Bog vegetation re-mapped after 63 and 103 years: expansion of Rhynchospora alba (Studies on Skagershultsmossen 2)

The vegetation in an area of the ombrotrophic bog Skagershultsmossen, South-Central Sweden, was mapped in 2010. The same area was previously surveyed in 1907 and 1970. Only small changes were found in 1970, in contrast to the situation in 2010, when a large shift in the vegetation was observed. The previously dominating vegetation type, lawns dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum, had more or less disappeared and was replaced by carpet vegetation dominated by Rhynchospora alba, Sphagnum tenellum and S. balticum. Also, the carpets dominated by Scheuchzeria palustris had decreased to a large extent. There are several possible climatic explanations behind the changes, and we suggest that increased frost action linked to the reduction in snow cover may be important. The shift in the vegetation has most certainly led to a decrease in peat productivity and, hence, a reduction in carbon sequestration by the bog is assumed. Skagershultsmossen is an important reference site for future studies of long-term vegetation changes

Bog vegetation re-mapped after 63 and 103 years: expansion of Rhynchospora alba (Studies on Skagershultsmossen 2)

The vegetation in an area of the ombrotrophic bog Skagershultsmossen, South-Central Sweden, was mapped in 2010. The same area was previously surveyed in 1907 and 1970. Only small changes were found in 1970, in contrast to the situation in 2010, when a large shift in the vegetation was observed. The previously dominating vegetation type, lawns dominated by Eriophorum vaginatum, had more or less disappeared and was replaced by carpet vegetation dominated by Rhynchospora alba, Sphagnum tenellum and S. balticum. Also, the carpets dominated by Scheuchzeria palustris had decreased to a large extent. There are several possible climatic explanations behind the changes, and we suggest that increased frost action linked to the reduction in snow cover may be important. The shift in the vegetation has most certainly led to a decrease in peat productivity and, hence, a reduction in carbon sequestration by the bog is assumed. Skagershultsmossen is an important reference site for future studies of long-term vegetation changes

Contribution of Participatory Forest Management Program in Non-Timber Forest Products to balance Livelihood Improvement and Conservation : a case of Sera Forest, Amigna District, Southern Ethiopia

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have a significant role as a local source of medicine, fiber, forage, and sustenance and offer income opportunities mainly in rural families. As sustainable use of NTFPs is imperative to provide ecosystem services and biological resources, this study focused on the identification and documentation of plant species used for NTFPs, their availability, and conservation status in Sera Forest, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The study applied a combination of plant ecological and ethnobotanical methods. Ethnobotanical data were gathered through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews which involved 206 randomly sampled general and 24 purposively selected key informants, group discussions, guided field walks, and market surveys. Data were analyzed and presented using analytical methods of ethnobotany, including descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor (ICF), and ranking. Species diversity, richness, and evenness were also computed using Shannon–Wiener diversity indices. A total of 137 plant species belonging to 49 families used as a source of NTFPs were documented from the study area. Eleven major use categories of the NTFPs were identified. Out of these, medicine, firewood, charcoal making, and construction materials were the most dominant uses requiring large volumes of NTFPs. Direct matrix ranking of plant species with multipurpose use revealed, that Hagenia abyssinica was ranked highest, followed by Olea europaea ssp cuspidata, Grewia mollis, Croton macrostachyus, Ximenia americana and Carissa spinarum. Local communities of the study area possess rich indigenous knowledge in the regulation of grazing and extraction of forest products, forest patrolling, firebreak clearance and maintenance, selective preservation of tree species and nursery activities focused on the restoration of indigenous woody species, which all help in using their natural resources for sustainable livelihood. Sera forest is rich in NTFP-bearing plants and associated indigenous conservation knowledge. However, nowadays illegal timber extraction, grazing, over-harvesting of NTFPs, farm expansion, and fire hazards are found to be threatening the plant resources, irrespective of the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) principles. Therefore, it is important to have strong evaluation and monitoring mechanisms for setting harvesting quantities and regulating types of collection. Besides developing a sense of ownership and responsibility, integrating their traditional forest management practices with modern conservation approaches is desirable for higher livelihood outcomes with lower environmental impacts

Diameter growth of trees in miombo and acacia woodland in an eroded landscape in NE Tanzania

Diameter increment of trees typical of miombo and acacia woodland was studied during a period of 20 years in Kondoa district, Tanzania. The study was performed in permanent plots in a severely degraded area subjected to considerable restoration efforts. A total of 15 species were selected from a database collected within a project for monitoring the landscape recovery. Growth performance of African woodland species was searched for in the literature for comparison, and a comprehensive list of citations was compiled. We found growth to fall within the range reported in earlier studies, although growth varied both between and within species. There are reports that the radial increments of trees are unimodal over their lifespan, but we found no clear support. In several species, the annual growth increased with stem diameter. Growth during the rainy ENSO year 1997/98 was pairwise compared with the preceding two years and was found to be significantly higher during the wet year, pointing to soil water as a limiting factor. We conclude that free development is an alternative to tree planting on marginal land