Diversity, Structure and Regeneration Status of the Woodland and Riverine Vegetation of Sire Beggo in Gololcha District, Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted on the woodland and riverine vegetation of Sire Beggo in Gololcha District, eastern Ethiopia with the aim of documenting the floristic composition, population structure and identifying major plant community types. Preferential sampling method was employed to collect vegetation data by focusing on vegetation homogeneity. From the study sites, 70 quadrats (each measuring 20 x 20 m = 400 m² ) were sampled. Regeneration status of woody plants was also assessed using the same quadrate size. The data on the herbaceous species were collected from five, 1 m x 1 m subplots laid at four corners each and one at the centre of the large plot. Vegetation classification was performed using TWINSPAN software package. A total of 185 plant species, representing 61 families were recorded. Fabaceae was the dominant family represented by 15 genera and 23 species, followed by Poaceae and Euphorbiaceae with 17 and 12 species each respectively. The output of TWINSPAN showed five plant community types. Structural analysis of the dominant species revealed different patterns of population structure. Some of the results of population structure and regeneration status indicated abnormal pattern which dictate the need for an urgent conservation of the study area.