Bauer, Hans

Deckers, Jozef

Haile, Mitiku

Leirs, Herwig

Meheretu, Yonas

Nyssen, Jan

Sluydts, Vincent

Teferi, Mekonen

Welegerima, Kiros

Yirga, Gidey

English

Ghent University Academic Bibliography

Geophysical Research AbstractsVol. 16, EGU2014-5606, 2014EGU General Assembly 2014© Author(s) 2014. CC Attribution 3.0 License.Anti-erosion stone bunds influence rodent dynamics and crop damage inEthiopian highlandsYonas Meheretu (1), Kiros Welegerima (1), Mekonen Teferi (1), Gidey Yirga (1), Mitiku Haile (2), VincentSluydts (3), Hans Bauer (4), Jan Nyssen (5), Jozef Deckers (6), and Herwig Leirs (7)(1) Mekelle University, Department of Biology, P.O. Box 3102, Mekelle, Ethiopia (meheretu@yahoo.com), (2) Department ofLand Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia, (3)Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nationalestraat 155, B 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium, (4) WildCRU, Zoology, University ofOxford, The Recanati-Kaplan Centre, UK , (5) Department of Geography, Ghent University, B-9000 Gent, Belgium, (6)Division of Soil and Water Management, K.U. Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, B 3001 Heverlee, Belgium, (7) University ofAntwerp, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B 2020 Antwerpen, BelgiumIn areas of subsistence agriculture, a variety of soil conservation methods have been implemented in the last fewdecades to improve crop yields, however these can have unintended consequences such as providing habitat forrodent pests. We studied rodent population dynamics and estimated crop damage in high and low stone bunddensity fields for four cropping seasons in Tigray highlands, northern Ethiopia. Stone bunds are physical structuresfor soil and water conservation, and potentially habitat for rodents. We used a general model to relate the proportionof crop damage to rodent abundance, stone bund density and crop stages. We found a positive correlation betweenrodent abundance and crop damage, and significant variation in rodent abundance and crop damage between highand low stone bund density fields. Furthermore, crop damage also varied significantly between crop stages. Weconcluded that Mastomys awashensis and Arvicanthis dembeensis were the two most important crop pests in thehighlands causing significant damage. Fields with high stone bund density (∼10 m average distance apart) harbormore rodents and endure a significantly higher proportion of crop damage compared to fields with lower stone bunddensity (∼15 m average distance apart). The fact that rodent abundances peaked during the reproductive stage ofthe crop and around harvest implies the need for management intervention before these crop stages are attained.

Anti-erosion stone bunds influence rodent dynamics and crop damage in Ethiopian highlands

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/4418810/file/4418812

Anti-erosion stone bunds influence rodent dynamics and crop damage in Ethiopian highlands

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