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Research ArticleFloristic Diversity and Natural Regeneration
Status of EntotoMountain and the Surrounding Area in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia
Ergua Atinafe,1 Ephrem Assefa,2 Birhanu Belay,1 Yemenzwork
Endale,2
and Talemos Seta 1
1Gullele Botanic Garden, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia2Entoto and
Surrounding Tourist Destination Development Project (ESTDDP)
Office, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Correspondence should be addressed to Talemos Seta;
[email protected]
Received 12 December 2019; Accepted 13 March 2020; Published 28
April 2020
Academic Editor: Ignacio Garcı́a-González
Copyright © 2020 Ergua Atinafe et al.-is is an open access
article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License,which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
-e study was carried out at Entoto Mountain and its surrounding
area, about 10 km north of the center of Addis Ababa. -epurpose of
this study was to assess the floristic composition and regeneration
status of woody species and recommend furtherconservationmethods.
Ten transect lines were laid from south-north at 1 km interval.
Along these transect lines, 62 sample plots of400m2 (20m× 20m) were
laid at 1 km interval. A total of 179 plant species belonging to
107 genera and 60 families were recorded.Asteraceae (30 species)
was the most dominant family. Of 179 plant species, 73 were
naturally regenerated woody speciesrepresenting 48 genera and 34
families. Herbs account for the largest growth form (91, 50.84%),
indicating the fact that dis-turbance favors herb species. For the
analysis of vegetation diversity, woody species composition, and
density, the study area wasclassified into five land-use types. Of
the five land-use types, degraded land-use type had low species
diversity and evenness (1.48and 0.295), and it had a low density of
economically and ecologically important larger trees. However, the
density of seedlings andsaplings showed the normal regeneration
status for the herbs and shrubs. -erefore, responsible stakeholders
should give highpriority for the conservation of ecologically and
economically important large trees using appropriate
conservationmethods in thestudy area.
1. Introduction
Ethiopia is an important regional center of biological
di-versity, and the flora and fauna have a rich endemic element[1,
2].-e country has the fifth largest flora in tropical
Africa.Vegetation types in Ethiopia are highly diverse, varying
fromAfroalpine to desert vegetation. However, the
vegetationresources of the country have been reduced due to
variousfactors. -e most prominent ones are deforestation,
ex-pansion of agricultural land, overgrazing,
unsustainableutilization, invasion of exotic species, and
overexploitationfor various purposes such as firewood, charcoal,
construc-tion material, and timber, all spurred by rapid
humanpopulation growth [3, 4].
Plantations in general and Eucalyptus plantation inparticular
can have a catalytic effect on the regeneration ofnative species
and can be used as a management tool for
restoration of degraded forest lands [5, 6]. Because of
theconsiderable damage of the mountain forests, concern hasarisen
about the natural regeneration of indigenous species.Regeneration
is thus defined as the reassembly of floristicand structural
diversity back to self-perpetuating climaxstates [7]. In Ethiopia,
the uncontrolled removal of trees andland disturbance, such as
collection of firewood, cultivationof lands, and grazing, severely
reduce the density of thespecies and affect regeneration [8].
In the Ethiopian highlands, which suffer from
severedeforestation and biomass fuel crises, Eucalyptus is
theprominent tree in government and community estateplantations
because of its ready propagation through cop-picing, resistance to
browsing by livestock, and rapid growthrate. Currently, about 55
Eucalyptus species are available inEthiopia [9]. However, the most
common and widespreadEucalyptus species include Eucalyptus globulus
Labill.
HindawiInternational Journal of Forestry ResearchVolume 2020,
Article ID 4936193, 10
pageshttps://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4936193
mailto:[email protected]://orcid.org/0000-0002-4895-2735https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4936193
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-e natural regeneration of plants is an importantsubject in both
conservation biology and management [10].Cost-effective plant
regeneration, especially natural regen-eration (i.e., regeneration
of native plant species), is thekeystone of sustainable forestry
[11, 12]. Natural regener-ation depends on the seed bank [13]. In
this study, ourobjective was to identify the vegetation resources
and thecurrent regeneration status of woody species of the
Entotomountain range that lies on the Northwestern Entoto,Central
Yeka, Ankorcha mount, and Northeastern YekaAbado through Gurara
within the limit of the city of AddisAbaba, Ethiopia, where the
integrated tourist destinationdevelopment programs would take
place.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Description of the Study Area. -e study area belongs todry
evergreen Afromontane forest and grassland complex(DAF) in the
central highlands of Ethiopia [14]. MountEntoto is considered to be
the highest peak overlooking thecity of Addis Ababa. Its altitude
reaches 3,200 meters abovesea level and is part of the Entoto
mountain chain.-is studyarea is located in two subcities of Addis
Ababa, namely,Gullele and Yeka subcities. -e study was conducted
inEntoto mountain and its surrounding area that surroundsthe city
Addis Ababa between latitudes 9°08′N–10°06′N andlongitudes
37°47′E–37°48′E. -e altitude range of the studyarea is between
2551m and 3031m a.s.l. -is study wasundertaken in the Entoto
mountain range that lies on thesoutheastern slopes of Mt Entoto,
between the northernlimit of the city of Addis Ababa, and the track
along themountain ridge. As can be seen from the underneath map,the
elevation of the area ranges from 2,440m to 3,196m a.s.l.(Figure
1).
