Abstract:
This study investigates the structure, species composition, and diversity of a section of the Kilengwe Forest in Tanzania. In order to
accomplish the proposed objectives, 18 plots of 20m× 20mwere randomly established in the forest and the number of tree species
in each plot was identified and counted. The most important families and species were determined using importance value indices
at the respective taxonomic levels. Diversity was measured using the Shannon-Wiener and Fisher alpha diversity indices. A total
of 276 stems/ha representing 93 species/ha within 26 families were documented from 0.72 ha. Fabaceae and Julbernadia globiflora
were the dominant family and species, respectively. Seventy-eight percent of the total species were rare.The average basal area of
the forest was 7.1m2/ha. The Shannon-Wiener index (4.02) and Fisher’s alpha diversity (35.5) indicated high species diversity within
the forest. The species-area and species-abundance curves revealed an escalating trend implying that more sampling efforts could
result in a higher number of species existing in the forest. The size class distribution displayed a reverse J-shaped pattern; however,
the larger size classes DBH >50 cm were not represented.The study suggests the necessity for anthropogenic disturbance control
as this is the major source of forest degradation in the studied area.
