Abstract:
The present study was carried out to assess the diversity, distribution, and relative abundance of
medium and large-sized mammalian fauna in Belete Forest Shebe Sombo district south west
Ethiopia, and conducted from March 2023 up to July 2023 in Belete Forest Shabe Sombo district
south west Ethiopia. The study area was classified into three habitat types: natural forest, semi-
natural forest and plantation. Line transects survey, camera trapping, indirect evidence and
focus group discussions were used for data collection. Twenty one species of medium and large
sized mammals were identified and recorded from Belete forest. Among these recorded
mammalian four, species were considered as medium-sized and the remaining species were
large-sized mammals. Papio anubis, Colobus guereza, and Chlorocebus aethiops were the most
abundant species in this study area. Lepus habissinicus, Civetticitis civetta, and Panthera pardus
were represented by few individuals. The highest and lowest species diversity was recorded in
the natural forest (H’=1.62) and plantation forest (H’=1.1) during the dry season respectively.
Natural forests had the maximum diversity of mammalian species (H'=1.702) during the wet
season, whereas plantation forests had the lowest diversity (H'=1.27). Natural forest and Semi-
natural forest had the highest species similarity (SI=0.83, 0.85), and natural forest and
plantation had the lowest similarity (SI=0.55, 0.56) during dry and wet seasons, respectively.
The analysis of association between habitat type and number of species indicated that there is a
significant association between them (df=32, p<0.05). Even though the area has a rich
biodiversity, illegal logging, charcoal production, and overgrazing are all threats to the species
that inhabit the study area. Hence, establishment of the area as a national park in order to save
these species from further loss is recommended.
