Abstract
• The study assessed woody plant diversity and composition across agroforestry practices • Live-fences and home-gardens supported higher species richness of woody plants • Diversity indices indicated dominance of a few woody species in certain practices • Woody plant composition varied moderately among agroforestry practices On-farm tree resources sustain biodiversity, provide multiple products, and improve resilience of farming systems. Understanding the diversity and composition of on-farm tree resources is essential for designing tree-growing interventions, yet remains unexplored in many socio-ecological contexts. This study assessed the species composition and diversity of woody plants across agroforestry practices in Kalu district, Northeastern Ethiopia. A multistage random sampling was employed to select a total of 54 sample farms across two study sites (Lowland and Midland) to inventory woody plants in four agroforestry practices: agroforestry parklands, home-gardens, boundary live fences, and woodlot plantations. A total of 56 woody species were recorded across farmlands, of which 66% were native and 34% were exotic. Species richness and diversity differed significantly among agroforestry practices (p < 0.05), with home-gardens and live fences showing high average richness (5.85 and 4.33 species, respectively). Parklands supported lower diversity, while woodlots consistently showed the lowest richness and diversity. Home-gardens exhibited a significant trade-off between species richness and evenness (J = 0.61), driven by the dominance of Catha edulis and Eucalyptus spp. The results also highlight the overlooked role of boundary live fences in sustaining woody species diversity within farming systems. Multivariate analysis (ANOSIM, Global R = 0.39) indicated moderate compositional differences, driven by practice-specific dominance of woody species rather than complete species turnover. Overall, the study underscores the importance of integrating higher tree diversity across agroforestry practices and implementing targeted diversification strategies to enhance agrobiodiversity and livelihood outcomes in dryland agroecosystems.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Farmlands contained 56 woody species, 66% native and 34% exotic.
Verbatim
e0“A total of 56 woody species were recorded across farmlands, of which 66% were native and 34% were exotic.”
Claim · model-written summary
Woody species richness and diversity differed significantly among agroforestry practices.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Species richness and diversity differed significantly among agroforestry practices (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
Home-gardens had average woody species richness of 5.85 species.
Verbatim
e0“home-gardens and live fences showing high average richness (5.85 and 4.33 species, respectively)”
t0“tree resources”
Claim · model-written summary
Live fences had average woody species richness of 4.33 species.
Verbatim
e0“home-gardens and live fences showing high average richness (5.85 and 4.33 species, respectively)”
t0“tree resources”
Claim · model-written summary
Parklands supported lower woody plant diversity.
Verbatim
e0“Parklands supported lower diversity”
t0“tree resources”
Claim · model-written summary
Woodlots had the lowest woody plant richness and diversity.
Verbatim
e0“woodlots consistently showed the lowest richness and diversity”
t0“tree resources”
Claim · model-written summary
Home-gardens showed a significant richness-evenness trade-off with J = 0.61.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Home-gardens exhibited a significant trade-off between species richness and evenness (J = 0.61)”
t0“tree resources”
Claim · model-written summary
Catha edulis and Eucalyptus spp. dominated home-garden composition.
- Taxon
- Catha edulis
Catha edulise0 - Outcome
- dominancee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“driven by the dominance of Catha edulis and Eucalyptus spp.”
Claim · model-written summary
Woody species composition differed moderately among agroforestry practices, with ANOSIM Global R = 0.39.
Verbatim
e0“Multivariate analysis (ANOSIM, Global R = 0.39) indicated moderate compositional differences, driven by practice-specific dominance of woody species rather than complete species turnover.”
e1“Species richness and diversity differed significantly among agroforestry practices (p < 0.05)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend integrating higher tree diversity and targeted diversification across agroforestry practices.
Verbatim
e0“integrating higher tree diversity across agroforestry practices and implementing targeted diversification strategies to enhance agrobiodiversity and livelihood outcomes”