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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-022-01637-4