@article{aefs2024611,
author={{Kiptoo, Thomas Kiprotich and Kiyiapi, James L. and Sang, Francis K.},
title={Invasive <i>Acacia melanoxylon</i> Impedes Growth of Commercial Tree Species in the Adjoining Forest Stands in Nabkoi and Timboroa Forest (Kenya)},
journal={Applied Ecology and Forestry Science},
volume={6},
number={1},
pages={1--9},
year={2024},
url={https://pubs.sciepub.com/aefs/6/1/1},
abstract={Alien species invasion of the forest ecosystem may lead to structuring of the plant community structure. Invasive <i>Acacia</i> is one of the alien tree species in forests. The ecological relationship between <i>Acacia melanoxylon</i> invasion and forest ecology is not well understood in tropical humid forest ecosystems. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to determine the influence of <i>A. melanoxylon</i> on two commercial forest tree species (<i>Cupressus lusitanica</i> and <i>Pinus patula</i>)<i> </i>in a humid tropical forest (North Tinderet Forest, in Kenya). Transects measuring 500 m long were used for sampling the uninvaded and invaded sites. Along the transect, three 10 m กม 10 m plots were systematically placed at 235 m intervals to enable counting and recording of trees (density), measuring diameter at breast height (DBH)?>?1.3 m) as well as tree heights. The study established that the tree density, DBH and height of <i>Pinus patula</i> and <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i>, were significantly (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) higher at the non-invaded sites compared to the invaded sites. These findings suggest that <i>A. melanoxylon</i> invasion reduced the growths and establishment of commercial tree species. It is thus recommended that future studies on ecological conditions for growth of <i>A. melanoxylon</i> should be conducted in controlled environment through growth response measurements which was not possible under the current study. Invasion by <i>A. melanoxylon</i> reduce the growth of commercial plantation tree species (<i>Pinus patula</i> and <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i>) therefore strategies for controlling growth of the <i>A. melanoxylon</i> should be done. Future studies should investigate how the nutrient uptake by the commercial plantation tree species is influenced by <i>Acacia melanoxylon</i> density.},
doi={10.12691/aefs-6-1-1}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}