Work

Regeneration dynamics and diversity patterns across disturbance gradients in kaya Kauma Forest, coastal Kenya

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Understanding natural regeneration dynamics is essential for evaluating forest resilience, particularly in culturally protected coastal forests where disturbance gradients may influence recruitment processes. This study assessed regeneration density, diversity, and community structure across edge, intermediate, and core zones of Kaya Kauma Forest, Kenya, to evaluate regenerative capacity and demographic balance. Tree regeneration was surveyed in 5 × 5 m subplots nested within 20 × 20 m plots across three zones. All woody regenerants were identified and assigned to four height classes representing developmental stages. Regeneration density, seedling-to-sapling ratios, alpha diversity metrics, and dominant species patterns were calculated. Community composition was analyzed using Bray–Curtis dissimilarity, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), and PERMANOVA, while regeneration counts were compared using Kruskal–Wallis tests and generalized linear modelling. Across 36 analyzed subplots, regeneration density declined consistently from Class I to Class IV in all zones. Seedling-to-sapling ratios exceeded 2.0, indicating strong recruitment but reduced advancement into later stages. Alpha diversity remained high and similar among zones (mean Shannon index ≈ 3.7). Dominant species assemblages were largely shared across zones, and NMDS ordination showed extensive compositional overlap. PERMANOVA indicated weak zonal structuring of regeneration communities (R2 = 0.076, p = 0.778), while modelling confirmed that regeneration density was driven primarily by height class rather than spatial position. These results indicate strong regenerative potential and compositional stability, although demographic filtering between early and advanced stages may influence long-term forest structure.

Source: Trees Forests and People

DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101262