Assessment of woody species diversity and carbon Stock estimation along disturbance gradient in Afromontane forest south west ethiopia

Abstract

Human activities significantly affect forest ecosystems, particularly biodiversity and carbon sequestration. There is limited research in the study area regarding how species diversity, turnover, nestedness, and carbon stock respond to disturbance gradients, leaving critical ecological processes and patterns inadequately understood. This study assesses woody species diversity and carbon stock along a disturbance gradient in the Afromontane Forest, southwestern Ethiopia. A gradient based research design was employed for this study. Systematic transect lines were laid to collect vegetation data including species local name, diameter at breast height and height. Vegetation data and human disturbance data were collected from 45 plots of three forest compartments based on disturbance intensity. A total of 53 woody species were identified. Moderately disturbed areas exhibited the highest levels of species richness, abundance, and tree carbon stock, underscoring their ecological significance.