Munessa forest is one of the undifferentiated afromontane forests in Ethiopia and that has threatened by deforestation, open grazing system and illegal logging operations. This study aimed to estimate the forest stand structure, tree species composition and diversity of tree species and regeneration status in Munessa natural forest. Vegetation data were collected from 54 plots of 20 m x 20 m for trees and 162 subplots of 5 m x 5 m for seedlings and saplings laid along six parallel transect lines. Floristic structure, basal area (BA), Importance value index (IVI) and species prioritization were analyzed using spreadsheet programs. Correlation coefficients, vegetation classification, Shannon diversity index and evenness were analyzed using RStudio 3.2.2. A total of 61 tree species (41 families) were recorded. Fabaceae was the most dominant family represented by four species followed by Oleaceae and Rutaceae, each having three species. The hierarchical cluster analysis revealed four community types, of which Syzygium guineense -Croton macrostachyus community type, exhibited the highest species diversity and evenness. The Shannon diversity and evenness index for the entire study area was 2.6 and 0.39 respectively. The correlation between elevation and species richness was negative and insignificant (r = -0.545, p < 0.05). The densities of seedlings, saplings and mature trees were 6,934, 1,686 and 481 individuals per ha respectively. This indicated that the regeneration status was significantly lower compared to other similar sites. The total BA of the forest was 91.75 m 2 per ha and its IVI ranged from 0.62 for Calpurnia aurea (Ait.) Benth. to 70.29 for Podocarpus falcatus (Thumb.) R.B.ex.Mirb. The estimated values of forest structure and regeneration status of the forest indicated that there was a huge disturbance induced by open grazing and illegal tree cutting. Therefore participatory forest management strategies need to be implemented to protect the forest sustainably.
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