Influence of Pruning Regime on Woody Species Density and Abundance in Kimondi Forest, Kenya

Globally, silviculture is concerned with the establishment, development, upkeep, and propagation of timber stands to increase the shock resistance of forests and the global adaptability and resilience of ecosystems. While silvicultural regimes are widely recognised for enhancing timber quality and stand structure, their long-term ecological impacts on woody species density and abundance remain underexplored. Existing studies have primarily focused on species selection, leaving a significant knowledge gap regarding the effectiveness and optimisation of pruning regime intensity. The research aimed to assess the influence of the pruning regime on woody species density and abundance. This study focused on Cupressus lusitanica and Pinus patula. The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive study design, using systematic sampling. Analysis was done using Box plots, Analysis of Variance and Duncan’s multiple range test. Box plots showed that Cupressus lusitanica exhibited higher performance with greater variability, while Pinus patula showed more consistent but slightly lower outcomes. A one-way ANOVA revealed a highly significant difference in tree abundance and density across pruning treatments (p = 0.028), with an effect size (Eta²) of 0.61139, indicating that 61.39% of the variation is attributable to pruning practices. Duncan’s test further confirms that higher pruning intensity reduces woody species density, while moderate pruning enhances regeneration. The findings revealed the importance of the pruning regime on woody species density and abundance and recommended that tailored silvicultural practices are key in advocating for formative pruning as a sustainable and cost-effective method in early tree development stages