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Does the abundance of dominant trees affect diversity of a widespread tropical woodland ecosystem in Tanzania?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 June 2015

Deo D. Shirima ,
Ørjan Totland ,
Pantaleo K. T. Munishi  and
Stein R. Moe
Deo D. Shirima*
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
Ørjan Totland
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
Pantaleo K. T. Munishi
Affiliation:
Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture, P.O. Box 3010, Chuo Kikuu, Morogoro, Tanzania
Stein R. Moe
Affiliation:
Department of Ecology and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, 1432 Ås, Norway
*
1Corresponding author. Email: dshirima2@gmail.com
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Abstract:

Dominant woody species can determine the structure and composition of a plant community by affecting environmental conditions experienced by other species. We explored how dominant tree species affect the tree species richness, diversity, evenness and vertical structural heterogeneity of non-dominant species in wet and dry miombo woodlands of Tanzania. We sampled 146 plots from eight districts with miombo woodlands, covering a wide range of topographic and climatic conditions. We recorded 217 woody plant species belonging to 48 families and 122 genera. Regression analysis showed significant negative linear associations between tree species richness, relative species profile index of the non-dominant and the relative abundance of the dominant tree species (Brachystegia spiciformis and Brachystegia microphylla in wet, and Brachystegia spiciformis and Julbernardia globiflora in dry miombo woodlands). Shannon diversity and evenness had strong non-linear negative relationships with relative abundance of dominant tree species. A large number of small individual stems from dominant and non-dominant tree species suggesting good regeneration conditions, and intensive competition affecting survival. We suggest that dominant miombo tree species are suppressing the non-dominant miombo tree species, especially in areas with high recruitments, perhaps because of their important adaptive features (extensive root systems and ectomycorrhizal associations), which enhance their ability to access limited nutrients.

Keywords

coexistenceheterogeneityrichnessstructuretree species
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 31 , Issue 4 , July 2015 , pp. 345 - 359
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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