Socio-Economic Impact Assessment of Integrated Watershed Management in Sheka Watershed, Ethiopia.

Integrated watershed management (IWSM) was taken as the basic operational unit to rehabilitate degraded watershed and improve agricultural productivity in Ethiopia. However, its effectiveness was rarely evaluated. Therefore, this study assessed the contribution of IWSM in selected socio-economic benefits in Sheka watershed, Ethiopia. Crop grain yield measurements and questionnaire survey data collection methods were employed. Statistical methods were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that there were significantly higher teff and sorghum grain yields in the treated sub-watershed than the untreated one. Milk yield of local dairy cow and honey bee yield was increased by 12.3% and 24.24%, respectively, after IWSM. Annual household income of downstream beneficiaries of the watershed was significantly higher than upstream beneficiaries. The highest annual income was recorded from the users of both improved livestock and irrigation. The most determinant factors for household annual income were irrigation access, livestock number, cultivated land and off-farm income. The average contribution of income generating activities of IWSM in household annual income was 31.3%. Therefore, IWSM is not only effective in increasing crop and livestock production but also it has high contribution in household annual income.  But high focus should be given to the upper beneficiaries of the watershed so as to minimize the income difference between the upper and lower beneficiaries. Thus, it is better to introduce IWSM in to the untreated watershed. Key words: Integrated watershed management, upstream, downstream, Sheka watershed

Ecological Benefits of Integrated Watershed Management: The Case of Sheka Watershed, Ethiopia

Watershed degradation through soil erosion is one of the main constraints for agricultural productivity. Integrated watershed management (IWSM) was taken as the basic operational unit to tackle this problem. However, its effectiveness in rehabilitation of degraded watershed was rarely evaluated. Therefore, this research was conducted in Sheka watershed, Ethiopia, with the objective of assessing impact of IWSM on selected ecological benefits. Land map units of treated and untreated sub-watersheds were prepared using Geographic Information System software. Sixteen plots with 20m x 20m were randomly formed in the land map units of the two sub-watersheds for soil and woody plants sampling. The results revealed that there were significantly higher woody plants density and diversity, total nitrogen, soil organic matter, available phosphorous and available potassium contents in the treated sub-watershed than the untreated one. Whereas, in terms of soil pH, soil texture and evenness of woody species, the two areas were not significantly different. Total nitrogen was positively and significantly correlated with soil organic matter, woody plants density and diversity. Therefore, IWSM is not only effective in restoring woody species density and diversity, but also in improving soil fertility status. Thus, it is better to introduce IWSM in to the untreated watershed. Keywords: Integrated watershed management, woody plants, treated, untreate

Improving adoption of technologies and interventions for increasing supply of quality feed in low- and middle-income countries

The global increase in the demand for and production of animal-source foods (four-to five-fold increase between 1960 and 2015), which has been mostly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), provides smallholder livestock producers with an opportunity for improving their livelihoods and food and nutrition security. However, across livestock production systems in many LMIC, limited supplies and high cost of good quality feed severely constrains exploitation of this opportunity. In many of such countries, feeds and feeding-related issues are often ranked as the primary constraint to livestock production and increased consumption of animal-source foods. Here we review the complex biophysical, socio-economic and technological challenges related to improving quality feed supply and the reasons for generally low adoption of apparently proven feed enhancement technologies. We describe also successful interventions and conclude by recommending strategies for improving quality feed supply in LMIC that account for and overcome the prevailing challenges

A meta-analysis of the effects of communal livestock grazing on vegetation and soils in sub-Saharan Africa

Extensive livestock grazing is one of the most common and widespread forms of land uses in sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Studies assessing the effects of extensive livestock grazing on vegetation and soils in SSA are inconsistent in the direction and magnitude of study outcomes. We applied meta-analysis to identify whether studies so far conducted in the rangeland systems of SSA have detected significant rangeland degradation as approximated by changes in vegetation attributes (reduction in species diversity and richness; decreased biomass and ground cover; increased woody species density and canopy cover) and soil properties (Decreased soil OC, N and P). We quantified results of the included studies using the response ratio, which is the log proportional change in the means of a treatment and a control group. Four moderator variables (elevation (<1500 and ≥1500 m above sea level); plant life form (herbaceous and woody), rainfall amount (<600 mm and ≥600 mm), rainfall modality (mono and bimodal), and soil texture (Loam, sandy, sandy loam)) appeared to affect the response of species diversity and richness patterns to different grazing regimes, i.e., communal grazing systems, exclosures, livestock ranches and game reserves. Species diversity and richness values were generally lower in the communal grazing systems compared to the other grazing regimes. Only three moderator variables (rainfall amount and modality, and soil texture) affected the herbaceous basal cover response. Differences in soil OC were highest between communal and exclosure areas, visible at high elevations and under high rainfall. Soil N was influenced by rainfall modality and soil texture. We conclude that the effects of grazing regimes onto the environment cannot be generalized but are specific across vegetation and soil variables and differ considerably with rainfall and elevation

Exploring dietary quality characteristics related to milk yield of crossbred cows in Ethiopian smallholder farms : a clustering and multivariate analysis approach

The study, conducted on 70 smallholder dairy farms in Northern Ethiopia, aimed to evaluate whether variation in milk yield (in early and mid-lactation) of multiparous Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows is related to diet composition and quality. At early stage (1-120 days in milk (DIM)), a total of 70 dairy farms were used, while at mid-lactation (121-240 DIM), 54 dairy farms continued to be part of the study. K-means clustering was applied to group the cows based on energy-corrected milk yield (ECMY) into three milk production farm clusters (MPFC): Low MPFC (5.7-9.3 L/day), medium MPFC (9.4-12.8 L/day), and high MPFC (12.9-17.6 L/day). The dry matter intake (DMI) of cows during early lactation for high MPFC and low MPFC was 14.1 and 11.2 kg/day, respectively. The dietary proportion of crop residues in diets offered to crossbred cows tended to be lower in the high MPFC during early as well as in mid-lactation. Cows from the high MPFC consumed diets with higher (rumen degradable) protein levels both in early and in mid-lactation, while dietary fiber fractions and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) only differed in early lactation. Multiple regression models indicated that DMI (kg/day) in combination with either neutral detergent fiber, crude protein, or IVDMD (g/kg DM) explained about 25% of the variation in daily ECMY expressed relative to body weight (mL/kg). Hence, higher milk production is linked to both increased DMI and better quality of diets

The dynamics of vegetation diversity and biomass under traditional grazing in Ethiopia's Somali rangeland

Abstract Traditional grazing management practices are central to rangeland productivity and biodiversity. However, the degradation of rangelands and loss of ecosystem services have raised concerns about the future of pastoralism as a form of land use. It is imperative to understand how these practices influence vegetation attributes, e.g., herbaceous species diversity and composition, growth forms (grass, forbs), life form (annuals, perennials), tree metrics (density, canopy cover, and biomass). This study evaluates vegetation shifts under three grazing management practices‐enclosures, open grazing, and browsing lands‐in the Somali pastoral ecosystem of Ethiopia. Enclosures exhibited the highest diversity in herbaceous species, with open grazing lands favoring forbs and annuals. Distinct compositional shifts in herbaceous species were observed across regimes, especially in grass and annuals. Enclosures had three times higher herbage biomass of open grazing and double that of browsing management practice. Conversely, browsing management practices presented optimal wood biomass, density, and canopy cover. The results highlight that a transition to combined enclosure and browsing practices can elevate plant production and diversity, benefiting the Somali rangeland economy. Consequently, dryland restoration should incorporate indigenous knowledge to ensure future rangeland sustainability and biodiversity preservation