The management of regeneration plays a vital role in sustainable forest practice by ensuring the future growing carbon stock and serving as an indicator of the forest condition of an area. In premises of the above-mentioned facts, the current study was conducted to investigate the population structure and regeneration status of woody species as an indicator for forest condition and to provide information on sustainable management of the woody plants in Chilimo-Gaji Forest. The data collection was done using a preferential sampling technique as a sampling design and a total of 36 plots with a size of 20 m × 20 m (400 m²) was laid out for the woody species. In each sample plot, all woody species seedling, sapling and mature tree/shrubs were counted and recorded. And their diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured at 1.5 from the ground with DBH ≥ 2.5 cm. A total of 42 species of vascular plants belonging to 34 genera and 28 families were recorded and identified from the 36 study plots. The total density of woody plant species in all the 36 sampled plots of the study area was 3328.47 individuals ha-¹. The total density of seedlings, saplings and trees/shrubs were 1743.75, 827.08 and 757.64 ha-¹, respectively. The regeneration status of individual tree species showed differences as 26% had good regeneration, 43% had fair regeneration, 7% had poor regeneration, 7% lacked regeneration, and 17% have appeared as newly regenerating. The cumulative species DBH class distribution of the study area was inverted J-shape distribution indicating stable population status or good regeneration status.

 

Key words: Chilimo-Gaji, Dry Afromontane, regeneration, vegetation structure.