%0 Journal Article
%T Analysis of Structure and Diversity of the Kilengwe Forest in the Morogoro Region, Tanzania
%A David Sylvester Kacholi
%J International Journal of Biodiversity
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/516840
%X This study investigates the structure, species composition, and diversity of a section of the Kilengwe Forest in Tanzania. In order to accomplish the proposed objectives, 18 plots of 20£¿m ¡Á 20£¿m were randomly established in the forest and the number of tree species in each plot was identified and counted. The most important families and species were determined using importance value indices at the respective taxonomic levels. Diversity was measured using the Shannon-Wiener and Fisher alpha diversity indices. A total of 276£¿stems/ha representing 93£¿species/ha within 26 families were documented from 0.72£¿ha. Fabaceae and Julbernadia globiflora were the dominant family and species, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of the total species were rare. The average basal area of the forest was 7.1£¿m2/ha. The Shannon-Wiener index (4.02) and Fisher¡¯s alpha diversity (35.5) indicated high species diversity within the forest. The species-area and species-abundance curves revealed an escalating trend implying that more sampling efforts could result in a higher number of species existing in the forest. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern; however, the larger size classes DBH >50£¿cm were not represented. The study suggests the necessity for anthropogenic disturbance control as this is the major source of forest degradation in the studied area. 1. Introduction Globally, 52% of the total forests are in tropical regions and they are known to be the most important areas in terms of biodiversity [1]. Local communities living nearby depend on these forests for their livelihoods. For instance, forest trees provide resources like food, traditional medicine, energy, timber, shade, and habitats for other organisms [2]. The rapid increase in human population near forest ecosystems has increased threats of degradation and fragmentation to these ecosystems [3]. In Tanzania, the rate of population increase per year is 2.7% with the majority of people living in rural areas where forests are located. The annual loss of forest cover in the country has increased by 37% from the period of 1990¨C1995 (322,000£¿ha/year) to 2000¨C2010 (403,000£¿ha/year). The loss is mainly due to agricultural clearings, overgrazing, charcoaling, firewood, and timber harvesting [3, 4]. Like other tropical forests in the world, the Kilengwe Forest suffers extensive loss and degradation from anthropogenic activities and sporadic fire, which have a strong effect on the structure and species composition of the forest [5]. The quantification of the structure and diversity of tree species
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijbd/2014/516840/