Effect of Disturbances on Non-tree Species Richness, Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance in Seasonally Dry Riverine of Engareolmotonyi, Arusha, Northern Highlands of Tanzania

Canisius John Kayombo; Tumaini Kivuyo; Sefania J. Kyando; Emmanuel Lugumira; Hussein Said Gwau

doi:10.37284/eajenr.5.1.537

Canisius John Kayombo, PhD Forestry Training Institute
Tumaini Kivuyo Forestry Training Institute
Sefania J. Kyando Forestry Training Institute
Emmanuel Lugumira Forestry Training Institute
Hussein Said Gwau Nelson Mandela Institute of Science and Technology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajenr.5.1.537

Keywords: Nontree Species, Richness, Distribution, Abundance, Afromontane, Seasonally Dry Riverine, Engareolmotonyi, Northern Highlands of Tanzania

Share Article:

Abstract

The nontree species including shrubs, herbs, sedge, grasses, and ferns are vital for the sustainability of the forest ecosystem. The study was conducted at the Engareolmotonyi seasonally dry riverine forest in northern Tanzania to determine the nontree richness (S), diversity, distribution, and abundance. A total number of 20 plots of 20 x 20 m2 (m2) were purposively established, within which nested plots of 1 x 1 m2were set to determine herbs, sedge, grasses, and ferns; whereas the 2 x 5 m2 subplots were established to identify the woody nontrees for their botanical names, counted for their number of stems, and disturbances were recorded. Shannon index (H’) of diversity was used to determine species diversity. Relative frequency (RF) was used to determine the distribution percentage and abundance. A total of 50 non-trees species were identified. Of all those, 30 were non-woody while from while 20 species were nontree woody plants. Non-woody plants had higher H’ and RF than woody nontrees. The nontree woody plants had less density than no-n woody plants. The most abundant species had an RD of 26.121 ± 15.30.3, while the medium had the RF of 10.290 ± 4.222, and the rest were the least abundant with an RD of ≤ 4.222. The recorded disturbances were; cutting sticks, poles (for snaring), very small trees, collection of livestock fodder plants. The relative frequency of disturbances ranged from 37.50% ± 3.13%. The most dominant disturbance was as a footpath(s) with a relative frequency (RF) of 37.50%), followed by cutting (21.88.14%), livestock fodder collection (12.50%), the intact plots and firewood collection (19.38%), blue monkey and baboon foot tracks (6.25), and snares had an RF of 3.13%. The effect of disturbances on nontrees has been noticed in Engareolmontonyi forest even though the plant diversity remains relatively high. This implies that moderate disturbance has no significant damage to plant richness, diversity, distribution and abundance. The widely distributed plants with a larger number of stems have more advantage of survival than the least distributed in terms of any damage occurring to a part of the seasonally dry riverine forest. Conclusively, the tropical vegetation can tolerate moderate or controlled activities, while excessive disturbances will always lead to a decline in richness, diversity, distribution, abundance, and even extinction of the least distributed and even the most abundant plants depending on the disturbance severity. Restoration of gaps is needed, cutting of trees and snaring should be discouraged, livestock fodder collection should be controlled.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alroy, J. (2017). Effects of habitat disturbance on tropical forest biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(23), 6056-6061.

Burnham, R. J., &Santanna, C. V. (2015). Distribution, diversity, and traits of native, exotic, and invasive climbing plants in Michigan. Brittonia, 67(4), 350-370.

Cappuccio, N. (2018). Biological Condition and Stressors of BLM Wadeable Streams in Northeastern California and Northwestern Nevada. Utah State University.

Dale, V. H., Joyce, L. A., McNulty, S., Neilson, R. P., Ayres, M. P., Flannigan, M. D., ... & Wotton, B. M. (2001). Climate change and forest disturbances: climate change can affect forests by altering the frequency, intensity, duration, and timing of fire, drought, introduced species, insect and pathogen outbreaks, hurricanes, windstorms, ice storms, or landslides. BioScience, 51(9), 723-734.

Cardoso Da Silva, J. M., & Bates, J. M. (2002). Biogeographic patterns and conservation in the South American Cerrado: a tropical savanna hotspot: the Cerrado, which includes both forest and savanna habitats, is the second largest South American biome, and among the most threatened on the continent. BioScience, 52(3), 225-234.

Duncker, P. S., Raulund-Rasmussen, K., Gundersen, P., Katzensteiner, K., De Jong, J., Ravn, H. P., ... &Spiecker, H. (2012). How forest management affects ecosystem services, including timber production and economic return: synergies and trade-offs. Ecology and Society, 17(4).

Elliott, K. J., Vose, J. M., Knoepp, J. D., Clinton, B. D., &Kloeppel, B. D. (2015). Functional role of the herbaceous layer in eastern deciduous forest ecosystems. Ecosystems, 18(2), 221-236.

Fayiah, M., Swarray, A. K., Singh, S., & Chin, B. (2018). Floristic biodiversity and stem volume of Kambui Forest Reserve, Kenema District, Sierra Leone. International Journal of Advanced Research, 6, 424-440.

