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Perennial plant species composition and diversity in relation to socioecological variables and agroforestry practices in central Ethiopia

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Abstract

Tropical deforestation and forest degradation have resulted in substantial losses of goods and services and a decline in the quality of life. Agroforestry is a viable land-use option to counteract such declines in ecosystem services, including biodiversity and supporting local livelihoods. However, it is unclear how socioecological factors mediate these roles, which hinders the implementation of initiatives to conserve biodiversity. This study aimed to investigate perennial plant species composition and diversity in relation to socioecological variables and agroforestry practices in central Ethiopia. The vegetation data were collected from 243 sample farms that belonged to 81 randomly chosen households from nine kebeles. Across all practices, 92 plant species from 75 genera and 46 families were identified. Of these, 77% were native plant species, and the remaining were exotic ones. Margalef species richness and the Shannon diversity index were both significantly higher (p < 0.05) in homegardens and middle elevations. Furthermore, species richness and the Shannon diversity index were positively and significantly related to slope, farm size, farm age, and wealth status. Parklands, lowland altitude, and younger farms had the highest Simpson’s evenness, whereas wealth status, farm size, and slope had no significant association with Simpson’s evenness. Overall, this study showed that agroforestry serves as a refuge for native species and helps reverse species loss in natural forests. However, native species are gradually being replaced with exotic species, compromising the integrity of agricultural landscapes. Our study also emphasizes the urgent need to consider socioecological factors when examining biodiversity and planning agricultural landscape management strategies.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, Ambo University, and Czech University of Life Sciences for providing financial support for this study.

Funding

This study was supported by Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, Ambo University, and Czech University of Life Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Ambo University, P.O. Box 19, Ambo, Ethiopia

    Gadisa Demie

  2. Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia

    Mesele Negash & Zerihun Asrat

  3. Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry, Faculty of Tropical Agrisciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Suchdol, 165 00, Prague, Czech Republic

    Lojka Bohdan

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  1. Gadisa Demie
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Demie, G., Negash, M., Asrat, Z. et al. Perennial plant species composition and diversity in relation to socioecological variables and agroforestry practices in central Ethiopia. Agroforest Syst 98, 461–476 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00924-1

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