2.2. Climate of the Study Area. From the 10-year (2007 to2016)
temperature and rainfall data collected from [15], themean annual
rainfall of the area is about 1226ml. As far asthe monthly rainfall
record of the area is concerned, the areamostly receives its
maximum rainfall between June andSeptember. -is is normally
considered as the rainy season(kiremt) in the area. Low amount of
rainfall is recordedbetween October and April. -e average annual
temperatureof the area is 14°C. -e maximum and minimum
averageannual temperatures of the area for the last ten years
are17.89 and 8.85°C, respectively. -roughout this period,
therelatively maximum temperature was recorded during themonths of
January (18.4°C), February (19.7°C), March(20.12°C), April (19°C),
and May (19.15°C), which is abovethe mean annual temperature
(17.81°C) of the stated period.-e lowest temperature was recorded
during the month ofAugust (14.49°C).
2.3. Methods of Data Collection
2.3.1. Sampling Design. In this study, a systematic
samplingdesign was used to collect data on vegetation and
topo-graphic variables. Ten transect lines consisting of 62 plots
of
size 20m × 20m (400m2) were systematically laid insouth-north
directions using compass. Five plots each waslaid in eight transect
lines and six plots each in the last twotransect lines. -e distance
between consecutive plotsalong the transect lines was from 500m to
1 km. Fivetransects were laid at 2 km distance and three transect
linesat 1.5 km and the last two at 3 km distance from each
other.Trees and shrubs were collected from the larger size
plotswhereas the nested small subplots (five 1m ∗ 1m plots;four in
the corner and one in the center of the larger plot)were used for
seedling and sapling and herbaceous datacollection.
For the sake of data collection and analysis, all the plotswere
categorized into five land uses through visual obser-vation. -ese
include Eucalyptus globulus plantation forest(EPF), plantation
forest (PAF), natural forest (NAF), de-graded land (DEL), and
riverine vegetation (RV).
2.3.2. Data Collection. In each quadrat, all trees,
shrubs,climber, and herbs were recorded. Plant species
occurringoutside the quadrat but inside the study area were
alsodocumented. In addition, all of the naturally regeneratedwoody
species were identified and counted from each plot.Individuals were
categorized into three size groups as fol-lows [16]: seedling
(height ≤1.0m), sapling (height between1 and 3m), and tree/shrub
(height >3m). During the study,physiographic variables such as
altitude, longitude, andlatitude were measured for each plot using
GPS. Taxonomicidentification was made following the Flora of
Ethiopia andEritrea, Honey bee Flora of Ethiopia, and consultation
withexperienced taxonomic experts.
2.3.3. Data Analysis. Plant species recorded in all plots
wereused in the analysis of the vegetation data. For analysis
ofvegetation data, Shannon and Wiener index of species di-versity
[17], species evenness, and Jaccard’s coefficient ofsimilarity were
used. Shannon’s index takes into account theevenness of abundance
of species. -e ratio of observedShannon index to maximum diversity
(Hmax � ln S) can betaken as a measure of evenness (E) [18–20].
Similarities ofvegetation of the five land-use types were also
comparedusing Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity (JCS) [19].
Density ofthe selected plant species was compared among the five
land-use types. -e frequency and relative frequency of the
se-lected dominant plant species were presented for the studyarea.
Similarly, the growth form of all the identified speciesin five
land-use types was presented in the diagram. All theanalyzed
outputs of the vegetation data were presented in theform of table
and diagram to indicate the areas in terms ofecological and
economic significance.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Floristic Composition and Diversity of the Study Area.A
total of 179 plant species belonging to 107 genera and 60families
were identified from the study area (see Table 1).-etotal numbers
of individual species in their respectivegrowth form against
different land-use types are indicated in
2 International Journal of Forestry Research
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Figure 2. Herbs were dominant and represented by (91)50.84%
species, shrub by (46) 25.67%, tree by (26)14.53%,and tree/shrub by
(9) 5.03% species while climber by (7)3.9% species. From the total
woody species, Eucalyptusglobulus (952/ha), Juniperus procera
(369/ha), and Carissaspinarum (304/ha) were the most abundant
species in thestudy area, whereas species such asMillettia
ferruginea, Ficussur, Croton macrostachyus, and Prunus africana
were theleast abundant species having only one individual per ha
(seeTable 1).
