Comparing species diversity and composition of woody recruits under Terminalia A Superba and Markhamia Lutea in Kyampisi Central Forest Reserve, Mubende District

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ABSTRACT Globally the high pace of deforestation has resulted into the need for the development of a technique that can restore forest cover quickly, cheap and effective like applied nucleation. Little is known about the potential of applied nucleation in restoring degraded forests in tropical Africa. This study aims at comparing the species diversity, richness, and composition of tree species regenerating under (nurse trees) Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea in Kyampisi Central Forest Reserve in Mubende District. The data was obtained by making a circular plot below the nurse tree with a radius of 5 meters away from the centre of the nurse tree. Root collar diameter was measured for plants with diameter 0.1– <5 cm regenerating under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea using a calliper. For plants with diameter >5 cm diameter at breast (1.3m above the ground) was measured. Identification of the recruits was done. Random sampling design was used and 50 circular plots were made, each nurse tree taking 25 plots. Applied nucleation mimics natural succession processes to help in woody plant re colonization. To compare the species diversity and richness, Shannon diversity indices for the recruits regenerating under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea was calculated using R package BiodiversityR. Species composition of woody recruits under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea regenerating under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea was analyzed using non metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination in R package BiodiversityR. The species diversity of woody recruits under Terminalia superb and Markhamia lutea were not significantly different. The species richness of woody recruits under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea were not significantly different. The NMDS ordination showed that there was similarity in woody species composition of species regenerating under Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea. Both Terminalia superba and Markhamia lutea as nurse trees in assisting forests recovery provide suitable habitats for colonization of woody seedlings which facilitates tropical forest recovery. Key woods: applied nucleation, passive restoration, species composition, species richness, Nurse Tree, abandoned farmlands, recruits (869.3Kb)
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Ssengendo, Mathias
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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12281/5176
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