Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia

Plants have the ability to change their morphological and physiological traits in response to environmental variations. The objective of this study was to determine the intraspecific morphological variations among the populations of M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana in southwest Eth...

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Main Authors: Mohammed Adefa Seid, Yigardu Mulatu Mengesha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:International Journal of Forestry Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/9335428
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author Mohammed Adefa Seid
Yigardu Mulatu Mengesha
author_facet Mohammed Adefa Seid
Yigardu Mulatu Mengesha
author_sort Mohammed Adefa Seid
collection DOAJ
description Plants have the ability to change their morphological and physiological traits in response to environmental variations. The objective of this study was to determine the intraspecific morphological variations among the populations of M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana in southwest Ethiopia. Representative forests were systematically selected, and a total of ten transects of 160 m length were randomly laid at 100 m intervals, and 30 quadrats (20 m by 20 m) were laid along each transect line at 50 m intervals. Stem height, DBH, and bole length of trees for each species were measured in each quadrat. The intraspecific morphological variations among populations of each species were computed using hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) with R.4.1.3. A total of 55 trees for M. excelsa in four forests, 232 trees for P. adolfi-friedericii in eight forests, and 184 trees for P. africana in five forests were measured. Accordingly, three, five, and three population clusters were identified for M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana, respectively. The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) indicated the presence of considerable dissimilarity among population clusters for M. excelsa and P. africana but was not significant at p≤0.05 (R = 0.9, p=0.17). However, ANOSIM indicated the presence of considerable dissimilarity among population clusters of P. adolfi-freidericii, which was significant at p≤0.05 (R = 0.9, p=0.03). Overall, there was a visible morphological variability among the populations of M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana each at the different sites. Therefore, it is important to look for conservation strategies, such as domestication, to maintain and improve the variability and genetic quality among the populations in a wider scale of the ecological and social environment.
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spelling doaj-art-25b73431fc04403aba231d1d1378439f2025-02-03T05:57:38ZengWileyInternational Journal of Forestry Research1687-93762022-01-01202210.1155/2022/9335428Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest EthiopiaMohammed Adefa Seid0Yigardu Mulatu Mengesha1Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD)Ethiopian Forestry Development (EFD)Plants have the ability to change their morphological and physiological traits in response to environmental variations. The objective of this study was to determine the intraspecific morphological variations among the populations of M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana in southwest Ethiopia. Representative forests were systematically selected, and a total of ten transects of 160 m length were randomly laid at 100 m intervals, and 30 quadrats (20 m by 20 m) were laid along each transect line at 50 m intervals. Stem height, DBH, and bole length of trees for each species were measured in each quadrat. The intraspecific morphological variations among populations of each species were computed using hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) with R.4.1.3. A total of 55 trees for M. excelsa in four forests, 232 trees for P. adolfi-friedericii in eight forests, and 184 trees for P. africana in five forests were measured. Accordingly, three, five, and three population clusters were identified for M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana, respectively. The analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) indicated the presence of considerable dissimilarity among population clusters for M. excelsa and P. africana but was not significant at p≤0.05 (R = 0.9, p=0.17). However, ANOSIM indicated the presence of considerable dissimilarity among population clusters of P. adolfi-freidericii, which was significant at p≤0.05 (R = 0.9, p=0.03). Overall, there was a visible morphological variability among the populations of M. excelsa, P. adolfi-friedericii, and P. africana each at the different sites. Therefore, it is important to look for conservation strategies, such as domestication, to maintain and improve the variability and genetic quality among the populations in a wider scale of the ecological and social environment.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/9335428
spellingShingle Mohammed Adefa Seid
Yigardu Mulatu Mengesha
Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
International Journal of Forestry Research
title Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
title_full Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
title_fullStr Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
title_short Intraspecific Morphological Variations among the Populations of Milicia excelsa, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii, and Prunus africana in Different Natural Forests of Southwest Ethiopia
title_sort intraspecific morphological variations among the populations of milicia excelsa pouteria adolfi friedericii and prunus africana in different natural forests of southwest ethiopia
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/9335428
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