-e species composition and density in each habitatgenerally
depend on the current status of the sites. -e sevenspecies-rich
families contributed (Asteraceae, Fabaceae,Poaceae, Lamiaceae,
Rosaceae, Rubiaceae, and Oleaceae)49.46% of the total plant
species, and the remaining 53families contributed 50.54% of the
total plant species.Twenty endemic plant species were recorded in
the studyarea. Of the 20, 7 herbs, 8 shrubs, 4 tree plant species,
andone species were succulent (Table 1). -is showed thatEntoto
Mountain and its surrounding area are considered as
a place with diverse flora including endemic species,
andpriority should be given to conserve this floristic diversity
inthe area.
Shannon–Wiener diversity index and species evenness,in the study
area, show considerable variation among theland-use types (Table
2).
Shannon diversity index and species evenness werehighest in
Riverine vegetation (2.92 and 0.475) followed bynatural forest
(2.92 and 0.44) and plantation forest (2.85 and0.385). In contrast,
Eucalyptus plantation forest had aShannon diversity index and
evenness of 2.60 and 0.214followed by degraded land (1.48 and
0.295) which relativelyshowed lowest species richness.-is may be
attributed to theimpact of Eucalyptus on the growth of other plant
speciesand high disturbance by collection of firewood,
animalgrazing, and farming. Moreover, some of the areas have
beencleared for walking paths. About 63 species (mostly herbsand
shrubs) were recorded in Eucalyptus plantation forestand the lowest
species richness (15 species) was recorded indegraded land (Table
3).
Map of Addis Ababa
0 2 4 8 12 14Kilometers
38°39′0″E 38°42′0″E 38°45′0″E 38°48′0″E 38°51′0″E 38°54′0″E
38°57′0″E
8°48′0″N
8°49′30″N
8°51′0″N
8°52′30″N
8°54′0″N
8°55′30″N
8°57′0″N
8°58′30″N
9°00′0″N
9°1′30″N
9°3′0″N
9°4′30″N
9°6′0″N
Gulele
Yeka
N
Figure 1: Map of the study area (samples were taken from Gullele
and Yeka, EMA, 2018).
International Journal of Forestry Research 3
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Table 1: List of all plant species, family, and growth habit
recorded from the study area.
No. Botanical name Family Habit Origin1 Acacia abyssinica
Hochst. ex Benth. Fabaceae Tree N2 Acacia decurrens Willd. Fabaceae
Tree EX/P3 Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. Fabaceae Tree EX/P4 Acacia
saligna (Labill.) Wendl. Fabaceae Shrub EX/P5 Achyranthes aspera L.
Amaranthaceae Herb N6 Acmella caulirhiza Del. Asteraceae Herb N7
Adiantum capillus-veneris L. Adiantaceae Herb N8 Adiantum
thalictroides Willd. ex Sch. Adiantaceae Herb N9 Albizia gummifera
(J. F. Gmel.) C. A. Sm. Fabaceae Tree N10 Albizia schimperiana
Oliv. Fabaceae Tree N11 Alchemilla abyssinica Fresen. Rosaceae Herb
N12 Alchemilla padata A. Rich. Rosaceae Herb N13 Aloe debrana
Christian Aloaceae Herb EN14 Amaranthus caudatus L. Amaranthaceae
Herb N15 Anagallis arvensis L. Primulaceae Herb N16 Anthospermum
herbaceum L.f. Rubiaceae Herb N17 Argemone mexicana L. Papaveraceae
Herb EX18 Argyrolobium rupestre (E.Mey.) Walp. Fabaceae Herb N19
Arthraxon micans (Nees) Hochst. Poaceae Herb N20 Asparagus
africanus Lam. Asparagaceae Shrub N21 Asparagus setaceus (Kunth)
Jessop Asparagaceae Shrub N22 Asplenium aethipicum (Burm.f.)
Beckerer Aspleniaceae Herb N23 Asplenium monanthes L. Aspleniaceae
Herb N24 Asplenium protensum Schrad. Aspleniaceae Herb N25 Bersama
abyssinica Fresen. Melianthaceae T/S N26 Bidens macroptera
(Sch.-Bip.ex Chiov.) Asteraceae Herb N27 Buddleja polystachya
Fresen. Loganiaceae Shrub N28 Cardamine hirsuta L. Brassicaceae
Herb N29 Carduus leptacanthus Fresen. Asteraceae Herb N30 Carduus
schimperi Sch.Bip.ex A.Rich Asteraceae Herb N31 Carduus sp
Asteraceae Herb N32 Carissa spinarum L. Apocynaceae Shrub N33
Casuarina equisetifolia Casuarinaceae Tree EX/P34 Cheilanthes
farinosa (Forssk.) Kaulf. Sinopteridaceae Herb N35 Cirsium vulgare
(Savi.) Ten. Asteraceae Herb N36 Clematis simensis Fresen.
Ranunculaceae Climber N36 Clerodendrum myricoides (Hochst.) Vatke
Lamiaceae Shrub N37 Clutia lanceolata Forssk Euphorbiaceae Shrub
N39 Coffea Arabica L. Rubiaceae T/S N/P40 Commelina benghalensis L.
