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Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia

Received: 08 November 2018    Accepted: 18 December 2018    Published: 04 January 2019
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Abstract

Homegarden agroforestry system mostly constitutes complex multi-strata than other agroforestry systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure, composition and diversity of plant species growing in homegarden agroforestry system in Bulen district, North-West Ethiopia. The study was conducted in five kebeles of the district, which were randomly selected. Systematic random sampling procedure was employed to select households from each kebele. Thus, 138 households from each site were selected proportionally. The result from the surveyed 138 households indicated that 110 (80%) were practicing homegarden agroforestry system. The determination of vertical and horizontal structure of the vegetation was conducted for 110 homegardens. All woody species and herbaceous species were counted and recorded in 5m x 5m and 1mx1m quadrants, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 22 plant species belonging to 15 families were recorded in sampled homegardens in which about 3-5 different species of plants per quadrant were recorded. A higher Shannon diversity index of plant species in the study area were (H'=2.44) while the lower Shannon diversity index were (H'=2.21). The studied homegarden agroforestry system had complex structure both vertically and horizontally, which in turn provide economical benefit and ecological service to the households.

DOI 10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12
Published in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Volume 7, Issue 6, December 2018)
Page(s) 121-132
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Homegarden Agroforestry System, Vegetation Composition, Woody Plants, Herbaceous Plants, Species Diversity Index

References
[1] Kumar B. M, and Nair PKR.2006. Tropical homegardens. Atime-tested example of sustainable agroforestry, Advancesin Agroforestry, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht
[2] Albuquerque U. P., Andrade L. H. C. and Caballero J. 2005. Structure and floristic of homegardens in north-eastern Brazil. Arid environment 62:491-506
[3] Fernandes, E. C. M., Oktingati, A. and Maghembe, J. 1984. The Chagga homegardens: A multi storeyed agroforestry cropping systems on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Northern Tanzania. Journal of Agroforestry Systems 2: 73 – 86.
[4] Kumar B. M. and Nair P. K. R. 2004. The enigma of tropical homegardens. Agroforestry Systems 61:135 – 152.
[5] Magurran, A. E. 1988. Introduction: measurement of (biological) diversity. Samplein Ecological diversity and its measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
[6] Huston MA. 1994. Biological diversity: the coexistence of species on changing landscapes. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
[7] Lamont, S. R. and Eshabugh, W. H. 1999. Species composition diversity and use of homegardens among three Amazonian village; Economic Botany, 54: 312.
[8] Galluzzi, G., Eyzaguirre, P., and Negri, V. 2010. Homegardens: neglected hotspots of agrobiodiversity and cultural diversity. Biodiversity and Conservation. 19: 3635-3654.
[9] Godden, B. (2004). Sample Size Formulas. Journal of Statistics, 3, 66.
[10] Millate M., Johna B. and Zewege T. 1996. Structure and floristic of Bangladesh homrgardens. Agroforestry systems 33:263-280 Pandey C., Kanak L., Venkatesh A. and Mehdi R., 2006. Diversity and species structure of homegardens in south Andaman, India. Tropical Ecology 47:251-258.
[11] Fernandes, E. C. M. and P. K. R. Nair. 1986. An evaluation of the structure and function of tropical homegardens. Agricultural Systems 21: 179-310.
[12] Fentahun Mengistu. 2008. Fruit tree species in the wild and in homegarden agroforestry: Species composition, diversity and utilization in western Amhara region, Ethiopia. PhD. Thesis. Vienna University, Vienna.
[13] Kent, M. and Coker, P. 1992. Vegetation Description and Analysis. A practical approach. Belhaven press, London. Pp. 263.
[14] Martin, G. J. (1995): Ethnobotany: A Methods Manual. Chapman and Hall, London, 267 pp.
[15] Shannon, C. E., and Wiener, W.(1949). The mathematical theory of Communication. Unversity of Illions Press. Urbana III.
[16] Zemede, A. and Ayele, N. 1995. Homegardens in Ethiopia: characteristics and plant diversity. Ethiopian Journal of Science 18(2):235-266.
[17] Melese Mengitu, Daniel Fitamo. 2015. Plant Species Diversity and Composition of the Homegardens in DillaZuriyaDistrict, Gedeo Zone, SNNPRS, Ethiopia. Plant. Vol. 3, No. 6, 2015, pp. 80-86. doi: 10.11648/j.plant.20150306.14.
[18] Zebene Asfaw, Ewuketu Linger and Solomon Zewudie. 2015. Plant Species Richness and Structure of Homegarden Agroforestry in Jabithenan District, North-Western Ethiopia. International Journal of Environmental Sciences. Vol. 4 No. 2. 2015. Pp. 52-58.
[19] Tesfaye Abebe. 2005. Diversity in homegarden agroforestry systems of southern Ethiopia. Wageningen University, the Netherlands, Tropical Resource Management Paper No. 59,143p.
Author Information
  • College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

