Churchyards as Ecological Refuges: Biodiversity and Regeneration in Urban matrix of Hadiya Landscapes

This study evaluated the woody plant composition, structure, and regeneration dynamics within churchyards in the urban matrix of Hadiya landscapes, to assess their contribution to local biodiversity. Floristic surveys conducted within selected churchyards identified a total of 50 woody plant species belonging to 44 genera and 33 families. The family Fabaceae was the most dominant, contributing 6 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae, Myrthiaceae, and Rhamnaceae. Overall, the diversity of woody species was found to be medium, while the evenness of species distribution was low, indicating that a few species dominate the community. Analysis of the woody plant population structure revealed a high density of Eucalyptus species, a limited density of mature trees, and skewed distributions of saplings and seedlings, with a high number of seedlings of few species, suggesting potential challenges for the regeneration of other species. Furthermore, phytogeographical comparisons using Sorensen's similarity index demonstrated that the Hadiya landscape churchyards exhibit floristic dissimilarity when compared to other regional forests, highlighting their unique species composition. The findings of this study underscore the importance of these churchyards as reservoirs of local biodiversity within an altered landscape. However, they also emphasize the need for targeted conservation interventions to address species imbalances, promote the regeneration of diverse native species, and ensure the long-term ecological sustainability of these valuable green spaces.