Assessment of Plant Species Diversity, Composition, Structure, and   Regeneration Status of Qes Diba Botanical Garden, Gondar Zuria District, North West Ethiopia

Amsalu Endalamaw Worku; Mitiku Alemu Mengistu

doi:10.37284/eajfa.8.1.4237

Amsalu Endalamaw Worku Ethiopian Forestry Development
Mitiku Alemu Mengistu Ethiopian Forestry Development

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37284/eajfa.8.1.4237

Keywords: Species Diversity, Population Structure, Species Richness, Species Composition

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Abstract

This study investigated the composition, structure, and regeneration status of woody species in Gondar Zuria District Qes Diba Botanical Garden under Gondar University Teda Campus. The circular plots with a radius of 6.5 m for a tree, 4.5 m for a sapling, and 2.5 m for a seedling were sampled to determine the regeneration status, species biodiversity, structure of woody species, and species composition in the study area. Diameter at the breast height, an important value index, and the number of seedlings, saplings, and mature tree plant species found in the plot in the area were sampled. Analysis of the regeneration status of plant species in the botanical garden showed that 6.25% of tree/shrub species exhibited “Fair” regeneration status, 25% showed Poor regeneration status, and there are no tree/shrub species that had “Good” regeneration status in the circular plot of the sample in the Qes Diba botanical garden. A total of 25% of plant species were not regenerating at all, and 56.25% of plant species that were available only in a sapling or seedling stage were considered “New” in Qes Diba Botanical Garden. The species diversity assessed with the Shannon-Weiner (H') index in the study site was found to be 1.58. Employing systematic random sampling along transects, vegetation data from circular plots revealed a reverse J-shaped structural pattern and a low Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H'=1.58), indicating limited biodiversity. Alarmingly, regeneration assessment showed that only 6.25% of tree and shrub species exhibited fair regeneration, while 25% showed poor regeneration, and another 25% were not regenerating at all. The site's species composition was limited to 16 species, with a dominance of the Leguminosae family. These findings underscore a critical need for targeted conservation and management interventions to address the poor regeneration and low diversity observed.

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