Zerihun Girma - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Zerihun Girma

Research Square (Research Square), Feb 21, 2024

Background Geladas are mainly found in afro-alpine grasslands and rocky terrains across different... more Background Geladas are mainly found in afro-alpine grasslands and rocky terrains across different provinces in Ethiopia, ranging in altitude from 1,800 to 4,400 meters above sea level. They mainly feed on graminoids, forb leaves, forb roots, corms, and other resources. Despite regional variations in feeding behaviors, there has been no prior scienti c study in the Abune Yosef Zigit Community Conservation Area. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the dietary composition and preferences of southern geladas in this speci c conservation area. Results On average, Southern geladas consumed a total of 22 plants, three insect species, and unidenti ed tubers. Their diet embraced approximately 55.11% forbs, 41.71% graminoids, 1.61% insects, and 1.59% unidenti ed tubers. Festuca richardii (12.55%) and Rumex nepalensis(10.80%) emerged as the top two preferred fodder species. Its dietary preference are notably impacted by the availability of plants and the frequency of utilization (P≤0.05). Conclusion The dietary patterns of Southern gelada in the Abune Yosef area reveal distinctive features in its food composition, characterized by a predominant consumption of forbs, grasses, and tubers. In contrast to regional comparisons highlighting a reduced diversity of consumed plant species, the persistence of a consistent diet throughout both dry and wet seasons emphasizes a level of dietary stability within this primate population. Festuca richardii stands out as the most desired diet for geladas, suggesting that supporting its plantation could be bene cial to increase its availability.

Ecology and Evolution, Jun 1, 2023

Endemic gelada populations outside protected areas are less investigated, and population census d... more Endemic gelada populations outside protected areas are less investigated, and population census data are not available. As a result, a study was conducted to investigate the population size, structure, and distribution of geladas in Kotu forest and associated grasslands, in northern Ethiopia. The study area was stratified into five dominant habitat types namely, grassland, wooded grassland, plantation forest, natural forest, and bushland based on dominant vegetation type. Each habitat type was further divided into blocks, and a total counting technique was used to count the individuals of gelada. The total mean population size of gelada in Kotu forest was 229 ± 6.11. The mean ratio of male to female was 1:1.178. The gelada age composition comprised is as follows: 113 (49.34%) adults, 77 (33.62%) sub‐adults, and 39 (17.03%) juveniles. The mean number of group one‐male unit ranged from 1.5 ± 0.2 in the plantation forest to 4.5 ± 0.7 in the grassland habitat. On the other hand, all‐male unit social system group was recorded only from grassland (1.5) and plantation forest (1) habitats. The average band size (number of individuals per band) was 45.0 ± 2.53. The largest number of geladas was recorded from grassland habitat 68 (29.87%), and the lowest was recorded from plantation forest habitat 34 (14.74%). Even though, the sex ratio was female biased, the proportion of juveniles to other age classes was very low compared with geladas in relatively well‐protected areas, indicating negative consequences for the future viability of the gelada populations in the area. Geladas were widely distributed over open grassland habitat. Therefore, for sustainable conservation of the geladas in the area, there is a need for integrated management of the area with special attention on the conservation of the grassland habitat.

Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution

Bohor reedbuck is a medium-sized, even-toed ungulate species endemic to Africa. Its population is... more Bohor reedbuck is a medium-sized, even-toed ungulate species endemic to Africa. Its population is gradually declining, and an estimation of Meta populations is required to determine its current population status and as an input for conservation action. To this end, this study aimed to investigate this species’ population size and diurnal activity patterns in the compound of Alage Agricultural College, Central rift valley of Ethiopia. A total count was conducted to determine the population size of Bohor reedbuck by dividing the study area into different blocks. Continuous focal animal observations were used to collect data on activity patterns by recording group activities with five minutes intervals. The results revealed that the mean population size of Bohor reedbuck counted during the study period was (SE) with a density of 1.74 per km2. Females formed the dominant group in the population. From the mean total population size of Bohor reedbucks, 47.42% were adults. The mean group s...

The Grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiop aethiops) is an old-world primate Monkey species distribut... more The Grivet monkey (Chlorocebus aethiop aethiops) is an old-world primate Monkey species distributed on the east of the White Nile in Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti. The study on activity patterns and feeding habits of Grivet Monkeys in and around Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource was carried out from February 2021 to August 2022 during both the wet and dry season. Instantaneous scan sampling method was used at 15-min intervals for up to 10 minutes duration. During each scan, individuals were recorded as performing one of the following activities: feeding, moving, resting, grooming, playing, and others. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics such as One-way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U-test were used to analyze data.On average, the greatest proportion of the activity time budget of the grivet monkey was devoted to feeding (29.5±0.6%), followed by resting (27±0.8%), moving (26±0.2%), grooming (9±0.2%), playing (5.5±0.6%) and th...

Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy

The role of community conservation areas for large mammals is rarely evaluated. We investigate th... more The role of community conservation areas for large mammals is rarely evaluated. We investigate the species diversity and relative abundance of large mammals in the Dodola Community Conservation Area and compared the results with a large mammals survey 12 years prior. The study area was stratified into three habitat types, and 49 lines transect was laid (27 Dry evergreen Afromontane forests, 20 Sub-afro-alpine habitats, and 2 plantation forests) based on topography, land use, and vegetation cover of the study area. A total of 24 species of large mammals were identified and recorded in the study area. Seasonal variation in abundance of individuals of large mammals was significant (χ2 = 26.66, df = 1, p < 0.05). We conclude that most large mammal population sizes have increased over the last 12 years. Though, the community conservation area is home to diverse species of mammals including some endemic and endangered ones such as mountain nyala and Bale Monkey, human encroachment, agr...

Ethnobotany Research and Applications

Background: Plants are important sources of traditional medicine in many cultures. Ethiopia, bein... more Background: Plants are important sources of traditional medicine in many cultures. Ethiopia, being rich in floral and cultural diversity, merits documentation of medicinal plants and associated traditional medicinal knowledge in various parts of the country. To this end, an ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants was conducted in Nensebo district, southern Ethiopia. Methods: Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field guided walks, direct observation, focus group discussions and market surveys from December 2018 to February 2019. Both descriptive and quantitative methods were used for data analysis, as appropriate. Ethnobotanical data analysis techniques such as informant consensus factor, paired comparison, and preference ranking. Results: A total of 127 medicinal plant species belonging to 108 genera and 67 families were identified and documented. Medicinal plants were mostly (60%) collected from the wild. Of the recorded plant species, 70% were reported to be used to treat human ailments and 12% were used to treat livestock ailments. Herbs were the most frequently harvested medicinal plant growth form (32%). Among the plant parts used for medicine, leaves (36%) were the most frequently used. The most widely used mode of preparation for medicines was crushing (38%) and the most frequent route of administration was orally (31%). The most common human aliments treated in the area were gonorrhea, diarrhea, fever, tapeworm and headache, whereas the most common livestock aliments treated in the area were blackleg, cattle coughing, equine coughing, equine rheumatism. There was 21% informant consensus that Croton macrostachyus is effective in treating the common human aliment gonorrhea and also the preference raking findings indicated that Croton macrostachyus as most preferred medicinal plant species to treat gonorrhea. Conclusions: Several medicinal plant species and associated indigenous knowledge were reported to be used to treat human and livestock ailments, implying the local community depends on them for primary health care. As a result, there is a need for conservation of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge in the area.

An endemic mammal mountain nyala has declined substantially in number and range of its distributi... more An endemic mammal mountain nyala has declined substantially in number and range of its distribution. Thus, Ecological monitoring is essential for conservation. Past ecological studies on mountain nyala focused more on demography, dynamics and social organization of the species but less attention was paid to the diet composition and preferences. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess diet composition and preferences of mountain nyala in Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP), Ethiopia. The study was conducted from September 2017 – January 2018 during both wet and dry seasons. Direct observation scan sampling method was employed to collect behavior data in two habitat types namely; Gaysay grassland and woodland (park head quarter) of BMNP. Scan sampling of target group selected were carried out for 10 minutes in 15 minutes interval and routine follow up were carried out (early morning and late afternoon) to identify plant species consumed by the species and the frequency of consumptio...

Diversity

Invasive alien species are considered the second greatest global threat to biodiversity. This stu... more Invasive alien species are considered the second greatest global threat to biodiversity. This study is aimed at determining the impacts of Parthenium hysterophorus on herbaceous and woody plant species diversity in the Ginir district, southeast Ethiopia. Data on vegetation were collected from the three study sites’ four land use types, with each land use type having invaded and non-invaded land units. A systematic random sampling method was used for establishing sampling plots. To examine the impacts of the invasive on native plant diversity, a total of 160 plots (120 plots of 1 m2 on grazing lands, roadsides, and abandoned agricultural lands and 40 plots of 20 m2 for sampling herbaceous and tree (shrub) species, respectively) were established. The number of plots was equally distributed in both invaded and adjacent non-invaded areas. Plant species from each plot were recorded and identified. In each plot, all the individuals of P. hysterophorus were counted, the heights of the five...

