Abstract
Woody species are the major components of traditional agroforestry systems. These species vary across the different types of agroforestry practices in different parts of Ethiopia. This study was conducted to assess woody species across land use in three different sites around Jimma town, Southwest Ethiopia. A total of 100 plots were laid out on six transect lines with sample plot size of 25 m × 25 m for 20 plots of homegarden, 19 plots of coffee farm and 20 plot of grazing land, 40 m × 40 m for 24 plots of crop field and 10 m × 10 m for 17 plots of woodlots and were calculated in hectares. Species diversity, richness, evenness, density and frequency were analyzed between land uses types and sites. The result showed that a total of 60 woody species belonging to 34 families and 54 genera were identified from these three sites. Fabaceae was the most dominant family with 11 (18.3%) species followed by Euphorbiaceae family with 7 (11.7%) species. Out of the identified species, 53.3% were trees, 45% shrubs and 1.67% climbers. In terms of species diversity, grazing lands (3.1) were more diversified than homegardens (2.87), crop field (2.555), coffee farm (0.667) and woodlots (0.643) in the overall study sites. In terms of tree and shrubs density, woodlots were the most dense (9495 stems/ha). Generally, agroforestry systems are conserving several woody species diversity in their systems and woody species varied among land use types in the study area. Practices which aimed at maintaining these woody species should be encouraged and applied to support the conservation of these species in agroforestry systems. Key words: Agroforestry system, woody species, homegardens, crop field, grazing land, coffee farm, Jimma.
Highlights
Agroforestry encompasses a wide range and diverse set of practices ranging from trees on croplands to complex production forests (Ogunwusi, 2013)
Among the identified woody species, 39 species were found in homegardens, 25 in crop fields, in the grazing land, in the coffee farm and 13 in the woodlots
A total of 39 woody species recorded in homegarden were characterized by a higher numbers of woody species than other land use types
Summary
Agroforestry encompasses a wide range and diverse set of practices ranging from trees on croplands to complex production forests (Ogunwusi, 2013). It has been known for its diversity, ecosystem balance, sustainability, household food security and rural development (Tesfaye et al, 2010). Agroforestry practices including various forms of tree planting and indigenous practices exist (Nyaga et al, 2015) and trees are planted on farms in different niches. Smallholder farmers practice agroforestry in Africa (Mbow et al, 2013) and several types of traditional agroforestry practices exist in different parts of Ethiopia such as: trees on croplands, homegardens, boundary planting, live fencing, and grazing lands (Abreha and Gebrekidan, 2014). Information on agroforestry systems and its potentials have not been evaluated
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