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Status of indigenous tree species regeneration under exotic plantations in Belete forest, south west Ethiopia
No full textThe potential for regeneration of native woody species in exotic plantation stands and in the adjacent natural forest in Belete forest was studied. The objective of the study was to assess the diversity and density of the naturally regenerated woody species in plantations at Belete forest. Vegetation assessment within the stands was conducted using a line transect survey using square plot of size 10 m X 10 m which were established at 100m intervals along line transects which were 100 m apart. A total of 60 woody plant species belonging to 50 genera and 31 families were recorded regenerating under the canopy of exotic plantations and a natural forest at Belete forest. Only 40 of the species were found in the plantations while 20 of them found only in the natural forest. The highest density of regeneration was recorded for Pinus patula followed by Cuppressus lucitanica. Cuppressus lucitanica plantation stand exhibited the highest value of Shannon diversity and evenness (2.5 and 0.84) followed by Eucalyptus saligna (2.13 and 0.83). Highest similarity index was observed between the plantation stands of Cuppressus lucitanica and Eucalyptus saligna (0.67). On the other hand the Cuppressus lucitanica and Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantation stands showed relatively weak similarity (0.36). Pinus patula and Cuppressus lucitanica plantations had the highest similarity to the natural forest. The regeneration of native woody species under the canopies of exotic plantations in moist montane forest areas suggests the possibility of restoring degraded areas in southwestern Ethiopia using these exotic plantation stands. Key words: Exotic, Regeneration, Belete forest, Restoratio
Ethno-botanical study of medicinal plants used by local communities of Sofi District in Harari Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia
No full textThe present ethno-botanical study was conducted in Sofi District of Harari Regional State Eastern Ethiopia, with the objectives of documenting the indigenous plant-based medical knowledge of the people. Ethno-botanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, field observations, focus group discussions and market survey with the help of the local people and traditional medicine practitioners. A total of 182 informants were selected to collect information on medicinal plant use from 3 sampled kebeles. Of these, 15 key informants were selected purposively based on recommendation by local elders and authorities. The rest general informants were selected randomly. Informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), preference ranking were calculated to assess the agreement of informants on the medicinal value of plants. A total of 65 medicinal plant species from 44 families were documented to treat 48 human and livestock ailments. Out of these, 38 species (59%) were used to treat human ailments, 10 species (15%) were used against livestock ailments and the remaining 17 species (26%) were used to treat both human and livestock ailments. From the total medicinal plant species, 28 (43%) were herbs, followed by 18 (28%) shrub species, 13(20%) tree and 6(9%) climber species. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (56%) followed by roots (13%), fruit (8%), bulb (6%), stem (5%), whole parts (4%), bark (4%), seed (3%) and root and stem (1%). The most widely used method of preparation was crushing (24%) followed by powdering (20.3%), pounding (11.4 %) squeezing and chewing (10.1%). The common routes of administration recorded were oral (51.9%) followed by dermal (30.4%), nasal (6.3%), oral/nasal (5.1%), anal (3.8%) and ocular (2.5%). Disease categories discussed here under- Swelling and haemorrhoid, Sensorial system related and Rabies have highest informant consensus factors 0.84 and they have been treated only by traditional herbals with single plant species. Whereas, problems of the genitourinary system (0.8), skeletal muscle and connective tissues pain (0.54), Respiratory system and throat infection (0.5) and Nervous system (0.5) related diseases were found relatively higher Informant Consensus Factor signifying high incidence of these diseases in the study area and agreement of people on their remedies. Agricultural expansion, firewood collection, and use of plants for construction were reported as major threats to plants of the study area. In order to protect biodiversity erosion and loss of indigenous knowledge, local communities have to be trained and actively involved in conservation and management of plant resources and their indigenous knowledge
Woody Species Composition and Structure of the Gurra Farda Forest, Snnpr, South Wastern Ethiopia
No full textDeforestation have been taking place in Ethiopia for hundreds of years. The chief reasons given for reduction of the forest area are uncontrolled exploitation, shifting cultivation, forest fires and the expansion of permanently cultivated areas. So the assessment of these forests is the basis for meaningful planning to rationally utilize the remaining forest resources. Therefore, Woody species composition and structure of Gurra Farda forest was studied from November 2005 to September 2006. Thirty two sampling plots, each having sizes of 20 m X 20 m were laid in the forest based on their homogeneity. Diameter and height was measured for all trees and shrubs with DBH greater than 2 cm. Sixty six woody species belonging to 28 families were recorded in the forest. Moraceae was found to be the dominant family in the forest with 7 species comprising 10.6 % of the total species identified followed by Rubiaceae with 6 species or 9 % of the total woody species identified. From the identified plants five species were climbers, 32 shrubs and 29 trees. Tree density was 1373 individuals per hectare and the basal area was 90.6m2/ha. Most of the individuals were distributed in the lower DBH and height classes. Since this is forest is one of the remaining forests with wild populations of Coffea Arabica due attention has to be given to its conservation and sustainable utilization. Key phrases: Basal area, Diameter at Breast Height, Gurra Fard
