Vegetation composition and structure of Dabena woodland in western Ethiopia.

The aim of the study was to investigate the vegetation composition, structure, and regeneration status of Dabena woodland in western Ethiopia. Representative and relatively homogeneous vegetation units of sampling sites were selected on the basis of physiognomy. Vegetation data was collected from a sample of 92 plots each 400 m² placed on transects lines, which were systematically laid. The distance between two consecutive transects was 300 m and the sampling plots were laid at 200 m interval. All vascular plant species were recorded in each plot. The DBH, height, basal area, woody species density, and IVI were used for collection of vegetation structure. Vegetation study revealed a total of 239 species with 187 genera and 76 families were recorded from the Dabena Woodland vegetation. Fabaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae were the four most dominant families represented by 21 (8.8%), 18 (7.5%), 18 (7.5%) and 13 (5.4%) species, respectively. Herbs 82 species (35%) had the highest composition. Out of the 239 species identified, 13 were endemic, comprising 5.44% of the total species composition of the study area. The vegetation structure analysis reveals that a large number of individual woody species was distributed in the lower DBH and height classes. The regeneration analysis for priority setting of plant conservation indicates that most of woody species were not represented by seedlings and saplings. Thus, most of woody species in Dabena woodland needs high conservation priority. Accordingly, woody species those not represented by seedlings and saplings should be given the highest conservation priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]