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Article ; Online: Effects of Prosopis juliflora Invasion on Native Species Diversity and Woody Species Regenerations in Rangelands of Afar National Regional State, Northeast Ethiopia

Shiferaw, Wakshum / Sebsebe Demissew / Bekele, Tamrat / Aynekulu, Ermias

Journal of Resources and Ecology. 2022 Dec. 12, v. 14, no. 1 p.35-45

2022

Abstract: Investigation of the invasion of Prosopis juliflora and its effects on indigenous plant species are important for the control of the species. The study aimed to assess: (1) the effects of Prosopis juliflora invasion on the diversity of plant species in ... ...

Abstract	Investigation of the invasion of Prosopis juliflora and its effects on indigenous plant species are important for the control of the species. The study aimed to assess: (1) the effects of Prosopis juliflora invasion on the diversity of plant species in Awash Fentale and Amibara Woredas; (2) the effects of Prosopis juliflora invasion on the regeneration potential of native woody species. Sample collection was performed in habitats of Prosopis juliflora thicket, Prosopis juliflora mixed with native species stands, non-invaded woodlands, and open grazing lands. The vegetation was stratified into invasion levels of Prosopis juliflora and then a random sampling technique for data collection. Among species of plants, the highest proportion of species, 75 (47.8%), was recorded under non-invaded woodlands, but the lowest proportion of species, 22 (14%), was recorded under open grazing lands. The invasion of Prosopis juliflora reduced the Shannon diversity index. The mean values of the Shannon diversity index and species richness under Prosopis juliflora mixed with native species (H′=2.22, R=14) and non-invaded woodlands (H′=2.23, R=13) were significantly higher than Prosopis juliflora thicket (H′=1.96, R=12) and open grazing lands (H′=1.84, R=10). The highest total density (358 stems ha–¹) of seedlings was recorded under Prosopis juliflora mixed with native species. But, the lowest total density (153 stems ha–¹) of seedlings was recorded under Prosopis juliflora thickets. Moreover, 102 trees ha–¹ native woody species were recorded under Prosopis juliflora thicket, but 1252 trees ha–¹ native species were recorded under non-invaded woodlands. If the invasion of Prosopis juliflora and its effects on native species diversity continue coupled with a drier climate, plant diversity of the Afar flora region will be highly affected and its ecosystem services will be under question. Thus, the participation of all stakeholders and multidisciplinary research approaches should be designed for the management of the species and rehabilitation of the rangelands in the region.
Keywords	Prosopis juliflora ; climate ; data collection ; ecosystems ; flora ; indigenous species ; rangelands ; species richness ; stakeholders ; vegetation ; woody plants ; Ethiopia ; composition ; diversity indices ; habitat ; invasion level, pastoralists
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-1212
Size	p. 35-45.
Publishing place	Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Document type	Article ; Online
DOI	10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2023.01.004
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article ; Online: Determinants of plant community along environmental gradients in Geramo forest, the western escarpment of the rift valley of Ethiopia.

Getaneh, Zeleke Assefa / Demissew, Sebsebe / Woldu, Zerihun / Aynekulu, Ermias

PloS one

2023 Volume 18, Issue 11, Page(s) e0294324

Abstract: Detailed information on plant community types, distribution, and their relationships with various environmental gradients is crucial for understanding forest dynamics and sustainable forest management because plant community types are influenced by ... ...