The reproductive and feeding ecology of rodents in Sekoru district, Southwest Ethiopia
No full textA study on reproductive and feeding ecology of rodents was conducted in agricultural areas of some selected kebeles (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) of Sekoru district from February 2014 to December 2014. Rodents were captured by snap trapping using rat traps. During the whole study period, four rodent species, namely, Rattus rattus, Mastomys natalensis, Arvicanthis dembeensis and Lemniscomys barbarus were identified from a total of 326 rodents captured in 1320 trap nights. The proportion of male and female individuals captured was not different from a 1:1 ratio. Scrotal males and perforate females were captured throughout the study period though reproduction was seasonal. Breeding started in the later part of the rainy season and declined at the beginning of the dry season. The average number of embryo counted per pregnant females was 5.57±1.09, 8.65±1.80, 6.38.±1.70 and 4.00 ± 1.41 for R. rattus, M. natalensis, L. barbarus and A. dembeensis, respectively. The food items identified during the stomach content analysis were grouped into leaves, seeds, animal matter and unrecognized food item. There was no variation in the type of food item identified among the four rodent species. Some variations were observed in the proportion of the different food items consumed by the four rodent species in different trapping sessions. Awareness creation and the need of rodent pest control in all growth stage of crops and after harvest were recommended
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Planting Fruits and Vegetables in Homegarden as a Way to Improve Livelihoods and Conserve Plant Biodiversity
No full textMulti-story cropping systems are used to grow fruits and vegetables in rural homegardens, and it has been argued that they are crucial for the food and nutrition safety of rural populations. They also are considered as refuges for a number of plant species, and as one way to reduce pressure on the surrounding ecosystem by providing resources such as food, fiber, and firewood to farmers on their own farmland. This study was conducted to assess the contribution of fruits and vegetables in homegardens to household livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the Yayo biosphere reserve in southwestern Ethiopia. The role of fruits and vegetables was evaluated for 96 households that were selected randomly from both fruit and vegetable users and only vegetable-user strata. To collect socioeconomic data, semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and focus group discussions were employed. A complete enumeration of plant species was done for diversity assessment in 48 homegardens from four kebeles (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) in the Yayo and Hurumu districts and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results indicated the highest plant diversity, with a total of 76 species identified from 38 families. Fruit and vegetable users were found to harbor more diversity in their homegardens compared to only vegetable-user homegardens. Homegarden size correlated significantly with species richness. Fruits and vegetables in homegardens were found to considerably contribute to household food consumption and total annual income independent of wealth categories. We also found a significant negative relationship between fruit and vegetable use and forest product harvesting, indicating the reduction of pressures on nearby forest ecosystems. This study supports the idea that fruits and vegetables contribute to biodiversity conservation directly as the entity of homegarden agrobiodiversity and indirectly through minimizing households’ demand for forest harvesting by providing food and generating income. Nevertheless, fruits and vegetables were not contributing at their full potential, which was mainly due to disease problems, pests, and a lack of better market access. Therefore, further research and interventions are needed to help farmers confront these challenges affecting fruit and vegetable production and productivity
Challenges in conserving forest ecosystems through coffee certification: a case study from southwestern Ethiopia
Get PDFCertification schemes, aimed at simultaneously promoting ecologically sustainable agriculture and improving livelihood, are being utilized at a global scale. Among such certification schemes, the Rainforest Alliance is known as one of the most widely used environmental certification programs throughout the world. Previous studies have compared the ecological impacts of certified and non-certified farmlands, or evaluated the economic outcomes of certification. However, few studies have assessed the long-term impacts of the certification scheme. This paper attempts to analyze the long-term outcomes of the Rainforest Alliance certification program through a case study of coffee farming practices in southwestern Ethiopia. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants who were deeply involved in the certification program, together with field observations and secondary data collection. The results of the assessment indicated that some areas of the certified coffee forests have been deforested or ecologically degraded and that the Rainforest Alliance program requirements were not uniformly applied. The possible causes include rapid population increase, government policies promoting intensive coffee production, presence of members who did not participate in the certification program, a lack of conservation incentives, and loopholes in the auditing process. To determine the overall success of the Rainforest Alliance certification program would require: monitoring of population growth rates and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, promoting collaboration between environmental and agricultural government authorities, conducting a more stringent on-site inspection, and to provide direct incentives for environmental conservation to all farmers living in or near the certified areas
Woody Species Compositions, Diversity and structure of Kabo Lake (Bishan Waqa) Forests, Mengeshi District, Gambella Region, South West Ethiopia.
