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Research Article

Taxonomic diversity, distinctness, and abundance of tree and shrub species in Kasagala forest reserve in Uganda: implications for management and conservation policy decisions [ 319-333 ]

Samson Gwali, Paul Okullo, David Hafashimana and Denis Mujuni Byabashaija

Abstract
The successful management of natural resources requires access to adequate information on social, economic, ecological, and cultural changes in order to mitigate their impacts through conservation interventions. In most cases, such information is provided in the form of simple diversity indices, which may not predict the complex nature of species functioning in ecosystems. In this study, we used rank abundance, analysis of similarities (ANOSIM), similarity percentages (SIMPER), and taxonomic-diversity and distinctness indices to show the status of tree and shrub species in Kasagala forest reserve in central Uganda. Four 100 × 100 m plots were established in four vegetation strata of the strict nature reserve of the forest, and diameter at breast height (DBH) of trees and shrubs ≥ 5 cm measured. There was no significant difference in species abundance in the four vegetation strata (Kruskal Wallis H = 2.614, p = 0.453; ANOSIM: R = -0.334, p = 0.995). The taxonomic diversity and distinctness of the four vegetation types ranged between 2.414 and 2.786 while the taxonomic distinctness values ranged between 2.897 and 2.978. The taxonomic diversity of the forest is generally even, suggesting a homogeneous community. We suggest that the managers of the forest constitute a continuous monitoring program aimed at controlling the impact of anthropogenic factors, one of the main influences for such low taxonomic distinctness values observed for this forest.


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General interest summaries (when available)
    English: Forests provide a range of economic and environmental services to many national economies around the world. There is, therefore, growing concern internationally about the depletion of forests and hence the need for their conservation. In most cases, however, policy makers and forest managers see economic services as more important than environmental services. This is usually due to inadequate information about the environmental as well as economic services offered by forests. Even when attempts to provide such information are made, they are usually in form of lists of plants. Yet, forests are not just assemblages of individual trees/shrubs. Rather they are complex systems that include trees/shrubs and their relationships with each other. In this study, we used information on tree/shrub species, genus and family relationships to depict the conservation status of Kasagala woodland forest in Uganda. This forest is seriously threatened by wood extraction despite its water-catchment role for Lake Kyoga – one of Uganda’s lakes that supports over 100,000 people who depend on it for their livelihood. Our results show that there are not many species of trees/shrubs in this forest and that the forest is composed of many related trees/shrubs. This situation is usually caused by human activities of selective extraction of tree species. Indeed, during the study, we observed incidences of tree cut down for charcoal and firewood. As a way forward for conservation policy and management of this forest, we recommend awareness creation among the communities that utilize the forest. We also suggested that the forest managers should put more effort in developing techniques for replacement of trees that are cut down by forest users.

    Español: Debido a que las selva aportan un gran número de servicios económicos y ambientales a la economía de muchas naciones en el mundo, existe una preocupación acerca de la destrucción de las selvas por la acción humana y por ende hay una fuerte necesidad de conservarlas. En muchos casos los administradores de recursos dan prioridad a los beneficios económicos y manos importancia a los servicios ambientales que aporta la existencia de las selvas. Sin embargo, es necesario enfatizar que las selvas no son solo listas de conjuntos de árboles y arbustos, sino más bien un sistema complejo que incluye árboles y arbustos y las relaciones entre estos. Asi, en este estudio usamos la información sobre la riqueza de especies de árboles y arbustos para evaluar el estado de conservación de la selva de la reserva de Kasagala en Uganda, Africa. Esta selvas están amenazadas por la extracción de madera, a pesar de que juegan un papel importante en el procesos de retención y suministro de agua para el lago Kyoga, un lago que sostiene con sus recursos a cerca de 100,000 personas. Nuestro estudio mostro que existe una riqueza pobre de especies de arboles y arbustos en la selva de Kasagala y que muchas de las especies están taxonómicamente relacionadas, una situación probablemente causada por la extracción selectiva de especies de arboles usados para producir leña y carbón. En base a nuestros descubrimientos, recomendamos que la selva se maneje de otro modo a través de programas de concientización e información con la población local y que se desarrollen técnicas de recuperación de las poblaciones de especies de arboles que son de importancia para la gente.

    Português: O estudo de diversidade e abundância de árvores e arbustos na Reserva Kasagala em Uganda, Africa, relatado por Gwali e co-autores, salienta a importância da pesquisa sobre o enriquecimento do nosso banco de dados com informações sobre a diversidade tropical com invertários básicos e trabalhos ecológicos, que tem um valor importante para o manejo da conservação de áreas protegidas naturais. Os autores relatam que a floresta Kasagala é uma área importante de vegetação nativa que está enfrentando uma severa extração de Madeira para o fornecimento de carvão e lenha devido à sua proximidade aos principais centros urbanos de Uganda, uma situação agravada pelo crescimento vertiginoso das populações humanas, altos níveis de pobreza e uma demanda correspondente para a agricultura, o que reduziu a zona tampão da reserva. O estudo relata que árvores de Combretum (árvores Bushwillow - o gênero compreende cerca de 370 espécies de árvores e arbustos, aproximadamente 300 das quais são nativas da África) são altamente exploradas nas florestas de Uganda pela elevada qualidade de lenha que produzem e que a menos que sua exploração seja verificada, irá resultar em um significativo declínio desse recurso. Os autores apontam que apesar do plantio de enriquecimento ser uma prática comum para o reabastecimento de estoques empobrecidos de espécies de árvores comuns em florestas naturais, esse ainda não é o caso para as espécies de árvores de savanas para as quais as técnicas de silvicultura ainda não estão refinadas em Uganda. Os autores argumentam que o manejo e conservação da vegetação da reserva exigem uma abordagem de conservação da comunidade que inclui sérias garantias e sensibilização das pessoas ao redor da floresta.

    Français: Cette étude porte sur la diversité et l'abondance des arbres et des arbustes dans la réserve Kasagala en Ouganda, Afrique. Gwali et coauteurs, soulignent la valeur de la recherche visant à enrichir nos banques de données d'information sur la diversité tropicale avec un inventaire de base et des travaux écologiques, qui ont une valeur importante pour la gestion et la conservation des zones naturelles protégées. Les auteurs rapportent que la forêt Kasagala est un domaine important de végétation indigène qui fait face à l'extraction du bois pour la fourniture de charbon et de bois de chauffage à cause de sa proximité avec les grands centres urbains de l'Ouganda ; une situation aggravée par la forte croissance des populations humaines, des niveaux élevés de la pauvreté et une demande de terres agricoles qui a réduit la zone tampon de la réserve. L'étude montre que les arbres Combretum (arbre Bushwillow-Le genre comprend environ 370 espèces d'arbres et d'arbustesdont approximativement 300 sont originaires d'Afrique) sont fortement récoltés dans les forets de l'Ouganda à cause du charbon de haute qualité qu'ils produisent et bien que cette récolte est controlée, elle peut entraîner un important déclin de cette ressource. Les auteurs soulignent que, bien que les plantations d'enrichissement est une pratique courante pour reconstituer les stocks épuisés d'espèces d'arbres communs dans les forêts naturelles, ce n'est pas encore le cas pour les espèces d’arbres de savane boisée pour lesquels les techniques sylvicoles ne sont pas encore affinées en Ouganda. Les auteurs soutiennent que la gestion et la conservation de la végétation de la réserve nécessitent une approche de conservation communautaire qui comprend une profonde conscientisation et une sensibilisation des personnes autour de la forêt.
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   Tropical Conservation Science is an open-access e-journal that publishes research relating to conservation of tropical forests and other tropical ecosystems.

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