Floristic Composition, Vegetation Structure, and Regeneration Status of Abachew Abuye Monstery Forest in Jabihtenan District, West Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abachew Abuye Monastery Forest (AAMF) is one of the Monastery Forest of Ethiopia that has significant contribution for the protection and sustainability of different plant species. Therefore, this study aimed to quantitatively assess the floristic composition, structural attributes, and regeneration status within the AAMF. To achieve this, a systematic sampling design was employed for vegetation and environmental data acquisition. Within the forest, 52 plots (20 m × 20 m) were established for the inventory of woody species. Subplots of 5 m × 5 m, located at the four corners and center of each main quadrat, were used to sample seedling and sapling populations. Furthermore, herbaceous species diversity and abundance were assessed within smaller, nested subplots of 2 m × 2 m. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′) was calculated based on the collected species data. Following field data collection and initial analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on the species composition data to delineate distinct vegetation assemblages within the forest. Subsequently, canoical correspondence analysis (CCA) method was used to analyze the relationships between community and environmental variables. DBH, density, and basal area were used to analyze vegetation structure. A total of 88 plant species, were recorded from AAMF that belong to 52 families and 74 genera. Notably, 8 of these recorded species (9.09%) were endemic to Ethiopia. Three distinct plant community types were identified, displaying an overall Shannon diversity of 3.64 and an evenness of 0.81. The significant environmental variables were altitude, organic matter, moisture content, pH, and Sandyness. The forest had relatively good diversity, evenness basal area and fair regeneration status. To sustain this ecosystem, continuous monitoring, reduced anthropogenic disturbances, and collaborative conservation efforts by local communities, religious institutions, and stakeholders are essential.