Get PDFEthiopia is a country with a highly diversified climatic condition and topography which result in
a wide range of habitats and vegetation types. This study was conducted on Kabo lake natural
forest, Mengeshi District, Majang Zone, Gambella Regional states, southwest Ethiopia to
determine floristic composition, diversity and structural analysis of the forest. Systematic
sampling method was used to collect vegetation data from 40 plots (20m x 20m) for trees and
shrubs. Structural parameters were analyzed by SPSS version 20. All the trees and shrubs with
DBH>2.5cm and height ≥2 m were measured for height and diameter. Shannon - Wiener
diversity index was applied to quantify species diversity and richness. Importance value index
(IVI) for woody species was determined by summing relative density, relative dominance and
relative frequency. A total of 41 woody species belonging to 35 genera and 21 families were
recorded from Kabo lake natural forest. Of all the species recorded 28 (68.29%) were trees, 12
(29.27%) shrubs, and 1 (2.44%) woody climber. The most characteristics families dominating
the area are Fabaceae by 4 (11.43%) genera and 5 (12.19%) species, Moraceae by 3 (8.57%)
genera and 5 (12.19%) species. Ulmaceae contained 1 (2.85 %) genera and 2 (4.88%) species.
The overall Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index (H`) and the evenness values for the entire forest
were 2.77 and 0.75, respectively. The density of woody species in the forest decreases with
increasing height and DBH classes. It has a density of 590.43 stems/ ha and a total basal area
of 59.90 m2/ ha. The forest is characterized by high density of trees in the DBH <10 than in DBH
> 70 Cm. The current study focused only on woody species. To have a complete set of
information about the forest and to design a sustainable conservation strategy, further study on
all aspects of the forest were recommended
Floristic composition, structure and regeneration Status of mountain ambaricho natural forest in Kachabira district, kembata tembaro zone south Nation nationality and people regional state, southern Ethiopia
Get PDFThis study was conducted on Ambaricho Natural forest in Kachabira District; Kambata Tambaro Zone of
SNNPRS .Objective of this study was to investigate the floristic composition, structure and regeneration
status of plant species. Systematic sampling method was applied to collect floristic data from (35) (20 m x
20 m) sample quadrants which were established at 50 m interval elevation along the transect line, which
are laid 400m apart. Within the main plots, five (four at the corner and one at the center) 1 m x 1 m sub-
plots were laid to collect herbaceous, 5m x 5m sub plots were laid to collect saplings and seedlings data.
A total of 61 plant species belonging to 61 genera and 42 families were recorded. Out of the collected
plant species, 34(55.7%) were trees 20(32.8%) were herbs and 7(11.5%) were shrubs. The families with
the highest number of species were Asteraceae, represented by 6 species (9.83%), followed by Rubeaceae
5 species (8.19%), Lamiaceae 4 species (6.55%), and Solanaceae 3 species (4.91%). Shannon -Wiener
diversity index values of plant species encountered in the study sites were 3.69 while their corresponding
evenness values were 0.8. Analysis of regeneration status of all plant species in study forest showed that
seedling >sapling> mature trees implying the forest is at good regeneration status. But large size trees in
the forest were under threat due to anthropogenic activities such as cutting of trees for fire wood, house
construction and cutting of trees for preparation of charcoal all of which were negatively influenced the
vegetation dynamic and tree density of the forest. To reduce this threat and to use the forest sustainably,
participatory forest management is require
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