Resource assessment of Acacia seyal in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The alarming rate of the population growth is causing the decline of the forest cover in Ethiopia. This is due to the unmanaged destruction of tree species found in scattered on farmlands for fuelwood and charcoal production. The distribution of Acacia seyal and their current regeneration status was evaluated based on the A. seyal structure on the farmlands. The study was conducted in the selected sites in Eastern Amhara with an aim to assess the resource potential of A. seyal. The field survey was conducted to collect vegetation data using point center quarter methods. The Shannon Weiner Diversity Index was used to see the diversity across the study sites. The result showed that the sites vary in the density of A. seyal per hectare, diversity and species richness. A. seyal structure in all study sites showed an inverted J-shape except Lastie-Gerdao (Gubalafeto). The result of this study indicated that almost in all sites, there is no promising regeneration status of A. seyal. Thus, it needs conservation measures, sustainable utilization, and management of the resource.