Comparison of seedling regeneration in eucalyptus plantation and natural forest: a case study of Nyabyeya forestry college plantations and Budongo forest reserve

Abstract

The study purposed to evaluate the native seedling regeneration composition and diversity, under Eucalyptus plantation and nature forest. Twenty sample plots (10 ×10m) and 1×1m subplots were established in the natural forest (Budongo forest) and a Eucalyptus plantation at Nyabyeya Forestry College, Masindi District. Seedlings were identified, counted and measured for height and diameter in each subplot. Seedling abundance was calculated as the total number of seedling species per plot. Species composition (based on Bray-Curtis distances) and diversity (richness-1 st Order Jackknife, Pielou J evenness and Shannon-Weiner diversity) were computed using Community Analysis Package (CAP) and Species Richness and Diversity package (SDR) per plot in the forest types. A total of 200 regenerating seedlings across 45 species were recorded in the study. Albizia zygia was the most abundant species with 28 individuals followed by Celtis zenkeri with 20 individuals. The Eucalyptus plantations support a different native species composition from that of the natural forest which could indicate that the species adaptable to plantation conditions are different from those growing in the understory of natural forests. The Eucalyptus plantation supported similar evenness and Shannon-Weiner diversity of native species but lower number of species compared to the natural forest. Since species abilities could influence their survival under exotic tree plantations, future studies need to examine the functional traits of species colonizing the plantations. There is a need to examine the balance between costs of establishing exotic tree plantations versus their potential benefit of catalyzing forest regrowth in degraded forest landscapes