Woody vegetation diversity remains low after extensive forest landscape restoration efforts in a western Rwandan landscape

Ecosystem restoration has emerged as a global priority in tropical regions, where issues like land degradation, biodiversity decline, and climate change are pressing concerns. In Rwanda it is predominantly conducted under the “forest landscape restoration” framework with unclear specifications toward rehabilitation or ecological restoration goals. The extent to which restoration efforts in Rwanda successfully restore the diversity, structure, and function of ecosystems remains largely unknown. This paper examines woody species structure and diversity within different land use types, including homegardens, agriculture mosaics, tree patches, pastures, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park as a reference site. From June to August 2024, data were collected from 159 sites using stratified random sampling and quasi-experimental design to represent the main land use types in the study areas. The findings reveal variations in species richness and composition among the different land use types. We found a notable distinction between native and exotic species proportions, with a dominance of exotic species across most sites: 65% in homegardens, 80% in agricultural mosaics, and 93% in tree patches. Homegardens displayed significantly higher species richness than tree patches, agricultural mosaics, and pastures, but still fell substantially short of the National Park. Our results highlight that while restorative efforts are widespread, the challenge to balance biodiversity conservation with socioeconomic benefits has meant that, to date, restoration practices have favored exotic species, which will have larger implications for trophic interactions and hence wider biodiversity in the region. The study underscores the need to enhance native species richness to promote biodiversity.