Assessment of Parkland Tree Species and Their Management Practice in Ana Sora District of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted to identify parkland tree species and their management practice by smallholder farmers in Ana Sora District of Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia. The study was conducted by using multistage sampling methods. In the first stage one district was purposively selected based on the potential of park land tree species. Then, from the district by using simple random sampling methods two kebeles were selected and purposively from 40 farm lands an assessment of parkland tree species were conducted. In this study, 31(thirty one) tree species were identified in parklands of the study area and majority of them were indigenous tree species. In terms of parkland tree species preferences, Schefflera abyssinica, Hagenia abyssinica, Millettia ferruginea, Cordia africana and Croton macrostachyus were the most preferred top five tree species of the study area respectively. This study also showed that, farmers practiced thinning, pruning and pollarding management activities for better growth of underneath crops, to transfer the biomass of the trees to the crop fields and for various products of the trees. Moreover, smallholder farmers of the study area were obtained different services and products such as bee forages, shade, construction material, soil fertility improvement and fuel wood from parkland tree species either retained or planted on their farm lands. However, parkland tree species of the study area were faced various constraints. Therefore, attention should be given on conservation of parkland tree species and farmers should be encouraged by the government through research and extension services and supplying by planting materials to improve the significant of ecological and productive role of parkland tree species of the study area.