Abstract	Detailed information on plant community types, distribution, and their relationships with various environmental gradients is crucial for understanding forest dynamics and sustainable forest management because plant community types are influenced by various environmental factors. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate plant community types and species diversity in relation to various environmental gradients in Geramo Forest, which is a remnant forest in the western escarpment of the Rift Valley of Ethiopia. Vegetation data were collected in 96 nested plots (20 × 20 m2 and five 1 ×1 m2) laid systematically at a distance of 250 m along 16 line transects, which were laid 300 m apart. Environmental and disturbance variables were also collected from each main plot. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis and Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with R software were used to identify plant community types and analyze the relationship between plant community types and environmental variables, respectively. The Shannon Wiener diversity index was used to compute species diversity among community types. Five significantly different (p ≤ 0.001) plant community types were identified. The CCA results showed that species diversity and community composition among different community types were significantly influenced by altitude, disturbance, soil organic carbon, slope, soil available phosphorus, and pH, which revealed the compounded effect of various environmental factors on species richness, diversity, and evenness among plant community types. The study also identified a significant level of anthropogenic disturbance and a strong reliance of the local community on the forest in the research area. Therefore, it is recommended that sustainable forest conservation interventions be implemented through awareness creation and the promotion of community-based approaches.
MeSH term(s)	Ethiopia ; Carbon ; Biodiversity ; Soil/chemistry ; Forests ; Plants
Chemical Substances	Carbon (7440-44-0) ; Soil
Language	English
Publishing date	2023-11-27
Publishing country	United States
Document type	Journal Article
ZDB-ID	2267670-3
ISSN	1932-6203 ; 1932-6203
ISSN (online)	1932-6203
ISSN	1932-6203
DOI	10.1371/journal.pone.0294324
Database	MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE

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Article ; Online: Community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia.

Shiferaw, Wakshum / Demissew, Sebsebe / Bekele, Tamrat / Aynekulu, Ermias

PloS one

2022 Volume 17, Issue 1, Page(s) e0261838

Abstract: This study aimed to assess community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northern Ethiopia. Using purposive sampling and stratified random methods, 20 members of key informants and 154 ... ...

Abstract	This study aimed to assess community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northern Ethiopia. Using purposive sampling and stratified random methods, 20 members of key informants and 154 households from four sites of Awash Fentale and Amibara Districts were selected. For data analysis, we used Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests of K independent samples. About 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale reported that Prosopis juliflora was largely introduced into their landscape by livestock. It showed that 29% of the respondents in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara responded that Prosopis juliflora largely invaded and affected rangelands. Morevover, about 1% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora hindered movements of livestock. In addition, 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale believe that Prosopis juliflora was largely dispersed by livestock. It showed that 20% of households in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara have the notion that Prosopis juliflora majorly impacted rangelands. Whereas 1.3% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora have hampered the movement of livestock. Thus, the afromentioned findings are implications for management of rangelands. With regard to the control of Prosopis juliflora invasions, 12% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 33% in Amibara District tried control its expansion by fire. About 10% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 9% in Amibara district managed Prosopis juliflora expansion by its utilization, whereas, in Awash Fentale (11%) and Amibara (8%) households indicated that invasion of Prosopis juliflora could be controlled by mechanical methods. It is advisable to do some managerial work to reverse these impacts as perceived by local communities in the study area to avert the aggressive proliferation of Prosopis juliflora in the region.
MeSH term(s)	Ethiopia ; Introduced Species ; Prosopis/growth & development ; Weed Control
Language	English
Publishing date	2022-01-25
Publishing country	United States
Document type	Journal Article
ZDB-ID	2267670-3
ISSN	1932-6203 ; 1932-6203
ISSN (online)	1932-6203
ISSN	1932-6203
DOI	10.1371/journal.pone.0261838
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Book ; Online: Including soil organic carbon into nationally determined contributions

Aynekulu, Ermias / Vagen, Tor-Gunnar / Winowiecki, Leigh Ann

Insights from Kenya

2023

Abstract: Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable and regenerative food systems and provide several vital ecosystem services. Sequestering carbon in agricultural soils, for example, can have mutual benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, ... ...

Abstract	Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable and regenerative food systems and provide several vital ecosystem services. Sequestering carbon in agricultural soils, for example, can have mutual benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and nutrition security, biodiversity, and water resilience. Despite these benefits, there are few policies that incentivize farmers to invest in maintaining and improving soil health. This policy brief highlights opportunities for the inclusion of soil health and soil organic carbon (SOC) into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as a key step for governments to support farmers in investing in their soil. This activity builds on recent assessments including a paper that extensively reviewed the first-round of 184 NDCs concluding that only 28 countries referred to SOC, peatlands or wetlands (1). This review and the subsequent interviews with experts (n=8) indicated the importance of understanding the impact of land management on SOC storage and dynamics (1). As a follow-up, Rose et al (2) focused on the updated NDCs and found that the number of countries that included SOC in their updated NDC increased compared to the first-round NDC process (2). This review also highlighted that 19 countries highlighted the need for financing for SOC and related measures (2).
Keywords	agriculture ; climate-smart agriculture ; climate information services ; climate change ; soil
Language	English
Publishing date	2023-01-03T19:22:03Z
Publisher	Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa
Publishing country	fr
Document type	Book ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Book ; Online: Including soil organic carbon into nationally determined contributions

