Assessment of the wildlife and ecosystem status of Choke Mountain, North Western Ethiopia

Yıl 2018, Cilt: 11 Sayı: 1, 125 - 132, 01.01.2018

Abeje Kassie Teme Mengistu Wale Birhanu Beyene Abraham Assefa Weldemariam Tesfahunegny

Öz

The natural vegetation of Ethiopian Highlands has been altered and destroyed by intensive human use over millennia and now only fragments are left. Choke Mountain is one of the areas among the different topographic and climatically varied areas of Ethiopia and harbors many endemic wildlife. But nowadays, the forest/vegetation is changing into farm lands and wild animals become threatened. Thus, assessment of the status and distribution of wildlife in Choke Mountain was carried out in October 2016. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software version 20. In the current study, 24 Mammalia species, 52 bird species, three amphibian species and one chameleon species were recorded in the mountain. Choke, like other afro alpine mountains of Ethiopia, was the home of Ethiopian wolf which is endemic to Ethiopia. But, now a day due to habitat fragmentation and other factors, it is extinct from the area. From the descriptive statistics analysis, 12 % of the respondents reported that there is an illegal wild animal hunting which threatens wild animals in the area. However, there is significant difference among Kebeles on illegal wildlife hunting Pearson chi-square value=25.727a, df=14, and p-value=0.02 . Habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and firewood collection is the most frequently reported threats followed by overgrazing. Interventions so far carried out to conserve and sustainably utilize the ecosystem is not so effective. Therefore, awareness creation, promoting community involvement, linking conservation activity with livelihood improvement through ecotourism are important actions to be taken to control agricultural expansion and illegal hunting for conservation and sustainable utilization of the ecosystem and its wild animals

Anahtar Kelimeler

Choke Mountain, ecosystem status, diversity, wild animal

Kaynakça

• Alemneh Amare (2015). Wildlife Resources of Ethiopia: Opportunities, Challenges and Future Directions: From Ecotourism Perspective: A Review Paper. Natural Resources, 6, 405-422. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/nr.2015.66039.
• Belay Simane, Zaitchik, B.F., Mesfin, D. (2012). Climate resilience in the blue nile/Abay highlands: A framework for action. Int.J. Environ.Res. Publ.Health, 9,610-631.
• CBD (2003). Status and trends of, and threats to, mountain biodiversity, marine, coastal and inland water ecosystems: Abstracts of poster presentations at the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the Convention on Biological Diversity. Montreal, SCBD, 127p. (CBD Technical Series no. 8).
• Eastern Arc Mountains (2015). Ecosystem Services in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Sourced online at http://www.naturalcapitalproject.org/where/tanzania.html
• ENMSA (Ethiopian National Meteorology Service) (2014). Meteorological report of ten years 2003-2013. Ethiopian National Meteorology Agency, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
• ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development) (2009). Mountain Biodiversity and Climate Change. Available in electronic form at www.books.icimod.org.
• Kohler, T., Wehrli, A. & Jurek, M., eds. 2014. Mountains and climate change: A global concern. Sustainable Mountain Development Series. Bern, Switzerland, Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and Geographica Bernensia.
• Körner Ch (2002). Mountain biodiversity, ist causes and function: an overview. In: Körner Ch, Spehn EM (eds) Mountain biodiversity. A global assessment. Parthenon, Boca Raton.
• Lemlem Aregu, Darnhofer, I., Wurzinger, M. (2013). Does excluding women undermine the resilience of communal grazing land? A case study in Amhara region, Ethiopia. In European Society for Rural Sociology, ed. Rural resilience and vulnerability: The rural as locus of solidarity and conflict in times of crisis, Proceedings of the XXVth ESRS Congress, 29 July–1 August in Florence, Italy, pp. 283–284. Pisa, Italy, Laboratorio di studi rurali SISMONDI.
• McGinley M., (2009). Biological diversity in the Eastern Afromontane.Encyclopedia of Earth. Sourced online at http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150641/
• Mesele Yihune, Afework Bekele and Zelealem Tefera (2008). Human-Ethiopian Wolf Conflict in and Around the Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences 34 (2): 149-155.
• Mwendera, EJ, Mohamed Saleem MA and Woldu Z (1997). Vegetation response to cattle grazing in the Ethiopian highlands.Agriculture, Ecosystems &Environment.Volume 64, Issue 1, 15 June 1997, Pages 43–51.
• Saavedra, D. (2009). The Abune Yosef Massif. Birds and Mammals of a hidden jewel of Ethiopia.
• Stone, P.B. (ed.) (1992). The State of the World’s Mountains: A Global Report, Zed Books, London.
• Temesgen Gashaw (2015). Threats of Bale Mountains National Park and solutions, Ethiopia. Journal of Physical Science and Environmental Studies, 1 (2):10-16.
• WWF (2015). Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands. Accessed on online 6/February/2017. www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1007
• Young J. (2012). Ethiopian protected areas: A ‘Snapshot’. A reference guide for future strategic planning and project funding.