Abstract The demand for non-renewable fossil fuel has greatly increased in the last few years from 84 million barrels of fossil fuel per day in 1980’s to over 100 million barrels per day in 1990. To supplement this demand, research on alternative sources has been going on since 1960’s in different parts of the world. Among the alternative sources, the phytoplanktons have shown great promise due to their high oil yield in comparison to energy crops. In Kenya, despite the occurrence of hig...
Abstract Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is an important food crop consumed throughout Africa. However, sweet potato yields are greatly reduced by pests including plant parasitic nematodes. Management of nematodes in sweet potato fields in Kenya has mainly been through the use of nematicides and crop rotation which have limitations. The use of resistant sweet potato cultivars along with other low-cost organic amendments is the most economical, effective, and environmentally safe method of ...
Abstract: The study was conducted on Gondola Mountain forest in Melka Bello Woreda, East Harerghe Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, to determine the floristic composition, vegetation structure, species diversity, species richness, dominance and regeneration status of woody species. Vegetation data were gathered from 50 quadrats of 20 m x 20 m (400 m2) laid systematically along 5 transects. In each quadrat, live woody species were recorded with their number counted and DBH measured for t...
Abstract: Ethiopia, has a long history of using traditional medicinal plants to combat various human and livestock ailments. The purpose of this study was to collect, identify and document traditional medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge of communities of the study area. A total of 100 informants ages >25 were selected to collect information on traditional medicinal plant use from three sampled kebeles. Out of these, 14 key informants (12 male and 2 female) were purposively s...
Abstract: A study was conducted in Ades forest in Tullo Woreda, which is one of the dry afromontane forests with the objective of documenting species composition and assessing species diversity, dominance, population structure and regeneration status. Vegetation data were collected systematically from 67 quadrants of 20 x 20 m (400 m2) along transects. In each quadrat, parameters such as density and diameter at breast height (DBH) for those with DBH>2cm were measured for all live woody speci...
Abstract: The study was conducted on Gemechis natural forest, West Hararghe, Oromia Regional state, Ethiopia with the objective of determining the floristic composition, structural analysis and regeneration of wood plant species. Systematic sampling was used to collect vegetation data. Accordingly,50 sampling quadrats of 20 m x 20 m were laid along six line transects at every 50 m interval within which five 5 m x 5 m small quadrats were laied to sample woody species with 2cm. Fifty one (51) ...
Abstract: The study was conducted in Getta district with the objective of assessing home garden practices and plant species diversity. From purposively selected sample Kebeles', random sampling method and selection of key informants related to indigenous knowledge of home garden was used. Sample plots of 10mx10m laid randomly on homgarden and woody plant species (DBH>2cm) was recorded. 5 small plots (2mx2m) one from the center and one from each corner of big plot was laid to record herbaceou...
Abstract: The Colobus monkey (Colobus guereza) is black and white in color, distributed mainly in forests and savanna woodlands. They are easily be identified by a combination of facial features and tail morphology from other primates; they are also among ideal subjects to study animal abundance and feeding ecology. A cross sectional survey was conducted to provide and document baseline information regarding the population size, feeding ecology and threats to C. guereza in Beteria Forest, Aw...
Abstract: Although forest biosphere reserve interventions are crucial for sustaining forest ecological functions and services, there is a dearth of information on whether the biosphere reserves in the southwest of Ethiopia contribute to the offset of the three intermingled contemporary challenges, including biodiversity loss, climate change, and livelihood sustainability. This dissertation therefore aimed to quantify (i) land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics and its driver in Sheka Forest Bios...
Abstract: The study was conducted in Dabal forest to investigate the floristic composition, population structure and regeneration status of woody plant species (WS) in the forest. 52 nested quadrats of the size 20m × 20m, 10m x 10m and 5m × 5m for tree/shrub, sapling and seedling respectively, were laid systematically along seven line transects. For each quadrat, variables such as altitude, longitude and latitudes were recorded by using Garmin 62 GPS. A meter marked stick was used to measu...
Abstract: Due to a lack of species-site-specific models, information about the carbon (C) stock potential of highland bamboo in various carbon pools is limited. Thus, the objective of this study was to develop an allometric equation for estimating highland bamboo C pools along altitudinal gradients in Garamba forest, southern Ethiopia. Using a systematic design approach, 34 plots were chosen and placed along a transect in the altitude range. Then, bamboo culm diameter at breast height (DBH),...
Abstract: The study was carried out in Hallideghie Wildlife Reserve, Afar National Regional State, Ethiopia with objectives to assess woody species diversity, vegetation structure and carbon stock potential of the reserve. Woody plant species diversity, vegetation structure and carbon stock potential of the study area undertaken in four vegetation type by using stratified sampling approach. A total of 12 horizontal transect lines were laid out in the four vegetation types and a total of 36 q...
Abstract: Homegarden agroforestry is commonly defined as a land use system involving deliberate management of multipurpose trees and shrubs in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops and invariably livestock within the compounds of individual houses, the whole tree-crop, and animal unit are being intensively managed by family labor. The aim of this study was to investigate diversity and composition of homegardens agroforestry (HGAF) and its benefits for rural househ...
Abstract: Soybean is an important crop in the tropical, hot sub-moist agro-ecological zone of western Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is limited due to lack of appropriate plant density for the varieties. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to determine the effect of inter and intra row spacing on growth, yield components and yield of soybean varieties during 2016 cropping season in Dale Sedi District, western Ethiopia. Four inter row spacing (30, 40, 50 and 60 cm) and two intra...
Abstract: One of the basic agronomic practices to improve the yield potential of common bean is identification of optimum plant spacing. Thus, field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of inter-row and intra-row spacing on the yield and yield components of common bean using variety Dursitu (DOR-811) at Chiro District in eastern Ethiopia. The treatment consisted of four inter- row (20, 30, 40 and 50cm) and four intra- row (5, 10, 15 and 20 cm) spacing arranged in factorial combinati...