Search

The effects of climate change have hit the agriculture sector in Africa hard. Making adjustments to adapt to the changing environment is critical for countries like Ethiopia, whose primary source of income is subsistence agriculture, which is heavily reliant on rainfall. As a result, establishing context-specific adaptation approaches is crucial for reducing the adverse effects of climate change. This study was conducted at Sofi district, Harari Regional State, Ethiopia, to compare the contribution of fruit tree–based agroforestry and monoculture in tackling climate change challenges. To choose two kebeles and 102 household heads, multistage random sampling was used. Soil and biomass measurements were used to collect soil samples and biomass samples. According to the findings of the study, there are significant differences in how agroforestry and monoculture smallholder farmers deal with climate change challenges in terms of livelihood strategies, with agroforestry smallholders being more resilient. Carbon stock accumulation was estimated to be 453.32 mg ha−1 in agroforestry and 124.7 mg ha−1 in monoculture, where no trees were found on monoculture land. The findings of the study demonstrated that carbon stock accumulation was statistically significant between the mean of soil organic carbon agroforestry land use. Agroforestry systems, in general, contribute significantly more to smallholder livelihoods, as well as the socioeconomic system, in the face of climate change concerns. Incorporating smallholders into an agroforestry system for long-term livelihood sustainability requires support in the form of resources, training, and research. In the face of climate change threats, local, regional, and national governments, as well as financial institutions and other agricultural credit providers, must support smallholders.

Most studies undertaken on native fodder and fruit species have focused on planting preferences and socioeconomic importance. The focus has been less on diversity aspects. This study aimed to make a comparative investigation on the status of native fodder and fruit tree /shrub diversity and their management in three land types in Merhabete district, North Shewa Zone, Ethiopia. A total of 127 households were randomly selected for interviews on management practices and threats to the targeted species. Furthermore, 90 sampling plots representing three land use types were used for vegetation data collection. Altogether, a total of 34 tree /shrub species were recorded from three land use types in the study area. Out of the 34 tree/shrub species identified, 31 (91.2 %) species were native fodder and fruit tree/shrub species, and the remaining 3 (8.8 %) were exotic tree/shrub species. The mean tree/shrubdiversity, species richness, and species density were significantly higher in the remnant natural forest than in homegarden and parkland (p≤0.05). Likewise, the highest tree basal area was recorded in remnant natural forest, followed by homegarden and parklands. The common management practices for native fodder and fruit species were pollarding, thinning, pruning, lopping, and fencing. Based on the findings, it is concluded that species diversities and stem numbers were lower in parkland than in other land-use types. Therefore, it is recommended that planting native fodder and fruit tree/shrub species on parkland is essential to enhance the conservation and domestication process of the targeted species.

This study aimed to investigate smallholder farmers' perceptions of the integration of avocado cultivars into farmlands and the influencing factors in Upper Gana and Jewe Kebele, Central Ethiopia. Household surveys and key informant interviews were conducted. Household survey data were obtained from a purposive sample of 164 avocado growers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Key informant interviews were conducted using a snowball approach. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used for data analysis. The results showed that Hass, Ettinger, and Nabal were the avocado cultivars preferred by respondents. Home gardens and fruit orchards were the most preferred niches for avocado cultivation. About 64% of the respondents confirmed the positive effects of avocado farm integration, while 65% expressed concerns about possible adverse effects with annual crops. Limited access to grafted seedlings and low technical expertise in the propagation of avocado cultivars were hinder avocado integration. Regression analysis revealed that land tenure, tree management practices, availability of family labor, low access to grafted seedlings, and farmers' concerns about potential resource competition between avocados and annual crops had a significant influnce on farmers' decisions on avocado on farm integration. Thus, understanding farmers' attitudes is crucial for promoting the adoption of avocado on farm integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The researcher conducted a review of 83 articles published between 2011 and 2021 to determine the nontimber forest products (NTFPs) income contribution and usage types based on spatial and temporal patterns. The study used a search, synthesis, appraisal, and analysis framework for review. The review included articles that only focused on the contributions of NTFPs for livelihood income and NTFPs usage type, while others not related to these two topics were excluded. For its literature search, more than half of the articles used Google Scholar, followed by Research4life, Scopus/Elsevier, EMBASE, and PubMed, respectively. In this study, excluding papers that (i) did not provide evidence on the income contribution of NTFPs, (ii) did not include articles that did not clearly explain the NTFPs use types, and (iii) were published before 2011, the reviewer was able to reduce the number of included articles (eligibility criteria or inclusion and exclusion criteria). 