Commelinaceae Herb N41 Conyza pedunculata (Oliv.) Wild. Asteraceae
Herb N42 Conyza pyrrhopappa Sch. Bip.ex A.Rich Asteraceae Herb N43
Conyza stricta Willd. Asteraceae Herb N44 Crepis rueppellii
Sch.Bip. Asteraceae Herb N45 Crotalaria exaltata Polhill Fabaceae
Shrub EN46 Crotalaria rosenii (Pax) Milne-Redh. ex Polhill Fabaceae
Shrub EN47 Croton macrostachyus Del. Euphorbiaceae Tree N48
Cupressus lusitanica Mill. Cupressaceae Tree EX/P49 Cyathula
uncinulata (Schrad.) Schinz. Amaranthaceae Herb N50 Cynodon sp.
Poaceae Herb N51 Cynoglossum geometricum Bakl. and Wright
Boraginaceae Herb N52 Cyperus rotundus L. Cyperaceae Herb N53
Cyperus sp Cyperaceae Herb N54 Datura stramonium L. Solanaceae Herb
N55 Dichondra repens J.R. and G. Forst. Convolvulaceae Herb N56
Digitaria velutina (Forssk.) P. Beauv. Poaceae Herb N57 Discopodium
penninervium Hochst. Solanaceae Shrub N58 Dovyalis abyssinica (A.
Rich.) Warb Flacourtiaceae Shrub N59 Dovyalis verrucosa (Hochst.)
Warb. Flacourtiaceae Shrub N60 Dyschoriste radicans Nees
Acanthaceae Herb N
4 International Journal of Forestry Research
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Table 1: Continued.
No. Botanical name Family Habit Origin61 Echinops macrostachyus
Fresen. Asteraceae Shrub N62 Echinops kebericho Mesfin Asteraceae
Shrub EN63 Ekebergia capensis Sparrm. Meliaceae Tree N64 Embelia
schimperi Vatke Myrsinaceae Shrub N65 Eragrostis sp Poaceae Herb
N66 Eragrostis schweinfurthii Chiov. Poaceae Herb N67 Eragrostis
tef (Zucc.) Trotter Poaceae Herb EN68 Erica arborea L. Ericaceae
Shrub N69 Erythrina brucei Schweinf. Fabaceae Tree EN70 Eucalyptus
camaldulensis Dehnh. Myrtaceae Tree EX/P71 Eucalyptus globulus
Labill. Myrtaceae Tree EX/P72 Exotheca sp. Poaceae Herb N73 Ficus
sur Forssk. Moraceae Tree N74 Ficus vasta Forssk. Moraceae Tree N75
Galium simensis Fresen. Rubiaceae Herb N76 Geranium aculeolatum
Oliv. Geraniaceae Herb N77 Geranium arabicum Forssk. Geraniaceae
Herb N77 Grevillea robusta R.Br. Proteaceae Tree EX/P79 Hagenia
abyssinica (Bruce) J.F. Gmel. Rosaceae Tree N80 Helichrysum
foetidum (L.) Moench Asteraceae Herb N81 Helichrysum formosissima
Sch. Bip.ex A. Rich. Asteraceae Herb N82 Helichrysum nudifolium
(L.) Less. Asteraceae Herb N83 Helichrysum schimperi (Sch. Bip. ex
A. Rich.) Sch. Bip. Ex Moser Asteraceae Shrub N84 Helichrysum
traversii Chiov Asteraceae Herb N85 Helichrysum glumaceum Dc.
Asteraceae Herb N86 Hypericum revolutum Vahl. Hypericaceae Shrub
N87 Hypericum sp. Hypericaceae Shrub N88 Hypoestes forskaolii
(Vahl) Soland. ex Roem. and Schult Acanthaceae Herb N89 Hypoestes
triflora (Forssk.) Roem. and Schult Acanthaceae Herb N90 Inula
confertiflora A.Rich. Asteraceae Herb EN91 Jasminum abyssinicum
Hochst. ex.Dc. Oleaceae Climber N92 Jasminum grandiflorum L. subsp.
floribundum (R. Br. ex Fresen.) P. S. Green Oleaceae Climber N93
Jasminum stans pax Oleaceae Shrub EN94 Juniperus procera Endl.
Cupressaceae Tree N95 Justicia schimperiana (Hochst ex Nees) T.
Anders Acanthaceae Herb N96 Kalanchoe petitiana A.Rich.
Crassulaceae Herb EN97 Lactuca inermis Forssk. Asteraceae Herb N98
Laggera tomentosa (Sch.Bip.ex A.Rich.) Oliv.and Hiern Asteraceae
Shrub EN99 Laggera crispata (Vahl) Hepper and Wood Asteraceae Herb
N100 Lantana trifolia L. Verbenaceae Shrub N101 Leonotis ocymifolia
(Burm.f.) Warsson Lamiaceae Herb N102 Leucas stachydiformis
(Hochst. ex Benth.) Briq Lamiaceae Herb EN103 Linum trigynum L.
