Quantifying shrub encroachment through soil seed bank analysis in the Ethiopian highlands.

Autor: Shambel Alemu Chengere, Cara Steger, Kflay Gebrehiwot, Sisay Wube, Bikila Warkineh Dullo, Sileshi Nemomissa
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: PLoS ONE, Vol 18, Iss 8, p e0288804 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1932-6203
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288804
Popis: This study aimed to understand the impact of shrub encroachment on native species in the Guassa Community Conservation Area in Ethiopia. We assessed the soil seed bank composition and density across different elevations and aspects, and management systems within the area. The vegetation was stratified and eight blocks were selected across a range of elevation (3350 m) and aspect (northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest). Within each block we established twenty 5m x 5m plots for a total of 160. We then collected soil samples from five subplots (1 m x 1 m) at three depths (0-3 cm, 3-6 cm and 6-9 cm) for a total of 480 samples, which were established in pots in greenhouse. We calculated species abundance by totaling the number of seedlings that emerged from each sample. To determine the variability in the abundance of Festuca macrophylla and Helichrysum splendidum in the soil seed bank along altitudinal gradient, we used two-way ANOVA using SAS statistical software version 9.0.1. Shannon diversity index was used to determine species diversity in the soil seedbank. After counting all the seeds, we identified 74 plant species represented in the soil seedbank which belong to 55 genera and 23 families. Eleven species are endemic to Ethiopia. At the lower elevation range, the effects of aspect (P
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals
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