Fonge, B. A., Tchetcha, D. J., &Nkembi, L. (2013). Diversity, distribution, and abundance of plants in lewoh-lebang in the lebialem highlands of southwestern Cameroon. International Journal of Biodiversity, 2013, 13.

Gentry, A. H., & Dodson, C. (1987). Contribution of nontrees to species richness of a tropical rain forest. Biotropica, 149-156.

Gilliam, F. S. (2007). The ecological significance of the herbaceous layer in temperate forest ecosystems. BioScience, 57(10), 845-858.

Gradstein, S. R., Kessler, M., &Pitopang, R. (2007). Tree species diversity relative to human land uses in tropical rain forest margins in Central Sulawesi. In Stability of Tropical Rainforest Margins (pp. 319-332). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.

Harcourt, A. H., Coppeto, S. A., & Parks, S. A. (2005). The distribution–abundance (density) relationship: its form and causes in a tropical mammal order, primates. Journal of Biogeography, 32(4), 565-579.

Holeksa, J. (2003). Relationship between field-layer vegetation and canopy openings in a Carpathian subalpine spruce forest. Plant Ecology, 168(1), 57-67.

Kayombo, C. J., Rubanza, C. D., &Giliba, R. A. (2020). Effect of Human Disturbances on Mahungu Green Belt Forest Reserve (MGFR) in Dodoma City, Central Tanzania. East African Journal of Forestry and Agroforestry, 2(2), 1-15.

Kent, M., & Coker, P. (1992). Vegetation description and analysis, a practical approach–John Wiley & Sons. New York, 319.

Rija, A. A., Kideghesho, J. R., Mwamende, K. A., &Selemani, I. (2013). Emerging issues and challenges in conservation of biodiversity in the rangelands of Tanzania.

Rodriguez-Garcia, G., Molinos-Senante, M., Hospido, A., Hernández-Sancho, F., Moreira, M. T., &Feijoo, G. (2011). Environmental and economic profile of six typologies of wastewater treatment plants. water research, 45(18), 5997-6010.

Leite, S. J., & Santos Lopes, F. (2001). Local abundance and regional distribution of tree species of forest fragments in Brazil: A test of models. Revista de biología tropical, 49(2), 489-500.

Lupala, Z. J., Lusambo, L. P., Ngaga, Y. M., &Makatta, A. A. (2015). The land use and cover change in miombo woodlands under community-based forest management and its implication to climate change mitigation: a case of southern highlands of Tanzania. International Journal of Forestry Research, 2015.

Maszura, C. M., Karim, S. M. R., Norhafizah, M. Z., Kayat, F., &Arifullah, M. (2018). Distribution, Density, and Abundance of Parthenium Weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) at Kuala Muda, Malaysia. International Journal of Agronomy, 2018.

Miller, G., & Lugo, A. E. (2009). Guide to the ecological systems of Puerto Rico. IITF-GTR-35.

Mligo, C. (2018). Application of regression model to identify a parameter that best defines species diversity in the coastal forests of Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Science, 44(3), 31-45.

Obiri, J. F. (2011). Invasive plant species and their disaster-effects in dry tropical forests and rangelands of Kenya and Tanzania. Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 3(2), 417-428.

Pamerleau-Couture, E., Krause, C., Pothier, D., &Weiskittel, A. (2015). Effect of three partial cutting practices on stand structure and growth of residual black spruce trees in north-eastern Quebec. Forestry: An International Journal of Forest Research, 88(4), 471-483.

Rodríguez-García, E., Ordóñez, C., & Bravo, F. (2011). Effects of shrub and canopy cover on the relative growth rate of Pinus pinaster Ait. Seedlings of different sizes. Annals of Forest Science, 68(2), 337-346.

Santamaría, L. (2002). Why are most aquatic plants widely distributed? Dispersal, clonal growth and small-scale heterogeneity in a stressful environment. Acta oecologica, 23(3), 137-154.

Sebald, J., Senf, C., Heiser, M., Scheidl, C., Pflugmacher, D., &Seidl, R. (2019). The effects of forest cover and disturbance on torrential hazards: large-scale evidence from the Eastern Alps. Environmental Research Letters, 14(11), 114032.

Zerbo, I., Bernhardt-Römermann, M., Ouédraogo, O., Hahn, K., &Thiombiano, A. (2016). Effects of Climate and Land Use on Herbaceous Species Richness and Vegetation Composition in West African Savanna Ecosystems. Journal of Botany.

URT. (2006). State of the Environment Report. The Vice President’s Office-Division of Environment United Republic of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam.

URT. (2020). Climate of Arusha. Climate data org. Tanzania. https://en.climate- data.org/africa/tanzania/arusha/arusha-3116.

Wanleys Consultancy Service (2013). Analysis of Demand and Supply of Wood Products in Kenya. Ministry of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Kenya. Wansley’s Consultancy Service Report pp 1-113.

Whitworth, A., Villacampa, J., Brown, A., Huarcaya, R. P., Downie, R., & MacLeod, R. (2016). Past human disturbance effects upon biodiversity are greatest in the canopy; a case study on rainforest butterflies. PLoS One, 11(3), e0150520.