Linaceae Herb N104 Lippia adoensis Hochst. ex Walp. Verbenaceae
Shrub EN105 Lotus corniculatus L. Fabaceae Herb N106 Maesa
lanceolata Forssk. Myrsinaceae T/S N107 Marsdenia abyssinica
(Hochst.) Schltr. Asclepiadaceae Shrub N108 Maytenus addat (Loes.)
Sebsebe Celastraceae Shrub EN109 Maytenus arbutifolia (A.Rich.)
Wilczek Celastraceae T/S N110 Maytenus gracilipes (Welw.ex Oliv.)
Exell Celastraceae Shrub N111 Millettia ferruginea (Hochst.) Bak.
Fabaceae Tree EN112 Myrsine africana L. Myrsinaceae Shrub N113
Myrsine melanophloeos (L) R.Br. Myrsinaceae T/S N114 Nuxia congesta
R. Br. ex Fresen Loganiaceae Tree N115 Olea europaea L. subsp.
cuspidata (Wall. Ex Oleaceae Tree N116 Olinia rochetiana A. Juss.
Oliniaceae T/S N117 Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller. Cactaceae
Herb N118 Osyris quadripartita Decn. Santalaceae T/S N119 Oxalis
corniculata L. Oxalidaceae Herb N120 Oxalis radicosa A.Rich.
Oxalidaceae Herb N
International Journal of Forestry Research 5
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Table 1: Continued.
No. Botanical name Family Habit Origin121 Panicum subalbidum
Kunth. Poaceae Herb N122 Pavetta abyssinica Fresen Rubiaceae Tree
N123 Pennisetum riparium Hochst. ex A.Rich. Poaceae Herb N124
Pennisetum squamulatum Fresen Poaceae Herb N125 Pennisetum
pentastachyum A.Rich. Poaceae Herb N126 Pentas lanceolata (Forssk)
Defl. Rubiaceae Shrub N127 Pentas schimperiana (A.Rich) Vatke
Rubiaceae T/S N128 Phytolacca dodecandra L’ Herit Phytolaccaceae
Shrub N129 Plantago lanceolata L. Plantaginaceae Herb N130 Plantago
major L. Plantaginaceae Herb N131 Plantago palmata Hook.f.
Plantaginaceae Herb N132 Plectranthus punctatus (Vatke) Lamiaceae
Herb N133 Podocarpus falcatus (-unb) Mirb. Podocarpaceae Tree N134
Polystichum transvaalense N.C. Anthony Aspleniaceae Herb N135
Premna schimperi Engl. Lamiaceae Shrub N136 Prunus africana (Hook.
f.) Kalkm. Rosaceae Tree N137 Rhamnus prinoides L’Herit. Rhamnaceae
Shrub N138 Rhamnus staddo A.Rich. Rhamnaceae Shrub N139 Rhus
glutinosa A.Rich. Subsp. neoglutinosa (Gilbert) Anacardiaceae Shrub
EN140 Rosa abyssinica Lindley Rosaceae Shrub N141 Rubia cordifolia
L. Rubiaceae Climber N142 Rubus apetalus Poir. Rosaceae Shrub N143
Rubus niveus -unb. Rosaceae Shrub N144 Rubus steudneri Schweinf.
Rosaceae Shrub N145 Rumex abyssinicus Jacq. Polygonaceae Herb N146
Rumex nepalensis Spreng. Polygonaceae Herb N147 Salvia nilotica
Jacq. Lamiaceae Herb N148 Satureja abyssinica (Benth.) Briq.
Lamiaceae Herb N149 Satureja paradoxa (Vatke) Engl.ex A.Seybold
Lamiaceae Herb EN150 Satureja imbricata (Forssk.) Briq. Lamiaceae
Shrub N151 Satureja punctata (Benth.) Briq. Lamiaceae Shrub N152
Scabiosa columbaria L. Dipsacaceae Herb N153 Scolopia theiofolia
Gilg Flacourtiaceae Tree N154 Sida schimperiana Hochst. ex A.Rich.
Malvaceae Shrub N155 Sida tenuicarpa Vollesen Malvaceae Shrub N156
Smilax aspera L. Smilacaceae Climber N157 Solanecio gigas (Vatke)
C. Jeffrey Asteraceae Shrub EN158 Solanum indicum L. Solanaceae
Shrub N159 Solanum marginatum L.f. Solanaceae Shrub N160 Solanum
nigrum L. Solanaceae Herb N161 Sonchus asper (L.)Hill Asteraceae
Herb N162 Sonchus bipontini Asch. Asteraceae Herb N163 Spergularia
rubra (L.) J. and C. Presl. Caryophyllaceae Herb N164 Stephania
abyssinica (Dillon et A.Rich.)Walp Menispermaceae Herb N165
Syzygium guineense Myrtaceae Tree N166 Tagetes minuta L. Asteraceae
Herb N167 :ymus schimperi Ronniger Lamiaceae Herb EN168 Trifolium
acaule Steud. ex A. Rich. Fabaceae Herb N169 Trifolium
rueppellianum Fresen. Fabaceae Herb N170 Trifolium semipilosum
Fresen. Fabaceae Herb N171 Uebelinia abyssinica Hochst.
