Abstract:

A study was carried out to detect whether logging and arboricide treatments had influences on floristic composition of four
compartments in Budongo Forest, Uganda. The compartments were (N15) which had never been logged or treated; B4)
logged 50 years; N4 logged 40 years, and \V21 logged 30 years ago. The species treated were
and Cynometra alexandri. In addition to arboricide treatment logging was mainly on trees of the meliaceae family. Data
were collected from 16 points in each compartment and gradient of variation were identified using the stand tables for each
compartment. Results were compared with Eggeiing's plot data collected at Budongo 50 years ago. It was found that
logging affected the forest structure, and the floristiccomposition was influenced by the succession state at the time of
treatment. Eurthermore, variation in the forest was not readily related to the time of logging/arboricide treatment. Despite
the treatments, the residual stands retained the general character of the pre-exploitation forest and in the ensuing time they
all assumed broadly similar compositions. The most distinct (compartment B4) still showed features of colonising forest
Ficus species, Alstonia boonei
still different; it contained more forest tree
which were much less evident in others. The control compartment (N15) was
individuals of secondary species than any of the other compartments. This suggests that Eggeling's time scale for the forest
succession, and perhaps even his successional assumption should be reconsidered.