Journal of Basic and Applied Research International

Across the world throughout the age, plants have been an important source of both defensive and c... more Across the world throughout the age, plants have been an important source of both defensive and curative traditional medicine preparation for human and livestock diseases. However, in the Kore district no ethnobotanical exploration had previously been conducted. Therefore, the present study was conducted to identify plant species that are used as traditional medicines for the treatment of human and livestock diseases and to determine and document traditional medicinal plant parts used, their mode of preparation, dosage, route of administration of remedies and associated traditional knowledge in the study area. The result of the survey revealed that a total of 97 medicinal plants belonging to 91 genera and 53 families were identified. From the total plant species (64.9%) were collected from wild vegetation and (15.4%) are from home gardens and the rest of 12.4% are from roadsides, fences, farmlands and villages. In the study area (62.9%) species were recorded for the treatment of hum...

Ecology and Evolution, 2020

Abstract Numerous indices have been developed to compare use and availability of foods in field d... more Abstract Numerous indices have been developed to compare use and availability of foods in field diets of wild ungulates. However, little attention has been given to laboratory analysis for comparing food preferences. To this end, a study aimed at investigating the diet composition and preference of Bohor reedbuck was conducted in the compound of Alage Agricultural College, Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia from 2017 to 2018 encompassing both dry and wet seasons. Bohor reedbuck is a medium sized horned antelope species endemic to Africa. Continuous focal animal observation was used to collect the data on plant species included in the diet of Bohor reedbuck. Focal individuals’ observation was carried out for 30 min in 10 min sampling interval during their active feeding period (early morning and late afternoon) over four different habitat types. The nutrient composition of plants consumed was determined using wet chemistry laboratory analysis. Bohor reedbucks consumed 15 species of plants; herbs comprised 94.3% of the foods they consumed. Digitaria abyssinica was the most preferred plant species with highest crude protein (23.75%) and less fiber (61.8% nitrogen detergent fiber and 27.8% acid detergent fiber). These findings suggest that food preference of Bohor reedbuck is determined by the nutritional content of the plant it consumed, since the area is more or less natural habitat in terms of plant species composition. For sustainable conservation of the species, there is a need to actively promote management of the plant species most preferred by the reedbuck to feed on.

The populations of the endemic gelada outside protected areas are less studied and population est... more The populations of the endemic gelada outside protected areas are less studied and population estimates are not available. As a result, a study was conducted to investigate population structure and distribution of geladas in Kotu forest and associated grasslands, in Northern Ethiopia. The study area was stratified into five habitats namely; grassland, wooded grassland, plantation forest, natural forest and bushland based on dominant vegetation type. Each habitat type was further divided into blocks and total counting technique was employed to count the individuals of geladas. The total mean number of gelada in the Kotu forest was 229 ± 6.11. The mean ratio of male to female was 1:1.178. Age composition of geladas comprised: 113 (49.34%) adults, 77 (33.62%) sub adults and 39 (17.03%) juveniles. The mean group size of gelada was 18± 2.0, out of which 2.5± 0.5 (13.89%) was all- male unit (AMU) and 15.5± 1.5 (86.11%) was one male unit (OMU) social system. The average band size was 45.0±...

Human–Wildlife Interactions, 2019

We identified causes, impact, and traditional management measures of human– wildlife conflict (HW... more We identified causes, impact, and traditional management measures of human– wildlife conflict (HWC) in and around Borena Sayint National Park, Ethiopia. We employed questionnaires, focus group discussions, direct observations, and key informant interviews to collect data. The respondents perceived an increase in the number of wildlife population (56 respondents; 42.4%) followed by human proximity to park areas (44 respondents; 33.3%) as the main causes of HWC. The respondents perceived leopards (Panthera pardus) and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) among the top livestock depredators while grivet monkeys (Cercopethicus aethiops) and porcupines (Hystrix cristata) were perceived as notorious crop raiders. Gelada baboons (Theropithecus gelada) were identified as both crop raiding and livestock depredator wildlife species. A majority of the respondents (113; 85.6%) perceived both crop and livestock damage as impact of wildlife on humans. Guarding was reported as the main traditional mea...