Wolde-Meskel, Endalkachew / Amanu, Tamiru / Aynekulu, Ermias / Winowiecki, Leigh Ann

Insights from Ethiopia

2023

Abstract	Healthy soils are the foundation of sustainable and regenerative food systems and provide several vital ecosystem services. Sequestering carbon in agricultural soils, for example, can have mutual benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, food and nutrition security, biodiversity, and water resilience. Despite these benefits, there are few policies that incentivize farmers to invest in maintaining and improving soil health. This policy brief highlights opportunities for the inclusion of soil health and soil organic carbon (SOC) into the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in Ethiopia as a key step for governments to support farmers in investing in their soil. We interviewed key informants involved in the NDC process to understand the process for the developing the NDC targets and investigated reasons why policy makers did or did not include soil in these targets.
Keywords	agriculture ; climate-smart agriculture ; soil ; soil organic carbon
Language	English
Publishing date	2023-01-03T19:43:31Z
Publisher	Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa
Publishing country	fr
Document type	Book ; Online
Database	BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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Article ; Online: Mapping the information landscape of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Strategy

Meli, Paula / Schweizer, Daniella / Winowiecki, Leigh A. / Chomba, Suzanne Wangui / Aynekulu, Ermias / Guariguata, Manuel R.

Restoration Ecology. 2023 Jan., v. 31, no. 1 p.e13810-

2023

Abstract: The strategy of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration identifies three pathways for action for overcoming six global barriers thought to hamper upscaling. We evaluated 6,023 peer‐reviewed and gray literature papers published over the last ... ...

Abstract	The strategy of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration identifies three pathways for action for overcoming six global barriers thought to hamper upscaling. We evaluated 6,023 peer‐reviewed and gray literature papers published over the last two decades to map the information landscape underlying the barriers and associated pathways for action across world regions, terrestrial ecosystem types, restorative interventions and their outcomes. Overall, the literature addressed more the financial and legislative barriers than the technical and research‐related ones, supporting the view that social, economic and political factors hamper scaling up ecosystem restoration. Latin America, Africa, and North America were the most prominent regions in the literature, yet differed in the number of publications addressing each barrier. An overwhelming number of publications focused on forests (78%), while grasslands (6%), drylands (3%), and mangroves (2%) received less attention. Across the three pathways for action, the action lines on (1) promoting long‐term ecosystem restoration actions and monitoring and (2) education on restoration were the most underrepresented in the literature. In general, restorative interventions assessed rendered positive outcomes except those of a political, legislative or financial nature which reported negative or inconclusive outcomes. Our indicative assessment reveals critical information gaps on barriers, pathways, and types of restorative interventions across world regions, particularly related to specific social issues such as education for ecosystem restoration. Finally, we call for refining “strength of evidence” assessment frameworks that can systematically appraise, synthesize and integrate information on traditional and practitioner knowledge as two essential components for improving decision‐making in ecosystem restoration.
Keywords	arid lands ; decision making ; ecological restoration ; education ; information networks ; politics ; terrestrial ecosystems ; Africa ; Latin America ; North America
Language	English
Dates of publication	2023-01
Publishing place	Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Document type	Article ; Online
Note	REVIEW
ZDB-ID	914746-9
ISSN	1526-100X ; 1061-2971
ISSN (online)	1526-100X
ISSN	1061-2971
DOI	10.1111/rec.13810
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article ; Online: Gender gap in perspectives of the impacts of degradation and restoration on ecosystem services in Ethiopia

Mponela, Powell / Aynekulu, Ermias / Ebrahim, Mohammed / Abate, Tsion / Abera, Wuletawu / Zaremba, Haley / Elias, Marlène / Tamene, Lulseged

Land Degradation & Development. 2023 Sept., v. 34, no. 15 p.4503-4516

2023

Abstract: The importance of land restoration has garnered increasing attention on the global stage through large‐scale initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge. However, policies and strategies are often gender‐blind and designed in compliance with entrenched social ...

