Abstract:
In Ethiopia, even though indigenous trees are ecologically more valuable than exotics they are
reducing in their abundance and diversity and their multipurpose benefits getting off and
replaced by exotic tree species due to more economic value of exotic trees. The aim of this study
was thus to assess the status and understand the factors affecting management of indigenous tree
species in Mana, Kersa and Seka Chekorsa Districts of Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. These
districts were selected following multi-stage sampling technique. From each district, five PAs
were selected based on the level of tree planting practices. A total of 136 households were
selected for questionnaire survey and from these 50% (68 each households with all landuse
types) were selected randomly and a total of 340 plots were taken for tree species assessment
from different landuse types. A total of 44 tree species (33 indigenous and 11 exotic) belonging
to 29 families were identified and recorded. Fabaceae was the dominant family with 7 trees
species followed by Moraceae with four. The diversities and density of indigenous tree species
were higher on farm (H’=2.459) and in farm boundary (460.1 stems per hectare) respectively
when compared with other landuse types. The farming communities of the study area plant/retain
tree species across landuse types. Accordingly, from 33 indigenous tree species identified, 3
species were planted and/or retained and 30 were retained. Management of tree species showed
highly significant difference by gender (x2=16.9, df =1, p<0.001), landholding size (x2=23.455,
df =4, p<0.001) and among landuse types (x2=35.333, df =4, p<0.001). The result of the
questionnaire survey indicated that factors such as, high economic interest (97.1%), agricultural
expansion (64.7%), lack of knowledge on tending (90.4%) and access to seed sources and other
planting methods for indigenous tree species (63.2%) were the major threatening factors that
constrained management of indigenous tree species. Beside this, twenty indigenous tree species
were identified as at risk from the study area including Podocarpus falcatus, Hagenia
abyssinica, Pouteria adolfi-friedericii that were ranked from one to three. Altogether, efforts
such as awareness creation, forest extension works focusing on indigenous tree planting and
management, promoting agroforestry practices, producing and supplying enough seedlings,
improving institutional frame work and enforcement of existing laws regarding indigenous tree
species are of prime importance to scale up planting and management of indigenous tree species
and correspondingly restore ecosystems and the associated services.
