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Species diversity, composition, structure and management in agroforestry systems: the case of Kachabira district, Southern Ethiopia.

ABSTRACT: Agroforestry is increasingly being identified as an integrated land use enhancing plant diversity while reducing habitat loss and fragmentation. This paper examined species diversity, composition, structure and management in agroforestry systems. Two Kebeles (Kachabira and Mesafe) were purposively selected for this study. Then, farmers who dominantly practiced agroforestry practices such as home garden, parkland and live fence were stratified based on wealth categories. Ten percent of the sample households were randomly selected from each wealth category. Accordingly, a total of 83 households were selected. Inventories of plant species were done by sampling one plot of each farm management type. A total of 59 plant species, belonging to 56 genera and 36 families were recorded across the home gardens, parklands and live fences in the study area. Among the plant species, trees constituted 42%, shrubs 27%, herbs 29% and climber 2%. From recorded plant species, 66% were native and the remainders 34% were introduced species. From the native species recorded in this study, Lippia adoensis and Millettia ferruginea were endemic to Ethiopia. The mean Shannon diversity index of rich, medium and poor households in the three different agroforestry practices were 1.75, 1.57 and 1.62 in home garden, 0.36, 0.30 and 0.49 in parkland and 0.84, 0.99 and 1.00 in live fence respectively. The largest tree basal area was recorded in the live fence (14.7 m²ha^-1), followed by home garden and parkland. The study revealed that agroforestry plays an important role in the conservation of biodiversity, and also by providing food, income and a wide range of other products such as fuel wood, construction material, fodder, spices and medicinal plants. Farm household landholding size, species preference and management found to be the most important influencing factors that affect the diversity of plant species. Further detailed study of explicit examining of the factors such as socio-ecological effects that determine species diversity and the contribution of different functional groups to livelihood is needed to fully understand the agroforestry system.

SUBMITTER: Legesse A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7988333 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Background:Dietary diversity (DD) is among the core infant and young child feeding (IYCF) indicators. However, in many developing countries, meeting the minimum standards of DD is challenging and information concerning its determinants is limited. Objective:To assess the level and predictors of DD among children aged 6-23 months in rural communities of Aleta Wondo district, Sidama zone, Southern Ethiopia. Method:A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Aleta Wondo in February 2016. Multistage sampling was employed to recruit 502 children aged 6-23 months. DD was assessed by asking the mother whether the index child had received food from the standard seven food groups in the previous day, without setting minimum intake restrictions. Ultimately, the dietary diversity score (DDS) was rated on a 7-point scale, and it was modeled using linear regression analysis. The outputs are presented using adjusted regression coefficients (?). Results:Only 12.0% (95% confidence interval: 9.0-15.0%) of the children met the minimum recommended DD, receiving from four or more from seven food groups. The analysis identified eleven significant predictors of DDS. As the maternal knowledge of IYCF increases by a unit, DDS raised by 0.21 units (p = 0.004). Unit increment in the husband's involvement in the IYCF score was linked with 0.32 units improvement in DDS (p = 0.016). One unit change in the ordinal category of household food insecurity was associated with 0.13 reduction in DDS (p = 0.001). Similarly, household wealth index (??=?0.54, p = 0.041), father's literacy (??=?0.48, p = 0.002), ownership of home garden (??=?0.38, p = 0.01), mother's participation in cooking demonstrations (??=?0.19, p = 0.036), and child age in months (??=?0.04, p = 0.001) were all positively associated with DDS. Furthermore, receiving IYCF information via mass media (??=?0.04, p = 0.001) and during antenatal (??=?0.91, p = 0.022) and postnatal checkups (??=?0.21, p = 0.043) were positive predictors of DDS. Conclusions:Promoting the socioeconomic status of the community, strengthening of home gardening, involving husbands in IYCF, and enhancing maternal knowledge of IYCF may advance DD.

Project description:BACKGROUND:The prevention of child mortality through immunization is one of the most cost-effective and widely applied public health interventions. In Ethiopia, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) schedule is rarely completed as planned and the full immunization rate is only 24%. The objective of this study was to identify determinant factors of incomplete childhood immunization in Arbegona district, Sidama zone, southern Ethiopia. METHODS:A community based unmatched case-control study was undertaken among randomly selected children aged 12 to 23 months and with a total sample size of 548 (183 cases and 365 controls). A multi-stage sampling technique was used to get representative cases and controls. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were done to identify independent factors for incomplete immunization status of children. Qualitative data were also generated and analyzed using thematic framework. RESULTS:The incomplete immunization status of children was significantly associated with young mothers (AOR = 9.54; 95% CI = 5.03, 18.09), being born second to fourth (AOR = 3.64; 95% CI = 1.63, 8.14) and being born fifth or later in the family (AOR = 5.27; 95% CI = 2.20, 12.64) as compared to being born first, a mother's lack of knowledge about immunization benefits (AOR = 5.51; 95% CI = 1.52, 19.94) and a mother's negative perception of vaccine side effects (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.01, 3.70). The qualitative finding revealed that the migration of mothers and unavailability of vaccines on appointed immunization dates were the major reasons for partial immunization of children. CONCLUSION:To reduce the number of children with incomplete immunization status, the Arbegona district needs to consider specific planning for mothers with these risk profiles. A focus on strengthening health communication activities to raise immunization awareness and address concerns of vaccine side effects at community level is also needed. This could be achieved through integrating the immunization service to other elements of primary health care.

