Plant species diversity and structure in tree plantations at Téné Protected Forest (Côte d’Ivoire)

This study assessed flora establishment in the exotic tree plantations. The old and young Tectona grandis L.f. plantations, mixed-species plantations (Tectona grandis, Gmelina arborea Roxb., Cedrela odorata L.) and a neighbouring unmanaged forest were inventoried in Téné Protected Forest. In each habitat type, all vascular plant species were recorded and tree species with diameter at breast height ≥ 10 cm were measured and counted. The conservation value was determined through the listing of rare, threatened or endemic species. The diversity, the structure, and aboveground biomass have been estimated for comparison. The results showed that, plant species richness and diversity decreased significantly from unmanaged forest to mixed-species plantations and Teak plantations, while, tree density, basal area and biomass were similar between the four habitat types. This study suggests that the value of forest plantations for plant diversity varies considerably depending on whether the exotic tree species are planted as mixed-species or monocultural plantations.