%0 Journal Article
%T Floristic Composition, Structure, and Species Associations of Dry Miombo Woodland in Tanzania
%A Ezekiel Edward Mwakalukwa
%A Henrik Meilby
%A Thorsten Treue
%J ISRN Biodiversity
%D 2014
%R 10.1155/2014/153278
%X For the majority of forest reserves in Tanzania, biodiversity is poorly documented. This study was conducted to assess species richness (woody species), diversity, and forest structure and to examine relationships between species occurrence and topographic and edaphic factors in the Gangalamtumba Village Land Forest Reserve, a dry Miombo woodland area in Tanzania. A total of 35 nested circular plots with radii of 5, 15, and 20£¿m were used to collect data on woody species and soil samples across the 6,065 ha community-managed forest reserve. Stumps were measured 20£¿cm above ground. A total of 88 species belonging to 29 families were identified. Generally forest structure parameters and diversity indices indicated the forest to be in a good condition and have high species richness and diversity. Vegetation analysis revealed four communities of which two were dominated by the family Caesalpiniaceae, indicating large variation of site conditions and possible disturbances in the study area. The high level of diversity of woody species and the high basal area and volume indicate that the forest is in good condition, but the effect of anthropogenic activities is evident and stresses the need for proper management to maintain or enhance the present species diversity. 1. Introduction Miombo woodland is the most widespread and dominant dry forest formation in Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa. It is characterized by an abundance of tree species in the legume subfamily Caesalpinoideae, including the three dominant genera of Brachystegia, Julbernardia, and Isoberlinia [1, 2]. Covering an area of about 3.6 million km2, miombo woodland supports the livelihoods of more than 100 million rural and urban dwellers by providing a wide range of products such as firewood, charcoal, timber, and forage and services such as soil conservation and water catchment [3¨C5]. However, due to the rapid population growth and the high level of poverty across the Miombo region, the human pressure on its woodlands has steadily increased over the last decades, leading to increasing deforestation and forest degradation [6¨C8]. The effects of increasing rates of deforestation and forest degradation on biodiversity in developing countries have been thoroughly studied [9¨C12]. Habitat loss due to deforestation reduces not only the number of species in the ecosystem but also the number and extent of places where species coexist. Activities such as charcoal production, firewood collection for subsistence use and for tobacco curing, conversion of woodlands to farmland, and seasonal forest fires
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.biodiversity/2014/153278/