Abstract	The importance of land restoration has garnered increasing attention on the global stage through large‐scale initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge. However, policies and strategies are often gender‐blind and designed in compliance with entrenched social hierarchies, exacerbating pre‐existing social inequalities that affect restoration initiatives. The challenge of developing gender‐responsive policies and initiatives is accentuated by a persistent lack of sex‐disaggregated data concerning men's and women's differing perceptions and experiences. This study aims to help fill this gap by capturing the differences in men and women's perceptions of ecosystem services before and after restoration interventions in Ethiopia. Towards that end, in October 2021, we collected data from fifty‐nine (59) paired husband‐wife households and six gender‐segregated focus group discussions in two regions of Ethiopia: Amhara and Southern Nations, and Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP). Kendall's concordance analysis established a strong degree of disagreement between men's and women's ratings of restoration outcomes for most indicators. Men attributed degradation to landscape conditions and natural forces, while women considered the lack of appropriate restoration strategies as a precursor for accelerated degradation. The study also reveals that men tended to benefit more than women from enhanced ecosystem services post‐restoration, with increased labour and land management burdens often falling on the shoulders of women. Based on these findings, we argue that including men's and women's perspectives from the earliest planning phases of restoration initiatives is essential to ensure greater equity in benefit‐sharing, mitigate trade‐offs for women, and build more nuanced, just and successful approaches to restoration.
Keywords	compliance ; ecosystems ; focus groups ; gender ; labor ; land degradation ; land restoration ; Ethiopia
Language	English
Dates of publication	2023-09
Size	p. 4503-4516.
Publishing place	John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Document type	Article ; Online
Note	JOURNAL ARTICLE
ZDB-ID	1319202-4
ISSN	1085-3278
ISSN	1085-3278
DOI	10.1002/ldr.4764
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Accounting for analytical and proximal soil sensing errors in digital soil mapping

Takoutsing, Bertin / Heuvelink, Gerard B. M. / Stoorvogel, Jetse J. / Shepherd, Keith D. / Aynekulu, Ermias

European journal of soil science. 2022 Mar., v. 73, no. 2

2022

Abstract: Digital soil mapping (DSM) approaches provide soil information by utilising the relationship between soil properties and environmental variables. Calibration of DSM models requires measurements that may often have substantial measurement errors which ... ...

Abstract	Digital soil mapping (DSM) approaches provide soil information by utilising the relationship between soil properties and environmental variables. Calibration of DSM models requires measurements that may often have substantial measurement errors which propagate to the DSM outputs and need to be accounted for. This study applied a geostatistical‐based DSM approach that incorporates measurement error variances in the covariance structure of the spatial model, weights measurements in accordance with their measurement accuracies and assesses the effects of measurement errors on the accuracies of DSM outputs. The method was applied in the Western Cameroon, where soil samples from 480 locations were collected and analysed for pH, clay and soil organic carbon (SOC) using conventional and mid‐infrared spectroscopy methods. Variogram parameters and regression coefficients were estimated using residual maximum likelihood under two scenarios: with and without taking measurement errors into account. Performance of the spatial models in the two scenarios was compared using validation metrics obtained with three types of cross‐validation. Acknowledging measurement errors impacted the regression coefficients and influenced the variogram parameters by reducing the nugget and sill variance for the three soil properties. Validation metrics including mean error, root mean square error and model efficiency coefficient were quite similar in both scenarios, but the prediction uncertainties were more realistically quantified by the models that account for measurement errors, as indicated by accuracy plots. There were relatively small absolute differences in predicted values of soil properties of up to 0.1 for pH, 1.6% for clay and 2 g/kg for SOC between the two scenarios. We emphasised the need of incorporating measurement errors in DSM approaches to improve uncertainty quantification, particularly when applying spectroscopy for estimating soil properties. Further development of the approach is the extension to non‐linear machine learning regression methods. HIGHLIGHTS: Errors in soil measurements are usually not accounted for and may affect DSM results. Measurement error variances were incorporated in the geostatistical models of three soil properties. Quantifying measurement errors in DSM allows to weigh measurements in accordance with their accuracy. Accounting for measurement errors in DSM better assesses prediction accuracy.
Keywords	clay ; covariance ; geostatistics ; models ; pH ; prediction ; soil organic carbon ; spectroscopy ; uncertainty ; variance ; Cameroon
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-03
Publishing place	Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Document type	Article
Note	JOURNAL ARTICLE
ZDB-ID	1191614-x
ISSN	1365-2389 ; 1351-0754
ISSN (online)	1365-2389
ISSN	1351-0754
DOI	10.1111/ejss.13226
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Mismatch between soil nutrient deficiencies and fertilizer applications: Implications for yield responses in Ethiopia

