The Study of Plant Communities and Floristic Composition around Senkele Faris, West Shewa Zone of Oromia National Regional State, Central Ethiopia

The Study of Plant Communities and Floristic Composition around Senkele Faris, West Shewa Zone of Oromia National Regional State, Central Ethiopia This study was conducted around Senkele Faris, West Shewa Zone of Oromia Regional State. The objective of this study was to compile floristic composition and community types. Fifty two, 20 m x 20 m quadrates were selected and all the plants in the quadrates were recorded. The cover abundance values were estimated. DBH, height, and density count for woody species in all the quadrates were registered. A total of 110 species belonging to 98 genera and 48 families were recorded from 52 sample plots and identified at the National Herbarium (ETH), Addis Ababa University. The Asteraceae family was represented by the highest number of species (16) followed by Fabaceae (13) and Poaceae (8). Five community types were identified and described. The plant communities were named after two or three of the dominant species and/or characteristic species selected by their synoptic value. The plant community differed in species diversity, frequency of occurrence and botanical composition of species. The Rosa abyssinica-Galium aparinoides community type had the highest species diversities whereas Vernonia amygdalin-Erythrina brucei-Juniperus procera and Bidens pilosa - Microlepia strigosa - Capparis tomentosacommunities had the lowest. Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were computed to measure species diversity and it revealed that species diversity is high in communities 1, 5, 4, 2 and 3 respectively. This is probably due to high rate of disturbance in the communities.