Impact of Exotic Plantations and Harvesting Methods on the Regeneration of Indigenous Tree Species in Kibale Forest, Uganda

background

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, exotic tree plantations were established in hilltop grassland sites of the Kibale Forest Reserve. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many of these sites were selected for logging to encourage growth of native trees.

Research Goals & Methods

This study assesses the impact of both pitsawing and sawmilling of exotic species plantations on the colonization and regeneration of indigenous species. Tree enumeration was conducted within plots representing the different plantation types and harvesting methods in order to determine indigenous species richness and diversity.

Conclusions & Takeaways

The results showed higher number of tree species in the C. lusitanica and P. caribaea than in the Eucalytus. Pioneer, colonizing, and secondary forest species contributed significantly to the density of the regeneration in logged exotic tree plantations. Pitsawing and sawmilling had little influence on species richness, but pitsawing enhanced higher tree regeneration densities. The authors confer with other studies that C. lusitanica and P. caribaea could be used in afforestation, reforestation, and accelerated natural forest colonization given both proximity to natural forests with conducive nurse crop attributes and harvesting of the exotic species at maturity.