Abay, Kibrom A. / Abay, Mehari H. / Amare, Mulubrhan / Berhane, Guush / Aynekulu, Ermias

Agricultural economics. 2022 Mar., v. 53, no. 2

2022

Abstract: Lack of accurate information about soil nutrient deficiencies coupled with limited access to appropriate fertilizers could lead to mismatch between soil nutrient deficiencies (requirements) and fertilizer applications. Such anomalies and mismatches are ... ...

Abstract	Lack of accurate information about soil nutrient deficiencies coupled with limited access to appropriate fertilizers could lead to mismatch between soil nutrient deficiencies (requirements) and fertilizer applications. Such anomalies and mismatches are likely to have important implications for agricultural productivity. In this article we use experimental (spectral soil analysis) data from Ethiopia to examine farmers’ response to soil nutrient deficiencies and its implications for yield responses. We find that farmers’ response to macronutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) deficiencies is not always consistent with agronomic recommendations. For example, we find that farmers in our sample are applying nitrogen fertilizers to soils lacking phosphorus, potentially due to lack of information on soil nutrient deficiencies or lack of access to appropriate fertilizers in rural markets. On the other hand, farmers respond to perceivably poor‐quality and acidic soils by applying higher amount of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. We further show that such mismatches between fertilizer applications and soil macronutrient deficiencies are potentially yield‐reducing. Those farmers matching their soil nutrient deficiencies (requirements) and fertilizer application are likely to enjoy additional yield gains. Marginal yield response associated with nitrogen (phosphorus) application increases with nitrogen (phosphorus) deficiency in soils. Similarly, we find that farmers’ response to acidic soils is not yield‐enhancing. These findings suggest that such mismatches may explain heterogeneities in marginal returns to chemical fertilizers and the observed low adoption rates of chemical fertilizers in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Keywords	agricultural productivity ; fertilizer application ; nitrogen ; phosphorus ; soil analysis ; soil nutrients ; Ethiopia
Language	English
Dates of publication	2022-03
Size	p. 215-230.
Publishing place	John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Document type	Article
Note	JOURNAL ARTICLE
ZDB-ID	742889-3
ISSN	0169-5150
ISSN	0169-5150
DOI	10.1111/agec.12689
Database	NAL-Catalogue (AGRICOLA)

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Article: Continuous resin tapping for frankincense harvest increases susceptibility of

Negussie, Aklilu / Gebrehiwot, Kindeya / Yohannes, Mekonnen / Norgrove, Lindsey / Aynekulu, Ermias

Heliyon

2021 Volume 7, Issue 2, Page(s) e06250

Abstract: Frankincense is an important tree resin that provides a livelihood in the semi-arid lower highlands of East Africa. In the absence of sustainable management strategies, ...

Abstract	Frankincense is an important tree resin that provides a livelihood in the semi-arid lower highlands of East Africa. In the absence of sustainable management strategies,
Language	English
Publishing date	2021-02-23
Publishing country	England
Document type	Journal Article
ZDB-ID	2835763-2
ISSN	2405-8440
ISSN	2405-8440
DOI	10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06250
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