FLORISTIC COMPOSISION, VEGETATIONSTRUCTURE AND REGENERATION STATUS OF WOODY PLANT SPECIES OF RAMA KIDANEMIHRET MONASTERY CHURCH NATURAL FOREST IN RAYA KOBO WOREDA, NORTH WOLLO ZONE, AMHARA REGION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Ethiopia's dry Afro-mountain forests have been turned into farmland as a result of extensive exploitation with the exception of a few small remnants found in remote locations or close to churches. This study deals about floristic composition, vegetation structure and regeneration status of RKMCNF which is one of the dry afromontane church natural forests. The Data were collected in September to November 2021The major objective of this study was to investigate floristic composition, vegetation structure and regeneration status of woody plants species in the RKMCNF. A systematic sampling method was used.. Floristic composition and vegetation structure of woody species (>2cm) were assessed in Thirty six 20×20m sample plots. Regeneration status of woody plant was also assessed in 5×5 sample plots inside each main plot. The data was analyzed by using Microsoft Excel. A total of 27 woody plants were recorded representing 25 genera and 22 families on which12 species (44.44%) were trees, 11 species (40.74%) were tree/shrubs and 4 species (14.82%) were shrubs. Juniperus procera was the dominant plant species with recorded value of 238. Olea europaea, Carissa spinarum and Calpurnea aurea are the second, third and fourth dominance with recorded value 194, 193, and 189 respectively. Ficus sur was the least dominant and important in the given monastery forest. The overall Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H') and evenness values for the entire forest were 3.1 and 0.4 respectively. Woody species density was about 160 ha-1 and the total basal area was 53m2ha-1. Seedling and sapling survey were represented in 21 and 26 species respectively. The forest is divers, rich in biodiversity and good regeneration states. The study was important not only to prioritize species for conservation, to maintain the biodiversity, cultural and economic value of the forest but also to document the floristic composition, vegetation structure and regeneration status of the RKMCNF.