DIVERSITY, DISTRIBUTION AND RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF MEDIUM AND LARGE-SIZED MAMMALS IN CHUKALA MOUNTAIN FOREST, EAST SHEWA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

An extension of human activities including agriculture into the natural vegetation was resulting negative impacts like decreasing population of the wildlife inhabited the natural habitat. This study was conducted to assess and document diversity, distribution, relative abundance of medium and large size mammals in Chukala Mountain Forest. Preliminary survey was conducted and three habitat types montane forest with grassland, woodland and Bush land were identified. A line transect survey method was implemented to record the mammalian diversity. Representative line transects were randomly selected and permanently surveyed for two seasons. Each transect was surveyed twice a month for three months per season. Data was collected in each line transect by direct and indirect method. A total 12 species, 5 orders and 8 families of species were recorded from the study area. Among them three (3) species; the Grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiopis), rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and Bush hare (Lepus fagani) were medium sized mammals while other nine (9) species were large sized mammals. From these species Olive baboon (Papio anubis) is the most abundant species while leopard (Panthera pardus), Ethiopian hare (Lepus fagani) and Rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) were the least abundant species in the study area. The highest species diversity was recorded in woodland (H’ =1.84) in wet season, followed by montane forest with grassland (H’=1.156) and the least diversified habitat was Buh land (H’=1.03) in the dry season. The similarity of mammalian species were recorded between the montane forest with grassland and Bush land in both seasons (SI=0.73). The major wildlife threats in the study area were fuel wood production, fire, agricultural expansion, charcoal making, deforestation, and over utilization of forest resources. To preserve mammalian diversity in the study area the local administration should forbid agriculture and open grazing in the natural vegetation areas and encourage community based conservation strategies.