DBH/DSH and height of all tree/shrub species were taken in all the 29 quadrates. The external pressure on the forest was also assessed using arbitrary scale of disturbance. Structural parameters such as Density, frequency, dominance and importance value indexes were calculated using access and excel spread sheets while vegetation analysis was done using Minitab and SPSS statistical Software. Out of the 66 species that were identified 15% were lianas, 49% trees, 13% shrubs and 23% were tree/shrub species. The structural analysis has shown that the lower storey has higher density than middle and upper storey, which indicates the predominance of shrubby species and small sized individuals that indicate serious exploitation of the forest in the past. The cluster analysis has revealed the existence of 5 distinct woody communities separated by altitude. Among the environmental parameters taken altitude has shown a significant correlation (P0.01) while slope gradient has insignificant correlation with the micro sites. In assessing the conservation status of all tree/shrub species using the IVI, population structure and regeneration status criteria, from the selected 24 species 17% were selected by the 3 criteria, 63% by 2 of the criteria and 20% by one of the criteria. Accordingly, Canthium oligocarpum, Cassipourea malosana, Ficus exasperate, Schefflera volkensi were found to the first priority for conservation and Pruinus Africana, Pouteria adolfi-friederici and Cordia Africana were found under the second priority for conservation. A recommendation was also made on the options for the genetic conservation of the priority species.
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This bibliographic record has been provided by Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research
