scholarly journals The Role of Woody Plant Functional Traits for Sustainable Soil Management in the Agroforestry System of Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hana Tamrat Gebirehiwot ◽  
Alemayehu Abera Kedanu ◽  
Megersa Tafesse Adugna
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Agroforestry System ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Woody Plant Species ◽  
Sustainable Soil Management

A woody plant functional trait that directly affects its fitness and environment is decisive to ensure the success of an Agroforestry practice. Hence, recognizing the woody plant functional traits is very important to boost and sustain the productivity of the system when different plants are sharing common resources, like in Agroforestry system. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to understand how woody plant functional traits contribute to sustainable soil management in Agroforestry system and to give the way forward in the case of Ethiopia. The contribution of woody plant species in improving soil fertility and controlling soil erosion is attributed by litter accumulation rate and the season, decomposability and nutrient content of the litter, root physical and chemical trait, and spread canopy structure functional trait. However, spread canopy structure functional trait is used in coffee based Agroforestry system, while with management in Parkland Agro forestry System. Woody species of Agroforestry system added a significant amount of soil TN, OC, Av.P, K, Na, Ca, and Mg nutrients to the soil. Woody plant species of Agroforestry system and their functional traits are very important to ensure sustainable soil management. Thus, further investigation of the woody plant functional traits especially the compatibility of trees with cops is needed to fully utilize the potential of woody species for sustainable soil management practice.

Variation in woody plant functional traits of the tropical cloud forests in Bawangling, Hainan Island

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
康勇 KANG Yong ◽  
熊梦辉 XIONG Menghui ◽  
黄瑾 HUANG Jin ◽  
龙文兴 LONG Wenxing ◽  
杨小波 YANG Xiaobo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Hainan Island ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Cloud Forests

scholarly journals Woody Species Diversity, Vegetation Structure, and Regeneration Status of the Moist Afromontane Forest of Agama in Southwestern Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Abyot Dibaba ◽  
Teshome Soromessa ◽  
Alemayehu Kefalew ◽  
Admassu Addi
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Systematic Sampling ◽  
Woody Plant Species ◽  
Regeneration Status ◽  
Southwestern Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Agama Forest in Kafa Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia, to assess species diversity, vegetation structure, and regeneration status of woody species. A systematic sampling technique was employed to collect vegetation data. Sixty (60) sample plots of 25 m × 25 m were laid at 300 m intervals all along ten grids interspaced 800 m apart. Sample plots of 25 m × 25 m were used to record DBH and H of all woody plant species reaching a DBH >2.5 cm and height >2 m. For the inventory of seedling and sapling, two subplots of 2 m × 5 m were used at the beginning and the end of the baseline on opposite sides of the main quadrat. Vegetation data such as DBH, height, seedling, and sapling density of woody species were recorded in each plot. Altogether, 72 woody plant species of 65 genera and 35 families were identified. Analysis of selected tree species showed diverse population structures. This study showed that small trees and shrubs dominated the Agama Forest, which revealed its status under a secondary regeneration stage. Study on the structure and regeneration of some woody species indicated that there are species that require urgent conservation measures. Sound management and monitoring, as well as maintenance of biodiversity and cultural and economic values of the forest, require conservation activities that encourage sustainable uses of the forest and its products.

scholarly journals Background losses of woody plant foliage to insects show variable relationships with plant functional traits across the globe

2015 ◽  
Vol 103 (6) ◽  
pp. 1519-1528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikhail V. Kozlov ◽  
Vojtěch Lanta ◽  
Vitali Zverev ◽  
Elena L. Zvereva
Keyword(s):  
Functional Traits ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Plant Functional Traits ◽  
Plant Foliage

scholarly journals Rasgos morfológicos regenerativos en una comunidad de especies leñosas en un bosque seco tropical tumbesino

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 859 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Miguel Romero Saritama ◽  
César Pérez-Rúiz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Woody Plant Species

The study of functional morphological traits enables us to know fundamental aspects of the dynamics of plant communities in local and global habitats. Regenerative morphological traits play an important role in defining plant history and ecological behavior. Seed and fruit characteristics determine to a large extent the patterns for dispersal, germination, establishment and seedling recruitment a given species exhibits on its natural habitat. Despite their prominent role, seed and fruit traits have been poorly studied at the community level of woody plant species in neo-tropical dry forests. In the present study we aimed at i) evaluate the functional role of morphological traits of seeds, fruits and embryo in woody plant species; ii) determine which are the morphological patterns present in seeds collected from the community of woody species that occur in neo-tropical dry forests; and iii) compare woody plant species seed mass values comparatively between neo-tropical dry and tropical forests. To do so, mature seeds were collected from 79 plant species that occur in the Tumbesian forest of Southwest Ecuador. The studied species included the 42 and 37 most representative tree and shrubbery species of the Tumbesian forest respectively. A total of 18 morphological traits (seven quantitative and 11 qualitative) were measured and evaluated in the seeds, fruits and embryos of the selected species, and we compared the seeds mass with other forest types. Our results showed a huge heterogeneity among traits values in the studied species. Seed mass, volume and number were the traits that vary the most at the community level, i.e. seed length ranged from 1.3 to 39 mm, and seed width from 0.6 to 25 mm. Only six embryo types were found among the 79 plant species. In 40 % of the cases, fully developed inverted embryos with large and thick cotyledons to store considerable amount of nutrients were recorded. We concluded that highly variable and functionally complementary morphological traits occur among the studied woody plants of the dry Tumbesian forest. The latter favors a plethora of behavioral mechanisms to coexist among woody species of the dry forest in response to the environmental stress that is typical of arid areas.

scholarly journals Does avian gut passage favour seed germination of woody species of the Chaco Serrano Woodland in Argentina?

Botany ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 493-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Celeste Díaz Vélez ◽  
Ana Elisa Ferreras ◽  
Wesley Rodrigues Silva ◽  
Leonardo Galetto
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Woody Plant ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Frugivorous Birds ◽  
Woody Plant Species ◽  
Gut Passage ◽  
Chaco Serrano ◽  
Germination Speed ◽  
Dispersal Agents

Frugivorous birds are key dispersal agents of many plant species and also may facilitate seed germination after gut passage. However, the general effects of gut passage on seed germination are still not clear, with positive, negative, and neutral effects reported on seed germination. We evaluated seed germination of seven bird-dispersed plant species of the Chaco Serrano Woodland in Córdoba, Argentina: Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm., Condalia spp. Cav., Lantana camara L., Lithraea molleoides (Vell.) Engl., Lycium cestroides Schltdl., Schinus fasciculatus (Griseb.) I.M. Johnst., and Zanthoxylum coco Gillies. We compared germination percentages and germination speed among seeds ingested by birds, manually extracted seeds, and seeds from intact fruits to understand which mechanisms are acting on bird gut-passed seeds. For six plant species, the action of frugivorous birds increased seed germination percentages and germination speed, through scarification, deinhibition, or combined mechanisms. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms acting on seeds passed through bird gut. Also, we show the pivotal role that frugivorous birds exert on the seed germination of native woody plant species in the threatened ecosystem of the Chaco Serrano Woodland.

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