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; talemos.seta@yahoo.com

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:talemos.seta@yahoo.comhttps://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

-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

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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

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Figure 1: Map of the study area (samples were taken from Gullele and Yeka, EMA, 2018).

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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Climber Herb Shrub Tree T/S Total numberof species

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ber o

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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

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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

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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

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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