TITLE:
Glade and Forest-Edge Plant Community Attributes for Three Glade Types in Arusha National Park, Tanzania
AUTHORS:
Ladislaus W. Kahana, Gerard Malan, Teresa J. Sylvina
KEYWORDS:
Forest Glade-Edge, Glade Interior, Plant Indicator Species, Plant Species Diversity, Plant Species Richness
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
18,
2022
ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to compare glade and
forest-glade edge plant community attributes for man-made, upper and lower
natural glades. Two plots were set up in twelve glades at 2.5, 12.5 m and three
plots in thirteen glades at 2.5, 12.5 and 22.5 m depending on the size of the
glade. The results showed that plants total abundance, percentage basal cover,
species richness and species diversity for upper and lower natural glades
differed significantly p -4.51, p
χ2 = 15.95, df = 4, p Eleusine jaegeri, Heterogon contortus, Senna mimisoides, Digitaria scalarum, Clutia abyssinica) were habitat indicators for disturbed areas, wet humid
grey/black clay soils for upper natural glades and three (Solanum incanum, Senna didymobotrya, and Pennistem mezianum, were indicators of
overgrazed areas and black clay soils for man-made glades. In conclusion, plant
species abundance, richness and diversity were highest at the forest-glade edge
and decreased towards the glade interior, while plant species composition
differed significantly between the three-glade types. The plant growth form for
lower natural glades was associated with forest-glade edge and glade interior.