  • College of Natural Resource and Environmental Sciences, Oda-Bultum University, Chiro, Ethiopia

  • College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Haramaya University, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia

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    Megabit Beyene, Muktar Mohammed, Lisanework Nigatu. (2019). Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 7(6), 121-132. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12

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    ACS Style

    Megabit Beyene; Muktar Mohammed; Lisanework Nigatu. Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia. Agric. For. Fish. 2019, 7(6), 121-132. doi: 10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12

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    AMA Style

    Megabit Beyene, Muktar Mohammed, Lisanework Nigatu. Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia. Agric For Fish. 2019;7(6):121-132. doi: 10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12,
      author = {Megabit Beyene and Muktar Mohammed and Lisanework Nigatu},
      title = {Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia},
      journal = {Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries},
      volume = {7},
      number = {6},
      pages = {121-132},
      doi = {10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.aff.20180706.12},
      abstract = {Homegarden agroforestry system mostly constitutes complex multi-strata than other agroforestry systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure, composition and diversity of plant species growing in homegarden agroforestry system in Bulen district, North-West Ethiopia. The study was conducted in five kebeles of the district, which were randomly selected. Systematic random sampling procedure was employed to select households from each kebele. Thus, 138 households from each site were selected proportionally. The result from the surveyed 138 households indicated that 110 (80%) were practicing homegarden agroforestry system. The determination of vertical and horizontal structure of the vegetation was conducted for 110 homegardens. All woody species and herbaceous species were counted and recorded in 5m x 5m and 1mx1m quadrants, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 22 plant species belonging to 15 families were recorded in sampled homegardens in which about 3-5 different species of plants per quadrant were recorded. A higher Shannon diversity index of plant species in the study area were (H'=2.44) while the lower Shannon diversity index were (H'=2.21). The studied homegarden agroforestry system had complex structure both vertically and horizontally, which in turn provide economical benefit and ecological service to the households.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Plant Species Diversity and Structure in Homegarden Agroforestry Systems of Bulen District, North-Western Ethiopia
    AU  - Megabit Beyene
    AU  - Muktar Mohammed
    AU  - Lisanework Nigatu
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12
    T2  - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
    JF  - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
    JO  - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
    SP  - 121
    EP  - 132
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5648
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.aff.20180706.12
    AB  - Homegarden agroforestry system mostly constitutes complex multi-strata than other agroforestry systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the structure, composition and diversity of plant species growing in homegarden agroforestry system in Bulen district, North-West Ethiopia. The study was conducted in five kebeles of the district, which were randomly selected. Systematic random sampling procedure was employed to select households from each kebele. Thus, 138 households from each site were selected proportionally. The result from the surveyed 138 households indicated that 110 (80%) were practicing homegarden agroforestry system. The determination of vertical and horizontal structure of the vegetation was conducted for 110 homegardens. All woody species and herbaceous species were counted and recorded in 5m x 5m and 1mx1m quadrants, respectively. Furthermore, a total of 22 plant species belonging to 15 families were recorded in sampled homegardens in which about 3-5 different species of plants per quadrant were recorded. A higher Shannon diversity index of plant species in the study area were (H'=2.44) while the lower Shannon diversity index were (H'=2.21). The studied homegarden agroforestry system had complex structure both vertically and horizontally, which in turn provide economical benefit and ecological service to the households.
    VL  - 7
    IS  - 6
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