Caryophyllaceae Herb N172 Urtica simensis Steudel Urticaceae Herb
EN173 Verbascum sinaiticum Benth. Scrophulariaceae Shrub N174
Vernonia adoensis Sch. Bip ex Wolp Asteraceae Shrub N175 Vernonia
amygdalina Del. Asteraceae T/S N176 Vernonia filigera Oliv. and
Hiern Asteraceae Shrub N177 Vernonia leopoldi (Sch. Bip.) Vatke
Asteraceae Shrub EN178 Veronica persica Chiov. Scrophulariaceae
Herb N179 Vicia sativa L. Fabaceae Climber NNotes: EN� endemic;
N�native; EX� exotic; NR�naturally regenerated; P� planted.
6 International Journal of Forestry Research
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-e similarity in species composition of land-use typeswas above
0.50 except between natural forest and riverineforest (0.35) having
low similarity. Comparatively, there washigh similarity (0.74)
between natural forest and degradedland (Table 3). -e total density
of woody species in EntotoMountain and its surrounding area was
3374 stems/ha. Inthe study area, the highest density of species was
recordedfor Eucalyptus globulus, which was 952 individuals/ha.
-efirst highest density of naturally regenerated woody specieswas
contributed by Juniperus procera (369 individuals/ha)
followed by Carissa spinarum which makes up 304 indi-viduals/ha.
-e least dense species in the study area wereFicus sur, Millettia
ferruginea, Croton macrostachyus, andPrunus africana each
contributing 1–6 individuals/ha (Ta-ble 4).-is may be attributed to
the ecological suitability andanthropogenic impacts as the study
area is the margin of thecapital city of Ethiopia.
-e frequency gives an approximate indication of thehomogeneity
and heterogeneity of a stand.-e most frequentwoody species in the
study site was Juniperus procera (90.3%)followed by Eucalyptus
globulus and Rosa abyssinica (Table 5).-ismay be attributed to the
deliberate plantation and naturalregeneration of Juniperus procera
for the greening of the cityof Addis Ababa. Naturally, the area is
classified under dryAfromontane forest ecosystem where the Juniper
is mostdominant. Moreover, Eucalyptus globulus was originally
in-troduced in the 19th century to solve the problem of fuelwoodand
construction material for the surrounding people aroundthe Entoto
mountain chain.
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Climber Herb Shrub Tree T/S Total numberof species
Num
ber o
f spe
cies
Growth form
EPFPAFNAF
DELRV
Figure 2: Number of species and growth form in different
land-use types. Note: the same species were counted repeatedly in
five land-usetypes.
Table 2: Shannon, evenness, Simpson’s indices and species
richness for the land-use categories.
Land-use category No. of plots Total area(ha) No. of
individuals/haSpeciesrichness
Shannon diversityindex
Evennessindex Simpson (1−D)
Riverine vegetation 4 0.16 5256 39 2.92 0.47 0.91Natural forest
9 0.36 3761 42 2.92 0.44 0.91Plantation forest 13 0.52 3073 45 2.85
0.38 0.91Eucalyptus plantation forest 25 1.0 3642 63 2.60 0.21
0.83Degraded land 11 0.44 2118 15 1.48 0.29 0.58Total 62 2.48 3373
78 2.96 0.25 0.89
Table 3: Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity in species
composition ofthe five land-use types.
Land-use category EPF NAF PAF DELNAF 0.54 — — —PAF 0.61 0.52 —
—DEL 0.60 0.74 0.60 —RV 0.678 0.35 0.61 0.69
International Journal of Forestry Research 7
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3.2. Regeneration Status in the Study Area. Composition
anddensity of seedlings and saplings would indicate the status
ofregeneration in the study area. Information on the regen-eration
status 72 species was naturally regenerated in thestudy area. A
total of 55 species were represented in theseedling class, and the
total seedling density of naturallyregenerated woody species was
2876 individuals’ ha−1. -esapling class was composed of 42 species;
the total saplingdensity of naturally regenerated woody species was
3363individuals’ ha−1. A total of 68 woody species were
repre-sented in the mature tree/shrub class and the total
maturetree and shrub density was 4645 individuals ha −1. -e
resultshowed that the floristic composition and density of
thespecies were varying; there were seedlings or saplings ofOlinia
rochetiana, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, andPrunus africana
while lacked mature woody species. -ismight suggest that there were
exploitations of mature in-dividuals in the study area. -e
composition, distribution,and density of seedlings and saplings of
selected speciesindicate the future status of the forest.
Composition of
seedling population perishes before reaching sapling stagedue to
browsing, grazing, and trampling by wild and do-mestic animals.
Moreover, seedlings are more vulnerable toenvironmental hazards and
biotic factors especially at theearly stages of seedling
establishment [21].
