Human-Forest interfaces in Hugumburda-Gratkhassu National Forest Priority Area, North-eastern Ethiopia

Bibliographic Data

ID4677777
AuthorsLeul Kidane (Mekelle University, corresponding author), Sileshi Nemomissa (0000-0002-3665-0713, Addis Ababa University), Tamrat Bekele (Addis Ababa University)
Year2018
Volume14
Issue1
Pages17-17
Publication date2018-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1746-4269 • E-ISSN: 1746-4269
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s13002-018-0218-7
PMID29471862
OpenAlexW2788791493
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited20

BACKGROUND: Traditional management regimes and knowledge systems of forest resources have shaped forests throughout the world where materials from individual species are harvested in a sustainable manner. To comprehend this, the vegetation of Hugumburda-Gratkhassu Forest was described and related to anthropogenic factors. METHODS: Three ethnobotanical research methods were used to collect indigenous knowledge of the local inhabitants related to conservation and utilization of forest resources. Direct matrix ranking was conducted to discover local attitudes on species preference for multiple use. During this work, the 46 most important tree and shrub species were selected based on recommendations of local guides and key informants to determine the range of uses obtained from each species. Through paired comparison, activities supposed to be the major cause of degradation of the forest were adopted. Pairs of activities were then established from the relation n (n-1)/2. Each respondent was then asked to select an activity that he considered being a major problem to management of the forest. Semi-structured interviews were used to obtain information from sixty local informants to address community attitudes towards forest management and utilization. RESULTS: The result obtained from direct matrix ranking showed; that 20 out of 46 plant species compared had the highest scores and rank, indicating that these species are the most important and are exploited by the local communities for multiple purposes. The paired comparison exercise revealed logging for construction materials to be the major threat to the forest due to cutting of large volume of wood for construction of churches, health centers, schools and new houses. Juniperus procera, Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata, Rhus glutinosa, Ficus sur, Hagenia abyssinica, Cassipourea malosana and Acacia etbaica were the most selected and exploited plant species for these purposes. CONCLUSIONS: Survival of protected areas depends on the support of local communities, rather than on fences, fines, or even force. The local communities in the study area have a rich indigenous ecological knowledge to suggest appropriate solutions for improvement of the forest resources. Thus the old tradition of isolating forests from the community has to be avoided and the basic needs and traditional rights of the communities over the uses of forest resources should be recognized

Agroforestry · Biodiversity · Biology · Ecosystem · Environmental resource management · Ethnobotany · Forest ecology · Forest management · Geography · Indigenous · Intact forest landscape · Local community · Logging · Medicinal plants · Respondent · Shrub · Traditional knowledge · African Botany and Ecology Studies · Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management · Environmental Science · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Agriculture · Ecology · Forestry