Effect of Slope Gradient on Vegetation Attributes of Ades Forest in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia

This study was conducted in the Ades forest of Western Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia, to analyze the woody vegetation structure, diversity, and regeneration across three slope gradients lower slope class LSC 10 , middle slope class MSC 10 20 , and upper slope class USC 20 30 . A total of 60 main plots 20 m × 20 m were randomly sampled, with sub plots designated for shrub, climber, and herbaceous species. Results showed significant P 0.05 effects of slope classes on woody species richness, diversity, evenness, and density. The study identified 65 woody species across 50 families, including 35 trees 53.85 , 26 shrubs 40 , and 4 climbers 6.15 . The average woody species density was 975.8 ha ¹, highest in USC 1251.25 ha ¹ , followed by MSC 928.75 ha ¹ and LSC 747.5 ha ¹ . Dominant species included Juniperus procera, Podocarpus falcatus, and Cupressus lucitanica. Species frequency decreased with increasing diameter classes, and total basal area varied by slope 8286.83 m² in LSC, 10908.51 m² in MSC, and 10026.22 m² in USC. Regeneration status was poor, with average density of 117.9 ha ¹ for seedlings 8.6 , 282.9 ha ¹ for saplings 20.5 , and 975.8 ha ¹ for mature trees 70.9 . LSC had 106.3 ha ¹ seedlings and 120 ha ¹ saplings, while MSC had 358 ha ¹ seedlings and 286 ha ¹ saplings, and USC had 747.5 ha ¹ seedlings and 928.8 ha ¹ saplings. Herbaceous dry biomass yield and basal cover were also affected by slope gradient, with LSC showing higher yields 1.22 ton ha ¹ and cover 75.95 as compared to MSC 1.09 ton ha ¹ dry biomass yield and 66.55 basal cover and USC 1.03 ton ha ¹ dry biomass yield and 64.35 basal cover . Overall, increasing slope gradient positively influenced woody species diversity but negatively impacted herbaceous biomass yield and basal cover. Human and livestock interventions pose significant challenges to vegetation structure. Effective ecological, socio economic, and policy measures are recommended for sustainable forest management. Melese Furgasa | Tolera Fikadu "Effect of Slope Gradient on Vegetation Attributes of Ades Forest in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-9 | Issue-6 , December 2025, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd98813.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.com/biological-science/ecology/98813/effect-of-slope-gradient-on-vegetation-attributes-of-ades-forest-in-western-hararghe-zone-of-oromia-ethiopia/melese-furgasa