A Ecological Baseline Surveys Of: - Lake Bisina - Nature Uganda

Quadrats: Nested quadrats of standard sizes (trees 30 x 30 m, shrubs 15 x 15 m and herbs 2 x 2
m) were laid along these transects at an interval of 20m. Opportunistic sampling (visual estimates
with out plotting) was applied on micro habitats that lay outside the quadrats in order to capture as
much data as possible. The checklist generated will be used to set the ecological standards that
shall be used as the bench mark for future references.
Percentage cover: Percentage cover estimations were visual characterized under three strata
(layers) levels (trees, shrubs and herbs). All species encountered were recorded. The unidentified
species in the field were collected, given a unique reference number and taken to Makerere University
Herbarium (MHU) for identification.
4.1.7 Results
A total of 123 species from 94 genera and 43 families were recorded. Of these, 16 were trees, 21
shrubs and 86 herbaceous species. Poaceae was the most represented family with 16 species,
followed by Asteraceae with 14 (Appendix 1).
4.1.7.1 Species abundance
Species abundances were visually estimated as percentage cover values per quadrat following the
scale of 80-100 =5, 60- 79 =4, 40- 59 =3, 20- 39 =2, 1- 19 = 1 and below 1 =+.
The herbal layer consists mainly of tall Cyperus papyrus, Echinochloa pyramidalis, and several
woody seedlings constituting to about 80 % of the plant cover while the shrub and tree layers both
constitute about 10 % and bare ground about 10 %. For all sampled quadrats, species’ average
cover values were calculated and are presented in Table 1 (Please note that a species may occur in
more than one stratum or layer).
Table 1: Species abundance
Layer Family Species % cover Life form
Tree
Anacardiaceae Rhus natalensis 1 P
Asteraceae Pluchea ovalifolia 5 P
Asteraceae Vernonia amygdalina 1 P
Caesalpiniaceae Sesbania sesban 1 P
Capparaceae Capparis tomentosa 2 P
Convolvulaceae Ipomoea wightii 1 P
Cyperaceae Cyperus dives 1 P
Cyperaceae Cyperus papyrus 5 P
Ebenaceae Euclea tridens 1 P
Euphorbiaceae Flueggea virosa 1 P
Euphorbiaceae Spondianthus preusii 2 P
Lauraceae Beilschmiedia ugandensis 1 P
Menispermaceae Cissampelos mucronata 1 P
Mimosaceae Acacia kirkii 1 P
Mimosaceae Acacia polyacantha 4 P
Mimosaceae Acacia sieberiana 2 P
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Ecological Baseline Surveys of Lake Bisina, Lake Opeta, Lake Mburo and Nakivali Wetlands Systems