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Understorey Seedling Bank in Forest Areas with a Differing Period of Recovery in Mabira Central Forest Reserve, South Central Uganda

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Abstract

Seedling banks are very important in forest regeneration following forest disturbances such as crop cultivation. In 2011 and 2013 the Uganda National Forestry Authority (NFA) evicted encroachers from parts of Mabira Central Forest Reserve that had been under crop cultivation for over 40 years. This gave an opportunity for the vegetation to recover. In this study, we assessed the recovery process based on seedling bank diversity, richness and density in three blocks differing in recovery time. Two disturbed blocks, the Western Block (WB) (abandoned by encroachers 1–3 years), and the Eastern Block (EB) (abandoned 4–5 years) before this study and a nearby undisturbed area (intact) were included in the study. We recorded 48 seedlings species; 37 in WB, 30 in EB and 27 in intact. Differences in species richness were not statistically significant among blocks (F2, 88 = 1.2420, p = 0.294). All seedling species found in the intact were found in the EB and WB. There were statistically significant differences in species diversity (Shannon–Wiener: F2, 88 = 5.354, p = 0.006), density (P < 0.001) and composition (ANOSIM; R = 0.55, p = 0.001) among blocks. Apart from Broussonetia papyrifera, other species contributing to the dissimilarity (Acalypha neptunica, Antiaris toxicaria, Blighia unijugata, Funtumia elastica were late succession species. Animal dispersed species dominated intact. Seed-regenerating species were found in both WB and EB, but re-sprouts were more common in EB. These results show that proximity to intact forest aids forest recovery, even for areas with long-term cultivation history.

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Acknowledgements

NORAD through the Norwegian Program for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) project (UGA-13/0019) financed this study. Uganda national Council for Science and Technology (NS 511) provided permission for the study. We are grateful to the Ugandan National Forest Authority (NFA) for permitting access to Mabira CFR, to the staff of the Herbarium of Makerere University for specimen identification. We thank the conference organizing committee for supporting the conference participants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Science, Technical and Vocational Education, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda

    Josephine Esaete

  2. Department of Environmental Management, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda

    Vincent B. Muwanika, Rogers Musiba & John R. S. Tabuti

  3. Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda

    Christopher Mawa

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Tree and seedling species abundance (1 ha) in formerly cultivated (WB Western Block and EB Eastern Block) and intact areas in Mabira Central Forest Reserve

Species

Family

Trees

Seedlings

WB

EB

Intact

WB

EB

Intact

Acacia spp

Fabaceae

    

20,800

 

Acalypha fruticosa Forssk.

Euphorbiaceae

   

50,000

74,400

3200

Acalypha neptunica Müll.Arg.

Euphorbiaceae

   

58,000

36,000

46,800

Albizia glaberrima (Schum. and Thonn.) Benth.

Mimosaceae

 

33.3

133.3

400

2400

 

Albizia grandibracteata Taub.

Mimosaceae

   

400

800

 

Albizia wightii Wight and Arn

Mimosaceae

 

66.7

33.3

   

Albizia zygia (DC.) J.F.Macbr.

Mimosaceae

 

33.3

400

5600

170,400

2800

Aphania spp

Sapindaceae

  

33.3

   

Alstonia boonei De Wild.

Apocynaceae

33.3

33.3

133.3

400

  

Antariaris toxicaria Lesch.

Moraceae

133.3

66.7

100

18,400

37,200

46,000

Aphania senegalensis (Poir.) Radlk.

Sapindaceae

  

266.7

7200

67,200

17,600

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

Moraceae

 

66.7

33.3

   

Blighia unijugata Baker

Sapindaceae

33.3

 

366.7

46,800

22,800

24,400

Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) L’Hér. ex Vent.

Moraceae

8333.3

1100

1200

438,000

133,600

44,800

Canarium schweifurthii Engl.

Burseracece

   

400

  

Celtis Africana Burm.F.

