NATURAL REGENERATION DIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF NATIVE TREE SPECIES UNDER MONO-CULTURE, MIXED- CULTURE PLANTATION AND NATURAL FOREST (Published)
The study purposed to evaluate the natural regeneration diversity, and composition under monoculture, mixed-culture plantation and nature reserve. A 100m x 100m plot was randomly laid in each area. Each plot was subdivided into 50m x50m and further divided into 10m x10m plot. Fifteen 10mx10m plots were randomly selected from each 50mx50m plot. The results showed that the natural regeneration and composition of native species were not significantly different (p>0.05) between the mixed and the monoculture plantation, and also between the mixed-culture and nature reserve, however, the species diversity and composition differed significantly (p<0.05) between the nature reserve and the monoculture plantation. Green Star species was highest in all the three areas whereas the Scarlet Star species was the least. None of the species enumerated was of global importance i.e. neither a Black Star nor Gold Star species. Blue Star species (Breviea leptosperma) was found only in the nature research. However, Scarlet, Red, Pink and Green Star species were found distributed proportionally across the three different areas.
Keywords: Monoculture, Natural regeneration, mixed-culture