83 article papers were reviewed for the current review. The majority of the research for this review was carried out in India (19%), Ethiopia (13%), and Nigeria (11%). India was the first of the 17 both Asian and African countries to do research on the NTFPs' contribution to rural household income and type of use. NTFPs contribute significantly to rural household revenue in 17 countries, ranging from a minimum of 9.5% in Zambia to a maximum of 40.19% in Myanmar. The average percentage of revenue from NTFPs across the 17 nations was 23.56%. Wild fruit, wild vegetables, medicinal plants, firewood, and crafts were the five NTFP usage types that were used by people in every country studied. Despite the fact that different countries utilize different types of NTFPs, the most commonly used types of NTFPs do not differ statistically (P > 0.05). To prevent overexploitation, those top five NTFPs must be conserved as they gather across the regions. NTFP collection is a significant source of revenue for rural poor and people who live in and around the forest. There are many types of NTFPs in both Asian and African countries. So, this study shows that the rural people depend on the forest product and get many benefits from the forest especially in the NTFP usage type. In order to secure livelihood stability in this global biodiversity hotspot and to preserve plant and animal diversity, the cultivation and scientific harvesting of NTFPs are urgently required. It is necessary to increase capacity by teaching NTFP users how, when, and how much to harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correction notice addresses an error in the last author's name in the original article titled "Contribution of agroforestry practices to income and poverty status of households in Northwestern Ethiopia." The correct name is 'Michael Jacobson' instead of 'Mikael Jacobson'. The correction has been made to the original article, and the authors are Mekuanent Tebkew, Zebene Asfaw, Adefires Worku, and Michael Jacobson. The correction ensures accuracy in authorship attribution for future reference. [Extracted from the article]

Urban forests have an important role in biodiversity conservation, environmental improvement, and ecosystem services including climate change mitigation enhancement. The objectives of the current study were to: assess plant types and management strategies of the owners; woody species' composition, structure, and diversity; and estimate aboveground biomass of trees and associated carbon stock in private residential green infrastructure (PRGI) at Dilla town. This study was conducted at three kebeles, the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia. Ninety-four households were randomly selected from a proportional sample size for each kebele. A complete inventory of woody species was done after measuring the area occupied by plants at each household. At plot level, the aboveground biomass of sampled trees was calculated by using an allometric biomass equation developed for agroforestry species. Diversity was described by using different indices The free software EstimateS 9.1.0 was used to generate data for the construction of sample-based rarefaction curves and SPSS version 20 for descriptive statistics. Based on plant types and arrangement, the households manage their PRGI in 15 categories on area size, ranging from 10 m2 to 1229 m2, with an average holding size of 207.5 m2. A total of 66 plant species belonging to 45 families were identified. Overall, a total of 1220 stem ha−1 contributed to an aboveground carbon stock of 64.35 ton ha−1 of which 50.4% is from fruit trees and the rest from timber trees. The results suggest that PRGIs can serve as reservoirs of non-native and native plant species, including five native tree species currently facing conservation concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a limited effort in Ethiopia to study scientifically the ecological features of traditional coffee-based agroforestry systems. This study was initiated to determine the structure, composition, and carbon stock of woody species along an elevation gradient of a traditional coffee-based agroforestry system in Yirgacheffe district, southern Ethiopia. Woody plants' inventory was conducted in thirty-eight sampling quadrats (20 ∗ 20 m) along five elevation contours and eight transects. Thirty-eight soil samples were taken from randomly selected subplots at 0–30 cm soil depths. In this study 32, woody plant species representing 23 families were recorded. Species richness ranged from 13–17 along the elevation gradient. Woody plant diversity indices appear to have a slight variation with increasing elevation gradient. Shade tree and coffee shrub density, DBH, and height showed significant variations along the elevation gradient. Total aboveground woody biomass carbon stock along elevation gradient ranged from 11.07 to 27.48 Mg·ha−1. Soil organic carbon stock was slightly different across elevation gradients with a mean range of 83.91 to 89.29 Mg·ha−1. These indicate that the agroforestry system has significant potential of storing and enhancing ecosystem carbon stocks across all the elevation gradients. The