International journal of ecology and environmental sciences, 2018

The habitat preferences of two ungulates mammals were studied in Galama mountains of Arsi Mountai... more The habitat preferences of two ungulates mammals were studied in Galama mountains of Arsi Mountains National Park. A stratified random sampling design established around four dominant habitat types (dry evergreen Afro-montane forests, mixed plantation forests, Erica shrub lands and the Afro-alpine) was used to study the habitat preferences of the Bohor reedbuck and common warthog. Intensive-Modified Whitaker (I-MW) nested plot design was used to sample vegetation ground percent cover and scat of the Bohor reedbuck, warthog and livestock across the study area. The highest habitat preference indices for Bohor reedbuck (0.28) and common warthog (0.55) were recorded in the Afro-alpine habitat and mixed plantation forest respectively during dry season. There was significant difference in mean scat count of both Bohor reedbuck (H = 9.27, df = 3, p = 0.026) and warthog (H = 11.32, df = 3, p = 0.010) among habitat types. For warthog, livestock abundance was a good negative predictor of habi...

Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 2018

ABSTRACT We identified the causes, extent, and management strategies of human–large wild mammals’... more ABSTRACT We identified the causes, extent, and management strategies of human–large wild mammals’ conflict in Dhera-Dilfaqar Block of Arsi Mountains National Park. We used house-to-house, focus group, and key informant interviews to collect data. The respondents perceived both crop raiding and livestock depredations as the main causes of human–large mammals conflict and reported the incidents to escalate over the last 3 years. The respondents perceived Phacochoerus africanus (common warthog) as the most notorious crop raider and reported Crocuta crocuta (spotted hyena) and Ichneumia albicauda (white-tailed mongoose) among the top livestock depredators. The local community employed guarding of crops and livestock as management strategies. The incidents have caused a considerable economic loss to the subsistence livelihood of the local community. We recommend creating a mechanism that helps to manage the conflict and benefit the farmers from the wildlife and other natural resources around.

Asian Journal of Applied Sciences, 2012

The Scientific World Journal

Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is one of the endemic primates of Ethiopia. The ecology of meta pop... more Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is one of the endemic primates of Ethiopia. The ecology of meta populations of geladas outside protected areas is less studied, and their population status is uncertain. As a result, we conducted a study to investigate the daily activity pattern of gelada in Kotu forest and associated grasslands in northern Ethiopia from August 2017 to February 2018 covering both wet and dry seasons. The instantaneous scan sampling method was employed to collect behavioral data. The activity pattern of three selected focal groups of geladas was studied, and predominant behavioral activities were scanned in 15 minutes intervals from dawn 7:00 h to dusk at 18:00 h. Feeding comprised 61.65% of the total scan, followed by moving 18.49%. Feeding activity was more frequent during the dry season (about 65%) than in the wet season (58.20%). On the other hand, moving activity was more frequent during the dry season (about 22%) than in the wet season (about 14%). The daily activi...

Background Over exploitation of MPs to treat human ailments in highly populated regions caused by... more Background Over exploitation of MPs to treat human ailments in highly populated regions caused by deforestation and agricultural expansion disappearing (MP) species diversity in the areas, MPs Hence, this study was aimed to document and analyze the plant-based ethnomedicinal knowledge of the people in order to preserve the existing indigenous knowledge. Methods Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interview, key informants interview, guided field observations, group discussions & market survey. Quantitative approaches were used to determine Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), pair wise comparison, preference ranking and Fidelity level (FL) values. Results A total of 96 medicinal plant species belonging to 89 genera and 66 botanical families were reported to treat human diseases in the Aseko District. Plant Families with the highest number of species were Lamiaceae and Solanaceae, followed by Fabaceae. About 44% of Medicinal Plants (MPs) preparations were reported t...

African Journal of Plant Science, 2014

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Debre Libanos Wereda, in central Ethiopia, was car... more An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Debre Libanos Wereda, in central Ethiopia, was carried out from October 2008 to June 2009. A total of 60 informants were interviewed that include knowledgeable farmers, monks, nuns, herbalist farmers and full time herbalists. A total of 83 medicinal plants classified under 77 genera and 46 families were collected. Asteraceae were the most prominent family (7) species and (6) genera, followed by Fabaceae and Lamiaceae that contain four species in three genera each. These plant species were found to be used in treating 50 different types of human and livestock diseases. The majority (77.1%) were wild species whereas 22.9% of the reported medicinal plant species were cultivated in home gardens. Higher numbers of species (46.6%) were harvested for their leaves, followed by roots, seeds and fruit (14.56, 13.59 and 6.80%, respectively). Vast knowledge on the traditional uses of these plants is conveyed from one generation to the next generation through words of mouth. As a result, there is a need for urgent biodiversity conservation of the area and the indigenous traditional ethnobotanical knowledge.