Species composition and spatial heterogeneity of the seed bank and vegetation in protected and disturbed Miombo Woodland at Christon bank, Zimbabwe
Journal Title: Journal of Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences (JBES) - Year 2013, Vol 3, Issue 8
Abstract
The regeneration potential of Miombo woodland was evaluated by comparing above ground vegetation and seed banks in a protected area (Mazowe Botanical Reserve) and an adjacent disturbed farming area (Thetford Estates). Sampling was conducted in April and May 2012. In each area 30 sampling plots measuring 10x10 m were randomly selected and the species composition and abundance of all the above ground flora was determined. Soils were collected from each plot and the seedling emergence method was used to determine the species composition of seed bank. The results show that more species were recorded in the protected (264 above ground and 118 in seed bank) than in the disturbed area (119 above ground and 89 in seed bank), showing that disturbance factors were impacting on species composition. The results also show the absence of key Miombo woody species and the dominance of grasses and forbs in the seed banks. We interpreted this to mean that the seed banks cannot sustain the recovery of the Miombo woodland after disturbance. We recommend the use of more improved methods for estimating the size of the seed bank as the seedling emergence method used in this case is known to underestimate the seed bank.
Authors and Affiliations
Chapano C, Zimudzi C, Makaka CM, Mapaya RJ
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP37379
- DOI -
- Views 184
- Downloads 0
The decrease of underground water surface, subsidence and ground drying in Minab plain: A horrible catastrophe
Minab Plain is one of the most significant plains of Hormozgan province. The increase of population, development of agriculture and consecutive droughts have led to excessive withdrawal and pressure on the plain’s water...
Enrichment and isolation of endosulfan degrading microorganism from natural resource
The enrichment and isolation of microbes from natural resource for endosulfan degradation was carried out to search for the potential candidates for development of in situ bioremediation technology for endosulfan. Twelv...
Assessment of carbon sequestration in species (Salsola laricina and Poa sinaica) under different treatments of vegetation management (Case study: Ghazvin, Iran)
Rangelands comprise the large parts of Iran as a steppic area. Ghazvin, as area index of steppic area, was selected under three sites including long-term exclosure, medium-term exclosure, and grazable area due to the ca...
Water quality assessment with biological indicators: Mond protected area, Iran
The purpose of this study is to determine the diversity and the accumulation of Macrobenthos of Mond River and assess the condition of water quality using Welch's index. Sampling was done in summer and winter seasons d...
Spatial distribution of genus Berberis from Pakistan: A review over three centuries long historical records
For the first time, present study gives a composite outlook of the genus Berberis from Pakistan with spatial distribution along with estimation of total area under occupation. GE Path, Google Earth and ArcGIS have been...