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Project description:Termites have gained importance as major pests in cocoa agroforests. Proper identification of termite species and knowledge on their functional diversity are the first steps in developing environmentally compatible management strategies. We tested the hypothesis that patterns of termite species richness in different cocoa agroforests is related to responses by termite functional groups to changes in shade management. We compared termite assemblages under five cocoa agroforestry systems in Cameroon to assess the impact of shade on termite taxonomic and functional group diversity. Sampling was done using a modified standardized transect method. Two 30 × 30 m quadrates each divided into three transects were laid in four farms at each site. Termites sampled were identified and grouped according to habitats, functional groups, and feeding habits. Sixty-nine termite species in 33 genera and five subfamilies under two families were sampled. Termitidae was the most dominant family and Rhinotermitidae the least dominant with few species. Termite species richness decreased significantly from the heavy shaded cocoa agroforests (44 species) to the full sun (11 species). Functional group pattern differed significantly in all the cocoa agroforests and within each agroforestry system and dominated by wood and litter feeder species. Many species belonging to this group were responsible to most damages on cocoa trees. Both the richness of termite pests and marketable yield followed a quadratic curve and were found to be lowest and highest in plots with shade cover above 40%. The simulated optimal shade levels for low termite infestations and marketable yield overlapped between 45% and 65% indicating that cocoa agroforestry systems with around 55% shade cover may be optimal to balance termite infestations and marketable yield. Shade maintenance in cocoa agroforests is valuable in reducing termite pest species and conserving soil feeding termites which provide beneficial ecosystem services.

Project description:Agroforestry systems are environment-friendly production systems which help to preserve biodiversity while providing people with a way of earning a living. Cacao is a historically important crop in Venezuela that traditionally has been produced in agroforestry systems. However, few studies have evaluated how different trees used in those systems affect the dynamics and abundance of insects. The present study evaluated the entomofauna assemblages associated with different combinations of four timber-yielding trees and four Criollo cacao cultivars established in a lowland tropical ecosystem in Venezuela. A randomized block design with two replicates was used, each block having 16 plots which included all 16 possible combinations of four native timber trees (Cordia thaisiana, Cedrela odorata, Swietenia macrophylla, and Tabebuia rosea) and four Criollo cacao cultivars (Porcelana, Guasare, Lobatera and Criollo Merideño). Insects were collected with yellow pan traps and sorted to order. Coleoptera and parasitoid Hymenoptera were determined to the family level. In total, 49,538 individuals of seven orders were collected, with Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera being the most abundant, although only Lepidoptera and Coleoptera abundances were significantly influenced by the timber tree species. Twenty-three families of parasitoid Hymenoptera and 26 of Coleoptera were found. Significant differences in insects’ assemblages were found both in parasitoid Hymenoptera and Coleoptera families associated to every shade tree, with the families Eulophidae and Lycidae being indicators for Cordia, and Chalcididae for Swietenia. The entomofauna relationship with the cacao cultivar was barely significant, although Scydmaenidae and Scarabaeidae were indicators for Lobatera and Merideño, respectively. No significant effects were found for interaction with cacao cultivars and native trees. We concluded that the particular insect assemblages found in Cedrela odorata and Cordia thaisiana, together with their high growing rates, make these two species an optimal choice for cacao agroforestry systems.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Ethiopia is one of the species-rich countries in the world and the center of origin with regard to the diversity of many plant species. Ethnobotanical studies are vital to investigate these diverse biological resources for medicinal purposes. The aim of this study was to document the indigenous knowledge of the Sidama people regarding the use of medicinal plants to treat human and livestock diseases in the Hawassa Zuria district of Southern Ethiopia. METHODS:A total of 150 informants (118 men and 32 women) were selected to collect ethnobotanical information from ten kebeles by means of a stratified purposive sampling method. Among the informants, 30 key informants were selected purposefully. Ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and group discussions and were analyzed by descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and ranking methods. RESULTS:A total of 105 medicinal plants distributed across 52 families and 96 genera were collected. Fabaceae (11 species) was represented by the highest number of plant species, followed by Lamiaceae (7 species). Herbs (34%) were the dominant growth habits, followed by trees (33%). Leaves (56%) were the dominant plant part used in the preparation of remedies, followed by fruit (15%). The most common method of remedy preparation was grinding (39%) followed by chewing and boiling (11% each). Oral (74%) was the major routes of administration, followed by dermal (20%). There was a significant knowledge difference (p < 0.05) between social groups regarding the use of traditional medicinal plants. Insects and ectoparasites disease category (0.95) had higher informant consensus factor value followed by fever disease category (0.91). Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (100%) had a higher fidelity level to treat stomachache, followed by Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman. (87.27%) to treat placenta delay. Ensete ventricosum (total score = 73) was ranked highest as the most preferable medicinal plant for various purposes by local people, followed by Olea welwitschii (Knobl.) Gilg (total score = 72). CONCLUSION:The present study revealed the existence of indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants to treat human and livestock ailments. However, agricultural expansion, firewood collection, environmental degradation, and deforestation are the main threats to medicinal plants. Therefore, there should be mentoring for the local people in the study area to conserve their indigenous knowledge resources and prevent the extinction of medicinal plants.

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Species diversity, composition, structure and management in agroforestry systems: the case of Kachabira district, Southern Ethiopia.

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