findings generally show that agroforestry systems in the study area are diverse, structurally complex with significant carbon storage in the soil and woody biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers in the northwestern Ethiopian Highlands are highly engaged in small-scale forest management. Participation in this activity can provide a key source of income for the farmers as well as wider benefits to the environment. To gain a better understanding of how spatial and socio-ecological factors determine farmers' engagements in small-scale forest management, we conducted a comparative study in three Districts of northwestern Ethiopia. We used a mixed method approach including both quantitative (n = 375) and qualitative (n = 45) surveys to understand farmers' motivations and decisions in three Districts of northwestern Ethiopia. We found that there were a number of factors motivating farmers' decisions to participate, including land degradation and decline in crop productivity (in Fagta Lekoma District); adverse impact of adjacent woodlots (in North Mecha District); and increasing demand of wood products (in Guna Begemidir District). Further analysis on the extent of farmer engagement revealed that their decision to increase or decrease the share of land allocated to woodlots is heavily dependent on the comparative socio-economic benefits of woodlots and distance to markets. Other key (District-specific) determinant factors included wealth status, soil fertility status, gender, adult equivalent value, total land holding size, and annual crop production risk perception. Our findings suggest that to increase the uptake of woodlots, we would need to adopt a demand-driven forestry extension approach, which considers the heterogeneity of farmers and farm characteristics. Further research is required to quantify the optimal level of land allocation for small-scale forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For forest ecosystem management to be effective, explicit understanding of the species diversity-environmental relationship along elevation gradient is crucial. This study aimed at identifying and describing plant communities and also documenting their species diversity. Evaluation of relationships between selected environmental variables and species diversity was another objective of this study. Systematic sampling techniques were used to collect vegetation data in a total of forty two sample plots (size=20×20 m). Within main plots, four sub-plots of 5×5 m were established at four corners and – one sub-plot of the same size in the center. These plots were used for shrub and herb diversity assessment. Within each sample plot, all plant species were documented and their scientific names were identified. Environmental variables, such as: elevation, aspect and slope, were also recorded for each main plot. Species diversity was determined using Shannon-Wiener diversity index and evenness in R statistical software. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering method was used for plant community classification. The total of 44 plant species belonging to 30 families was documented. Four plant community types were identified with different diversity, evenness and species richness. These plant communities were: Afrocurpus falcatus-Ficus sur, Maesa lanceolata-Bersama abyssinica, Vernonia myriantha-Urera hypselodendron and Croton machrostachus-Tecleanobilis occurring at average elevation of 2521, 2429, 2329, and 2364 m asl, respectively. Maesa lanceolata-Bersama abyssinica community type exhibited the highest species diversity and evenness followed by Croton machrostachus-Teclea nobilis community type showing the fact that median elevation ranges were rich in species. Elevation and slope gradient explained significant variation in species richness in the studied forest. For effective conservation of biodiversity and sustainable management of the forest ecosystem, further research on the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and soil properties is recommended as a result of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study was conducted in Shashemene district, Ethiopia. Management-related data were collected using informal and formal surveys. Woody species diversity and related parameters were collected from 60 households. Woody species with ≥5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured and recorded and below 5 cm were counted and recorded in 10 m ∗ 10 m and 1 m ∗ 1 m plot, respectively. A total of 36 woody species were recorded, of which 58% were indigenous to the area. The overall mean number of woody species per plot was 3.13. Four woody species, namely, Cordia africana, Croton macrostachyus, Persea americana, and Catha edulis, showed highest importance value index. Farmers' preference ranks for selected woody species were recorded in order of Cordia africana, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Croton macrostachyus, and Cupressus lusitanica, respectively. The similarity in woody species composition between the study villages ranged from 0.46 to 0.60. To sustain the management of woody species, farmers implemented pruning, thinning, composting, weeding, digging, and watering activities in the area. Garden availability and market and road accessibility are the major determinants of woody species in homegarden agroforestry. The study revealed woody species diversity, management practices implemented, and factors affecting woody species diversity management in homegarden agroforestry. Therefore, government