-e ratio of woody species seedlings to mature tree/shrub (0.62 :
1), seedlings to saplings (0.76 : 1), and sap-lings to mature
tree/shrub (0.81 : 1) showed the distri-bution of more mature
tree/shrub population than that ofseedling and saplings. Potential
causes of seedling mor-tality include abiotic stresses such as
shade, drought, andtrampling, and biotic influences such as
herbivory, rootcompetition lack of safe site for seed recruitment,
natureof seeds of certain trees which seek dormancy period,
litteraccumulation, pathogens, species specificity, and mois-ture
stress or probably they might have other alternativeadaptations for
propagation and reproduction rather thanseed germination [21].
-erefore, additional work andconsecutive monitoring of the natural
regeneration in thestudy area are needed; particularly, the status
of soil seed
Table 4: Density of selected woody species in the study
area.
Species nameSpecies density in different land-use types
EPF NAF PAF DEL RV Total RDAcacia abyssinica 22 44 75 82 13 46
1.4Asparagus africanus 83 11 25 68 31 54 1.6Bersama abyssinica 31
39 27 0 25 25 0.8Carissa spinarum 268 625 154 0 1125 304
9.0Clematis simensis 3 14 0 0 0 3 0.1Clutia lanceolata 2 0.06 0 0
12.5 2.42 0.07Croton macrostachyus 0 14 0 0 0 2 0.1Dovyalis
abyssinica 20 167 23 20 213 54 1.6Dovyalis verrucosa 15 0 0 0 50 9
0.3Ekebergia capensis 6 31 17 0 81 16 0.5Erica arborea 42 0 23 0 0
22 0.6Erythrina brucei 2 3 10 0 0 3 0.1Eucalyptus globulus 1362 261
412 1339 644 952 28.2Ficus sur 1 0.02 0 0 0 0.81 0.02Ficus vasta 1
0 0 0 0 0.40 0.01Hagenia abyssinica 0 0 25 0 0 5 0.2Jasminum stans
34 83 23 0 138 40 1.2Juniperus procera 321 706 281 180 719 369
10.9Lippia adoensis 11 25 15 0 69 16 0.5Maesa lanceolata 33 56 0 0
75 26 0.8Maytenus arbutifolia 20 222 15 0 125 52 1.5Myrsine
Africana 29 142 15 0 138 44 1.3Myrsine melanophloeos 21 0 0 23 19
14 0.4Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata 2 0.06 0 0 12.5 2.42
0.07Olinia rochetiana 24 39 40 0 119 31 0.9Pentas lanceolata 8 14
10 0 50 10 0.3Podocarpus falcatus 0 0 0 0 94 6 0.2Prunus africana 0
0 4 0 38 3 0.1Rhamnus staddo 0 0 4 0 56 4 0.1Rosa abyssinica 143 94
102 132 313 136 4.0Rubus apetalus 20 28 0 0 38 15 0.4Satureja
punctata 11 0 25 0 0 10 0.3Sida schimperiana 70 0 110 68 0 63
1.9Smilax aspera 26 83 0 0 0 23 0.7Vernonia amygdalina 12 50 29 0 0
18 0.5Vernonia leopoldi 106 122 96 111 75 105 3.1
8 International Journal of Forestry Research
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banks has to be investigated to recognize whether or
notregeneration potential, other than seedlings and
saplings,survives.
-e plantations have been subjected to natural andhuman-induced
disturbances, which resulted in their deg-radation or complete
destruction.-e loss of forest results insoil erosion, land
degradation, loss of biodiversity, andimpoverishment of ecosystems.
In most of the woody plantsin dry Afromontane forests, the lack of
persistent soil seedbanks affects the formation of populations of
seedlings onthe forest floor [22]. Natural disturbances and human
ex-ploitation, such as careful selective cutting, may
promoteregeneration of the Eucalyptus globulus. However,
excessiveexploitation of species or clearing and conversion of
theforest areas into permanent cultivation will eliminate orreduce
the species composition and density especially (de-graded land). -e
absence of soil seed banks and seedlingsand removal of mature trees
as well as their stumps and rootscoupled with poor long-distance
dispersal will have severeconsequences on the regeneration of the
woody vegetation.-is implies that the future existence of tropical
dry ever-green Afromontane forests depends on the protection
and
conservation of the remaining patches of forests [8].
EntotoMountain and its surrounding area are characterized by
highdensity of naturally regenerated woody species. -us,
thenaturally regenerated woody species are in a good state
ofregeneration. Juniperus procera, Carissa spinarum,
Rosaabyssinica, andMyrsine africana are species with the
highestdensity of naturally regenerating woody plants than
theremaining woody species in the study area. Similar findingswere
reported in the study conducted by Debushe [23]. -eprobable reason
for high density of Rosa abyssinica andMyrsine africana may be due
to their resistance to browsingby wild or domestic animals and its
low household andeconomic uses.