Celtidaceae

 

33.3

666.7

 

65,600

2400

Celtis durandii Engl.

Cananabaceae

  

533.3

2000

 

3600

Celtis mildbraedii Engl.

Cananabaceae

  

933.3

5200

10,000

41,600

Celtis wightii Planch.

Cananabaceae

  

66.7

   

Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook.f. ex Benth

Rutaceae

   

400

  

Coffea ligustroides S.Moore

Rubiaceae

   

13,600

 

3200

Cola gigantea A.Chev.

Sterculiaceae

 

233.3

66.7

800

18,800

38,800

Cordia Africana Lam.

Boraginaceous

    

4800

 

Entandrophragma angolense (Welw.) C.DC.

Meliaceae

  

333.3

2800

18,000

10,000

Ficus asperifolia Miq.

Moraceae

   

11,200

69,600

 

Ficus capensis Thunb.

Moraceae

66.7

200

233.3

400

2400

8400

Ficus exasperata Vahl

Moraceae

33.3

100

333.3

9200

28,400

10,400

Ficus mucuso Welw. ex Ficalho

Moraceae

  

233.3

1200

  

Ficus sur Forssk.

Moraceae

33.3

  

1600

  

Funtumia elastica (Preuss) Stapf

Apocynaceae

166.7

1033.3

1100

28,400

23,200

25,600

Khaya senegalensis (Desv.) A.Juss.

Meliaceae

  

133.3

1600

 

800

Kigelia africana (Lam.) Benth.

Bignoniaceae

  

33.3

1200

  

Macaranga lancifolia Pax

Euphorbiaceae

33.3

     

Margaritaria discoidea (Baill.) G.L.Webster

Euphorbiaceae

  

233.3

4800

3200

7600

Manilkara dawei (Stapf) Chiov.

Sapotaceae

  

33.3

5200

 

44,400

Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K.Schum.

Bignoniaceae

 

33.3

66.7

 

39600

14,800

Maesopsis eminii Engl.

Rhamnaceae

33.3

133.3

    

Milicia excelsa (Welw.) C.C.Berg

Moraceae

 

33.3

33.3

 

14,800

 

Monodora angolensis Welw.

Annonaceae

  

100

7600

 

11200

Myrianthus arboreus P.Beauv.

Urticaceae

  

333.3

2800

 

800

Newtonia buchananii (Baker) G.C.C.Gilbert and Boutiqu

Fabaceae

  

100

400

7200

 

Pachystela brevipes (Baker) Baill.

Sapotaceae

  

200

 

10,800

12000

Polyscias fulva (Hiern) Harms

Apocynaceae

  

33.3

200

 

800

Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman

Rosaceae

    

2800

 

Psidium guajava L.

Myrataceae

    

400

 

Sapium ellipticum (Hochst.) Pax

Euphorbiaceae

 

66.7

33.3

 

1200

 

Schrebera arborea A.Chev.

Oleaceae

  

33.3

   

Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv.

Bignoniaceae

 

66.7

33.3

 

3200

 

Sterculia dawei Sprague

Sterculiaceae

 

100

  

4000

 

Tabernaemontana holstii K.Schum.

Apocynaceae

  

600

10,000

 

22,000

Tamarindus indica L.

Fabaceae

 

33.3

33.3

400

 

800

Teclea nobilis Delile

Rutaceae

  

233.3

1200

12,000

26,200

Terminalia brownii Fresen.

Combretaceae

   

800

  

Treculia africana Decne. ex Trécul

Moraceae

   

800

  

Trema orientalis (L.) Blume

Cannabaceae

33.3

     

Trichilia spp

Meliaceae

   

6000

  

Vernonia amygdalina Delile

Asteraceae

133.3

     

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Esaete, J., Muwanika, V.B., Musiba, R. et al. Understorey Seedling Bank in Forest Areas with a Differing Period of Recovery in Mabira Central Forest Reserve, South Central Uganda. Environmental Management 71, 159–169 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01637-4

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