It has been reported that changes to miombo woodland ecosystems through conversion to other land uses alter tree species diversity and soil properties. The aim was to assess whether the Important Value Index (IVI), Shannon- Wiener diversity index ( H' ), and soil chemical properties differ between land uses in the Kibutuka miombo woodland ecosystem. IVI and H' were used to indicate tree species dominance and diversity. Statistical analyses were performed in R software. IVI of Brachystegia was significantly ( p < 0.05) higher in the intact forest than in the combined land uses, while tree species of the genera Combretum , Milletia , and Diplorhynchus had significantly ( p < 0.05) higher IVI in combined land uses than in the intact forest. The intact forest had significantly ( p < 0.05) higher diversity than the degraded and agricultural lands. The intact forest had significantly ( p < 0.05) higher soil Ca 2+ , K + , and Na + than combined land uses. Soil C, N, and P were significantly ( p < 0.05) higher in intact forests than in the degraded forest. Degradation seen at a landscape scale for vegetation parameters, but not for soil parameters, indicates that the land use change taking place in the Kibutuka miombo woodland ecosystem is recent and the degradation seen in vegetation is still not reflected in the soil properties.
KeywordsDegradationDominanceMiombo WoodlandsSoil Chemical Properties
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