Earlier works have shown that the presence or absence
ofunderstory vegetation in a plantation is a factor of thedensity
of the stand, the rainfall regime, and managementthan their origin
(reference). Eucalyptus plantations havebeen existed for centuries
without affecting the regenerationpotential of some selected
species like Rosa abyssinica, Rubusapetalus, Carissa spinarum,
Juniperus procera, Maytenusarbutifolia, Maesa lanceolata, Myrsine
africana, Laggeratomentosa, Satureja punctata, Dovyalis abyssinica,
andVernonia leopoldi in the study area.-is would contribute tothe
rehabilitation of degraded lands partly by increasingplant
biodiversity particularly, shrubs, climbers, and lianas.On top of
this, less dense stands of Eucalyptus globulusharbors more
regenerated plant species than the high densestands of Eucalyptus
globulus. In fact, human disturbance,such as collection of
firewood, animal grazing, farming, andother activities, reduces
considerably the regenerationprocess in Eucalyptus plantation
forest.
Many authors [6, 7, 23] described that Eucalyptus can actas
succession catalysts, facilitating the recolonization ofnative
flora through their influence on understory micro-climate and soil
fertility which is in agreement with thepresent finding.
A study made by Debushe [23] clearly demonstrated thatthere is a
seed source in the vicinity; establishment of forestplantations can
help not only to provide wood for variouspurposes, rehabilitate
degraded lands, and conserve soil andwater but also to catalyze
natural regeneration of shrubs,climbers and lianas, and some tree
species, thereby en-hancing plant biodiversity. A study conducted
in similarareas is in agreement with the findings of the present
study[24].
4. Conclusion and Recommendations
Entoto Mountain and its surrounding area are characterizedby
high density of naturally regenerated woody species andrelatively
in good state of regeneration. From the presentstudy, a total of
179 plant species were recorded andidentified. Of which, Asteraceae
(30 species) was the mostdominant family followed by Fabaceae. Of
the total, 77species were woody plant species. Some of these
woodyplants which dominantly occur in the study area
includeEucalyptus globulus, Eucalyptus camaldulensis,
Casuarinaequisetifolia, Juniperus procera, and Cupressus
lusitanica. Ingeneral, the study area provides important economic
and
Table 5: Frequency and relative frequency of selected
species.
Species name Frequency Relative frequencyAcacia abyssinica 40.32
2.75Asparagus africanus 51.61 3.52Bersama abyssinica 22.58
1.54Carissa spinarum 8.06 0.55Clematis simensis 6.45 0.44Clutia
lanceolata 12.9 0.88Croton macrostachyus 1.61 0.11Dovyalis
abyssinica 40.32 2.75Dovyalis verrucosa 8.00 0.55Ekebergia capensis
22.58 1.54Erica arborea 16.13 1.10Erythrina brucei 8.00
0.55Eucalyptus globulus 72.58 4.96Ficus sur 3.22 0.22Ficus vasta
1.61 0.11Hagenia abyssinica 11.29 0.77Jasminum stans 25.81
1.76Juniperus procera 90.32 6.17Lippia adoensis 24.19 1.65Maesa
lanceolata 32.26 2.20Maytenus arbutifolia 32.26 2.20Myrsine
africana 25.81 1.76Myrsine melanophloeos 16.00 1.09Olea europaea
subsp. cuspidata 12.9 0.88Olinia rochetiana 40.32 2.75Pentas
lanceolata 32.26 2.20Podocarpus falcatus 1.61 0.11Prunus africana
9.68 0.66Rhamnus staddo 8.06 0.55Rosa abyssinica 80.65 5.51Rubus
apetalus 16.13 1.10Satureja punctata 12.90 0.88Sida schimperiana
8.06 0.55Smilax aspera 24.19 1.65Vernonia amygdalina 6.45
0.44Vernonia leopoldi 40.32 2.75
International Journal of Forestry Research 9
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social value to the rural communities living around the area,by
its attraction to domestic and international tourists. Tominimize
the present human influence on the area and forthe future
management of the area in a sustainable manner,conservation and
management activities should be imme-diately implemented by the
responsible stakeholders such asEnvironmental Protection Authority,
Ethiopian BiodiversityInstitute, Forest Research Center, Forest,
Environment andClimate Change Commission, and other
institutionsworking on the related issues.
Participatory management programmes should be in-troduced and
implemented to protect locally threatened andthe most economically
important species from local ex-tinction. Some of the species of
conservation concern in thearea include Croton macrostachyus, Ficus
sur, Ficus vasta,Olea europaea L. subsp. cuspidata, Hagenia
abyssinica,Podocarpus falcatus, and Prunus africana.
Raising public awareness on the use, conservation, andmanagement
of plant resources and vegetation is very im-portant through
extension programmes. Moreover, it ishighly required by the
responsible bodies to explore in-digenous knowledge and other
ethnobotanical matters onthe diverse uses of plant resources to
promote the sus-tainable use of the plant resources aroundMount
Entoto andthe surroundings of Addis Ababa City.
Data Availability
All the data were obtained from field survey and are open
toreaders.
Conflicts of Interest
All the authors have declared that there are no conflicts
ofinterest.
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