should be worked on infrastructure, resource reallocation, and awareness creation in communities for the better improvement of species diversity and its sustainable management in homegarden agroforestry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Sidama, agroforestry represents land-use systems with deliberate management of multipurpose trees and shrubs that grow in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops and/or livestock. The interaction of microbiota with the trees, shrubs and crops may make the system fertile, productive and sustainable. One of the beneficial microbiota which has symbiotic association with most of the plants in agroforestry is arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In November and December of 2012, root and rhizosphere soil samples of 21 plant species from nine peasant associations (PAs) (villages within districts where 300-500 families live) were collected from the agroforestry practices in Sidama of Southern Ethiopia for the determination of diversity and abundance of AMF under selected soil parameters and plant species density. Findings on the diversity of AMF based on soil properties showed that at moderate to low P and N concentrations the rate of AMF root colonization and spore density was high in comparison with the rhizosphere soils with the highest P and N concentration. The highest percentage of total AMF colonization was recorded for shade trees Millettia ferruginea (84 %) and Erythrina brucei (80 %) followed by intercropped perennial crops Ensete ventricosum (86 %), Catha edulis (85 %) and Coffea arabica (80 %) and the lowest percentage AMF colonization was recorded for Rhamnus prinoides (53 %) and Colocasia esculenta (52 %). Though found in almost all homegarden agroforestry practices and with broad coverage in Sidama agroforestry, some crops and vegetables such Brassica integrifolia and Cucurbita pepo, grown intercropped were found to be non-mycorrhizal as none of the AMF structures were recorded. The highest number of AM spore population was recorded in rhizosphere soils of Croton macrostachyus (1066 ± 19.33) and Catha edulis (1054 ± 53.12) and the lowest spore density was recorded for Dioscorea alata (100.00 ± 2.89) spore per 100 g of dry soil. The percentage fungal colonization in any individual plant species and spore population in the rhizosphere soils of that species did not correlate to each other and percentage AM root colonization and spore density of all plants in the agroforestry of Sidama were found significantly different at P < 0.05 level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most tropical soils, phosphorus is deficient and high costs of phosphorus fertilizer made it difficult for smallholder farmers to use it when needed. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is known to improve particularly P in P deficient soils. However, response of plant species to mycorrhizal fungi inoculation and application of different rates of P varies. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of phosphorus (P) concentrations on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonization and growth of two perennial crops (Catha edulis and Ensete ventricosum) and four multipurpose agroforestry trees (Cordia africana, Croton macrostachyus, Erythrina brucei and Millettia ferruginea). The experiment was conducted in a glasshouse. The treatment consisted of 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 mg P/g substrate and three species of AMF. The experiment was laid out in CRD design in a factorial arrangement. The results showed that plant growth parameters (shoot length and dry weight) and P uptake increased significantly after inoculations with AMF, namely Rhizophagus clarus, and Rhizophagus intraradices, and the mixed AMF species. Results on effect of P application on total mycorrhizal dependency (MD) of the studied crops and agroforestry tree species showed that maximum (41.71%) MD value was recorded for Rhizophagus clarus in khat (Catha edulis Forsk.), followed by 34.85 and 34.45% MD values for the same Rhizophagus clarus in Birbira (Millettia ferruginea) and Bisana (Croton macrostachyus), respectively. The next MD values, ranging from 2.57% for Catha edulis to 30.67% in Ensete ventricosum, were recorded for inoculation with the mixed AMF species. The least MD values of 3.51, 16.46, 10.51, 7.71, 4.34, and 14.32 were recorded for treatments with Rhizophagus intraradices for all plant species (Catha edulis, Cordia africana, Croton macrostachyus, Ensete ventricosum, Erythrina brucei and Millettia ferruginea) under the study respectively. Optimum P concentrations for maximum benefits from the AMF symbiosis in the aforementioned six plant species varied from 0.005 to 0.02 mg P g-1 substrate and the corresponding peaks of arbuscules, vesicles, percent colonization, and spore count per 50 cm3 sand were noticed at similar P concentrations. Thus, the current research results revealed that the recorded plant growth peaks were attributed to AMF colonization of the perennial crops and agroforestry trees. Therefore, inoculating plant species with a suitable AMF inoculant could result in a benefit comparable to high P fertilizer input and lead to a significant cost saving from expenditure on inorganic P fertilizer. The information obtained on minimum P requirement for perennial crops and shade trees in Sidama agroforestry can form the basis for further pot/field experiments involving integration of chemical fertilizers with AMF [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]