We explored farmers' perceptions of the causes and consequences of human‐carnivore conflict i... more We explored farmers' perceptions of the causes and consequences of human‐carnivore conflict in Maze National Park, Ethiopia. We selected 225 household heads randomly from five villages for interview using survey questionnaires. We identified the five villages randomly from the 16 that border the park. The majority (75.1%) of the respondents had a negative perception towards the park and the carnivores due to livestock depredation. Overall, 1142 livestock depredation were reported over 3 years (2017–2019). Cattle, sheep and goats were reportedly the most depredated animals. The numbers of livestock depredated significantly varied among villages and predators. Farmers perceived lions as the major livestock depredator followed by leopards and spotted hyaenas and they perceived that proximity, poor livestock husbandry and low natural prey density were the main causes of livestock depredation. The distance of the household holdings to the park was correlated negatively with the depre...
Abstract The agricultural sector requires a large volume of water (∼70 % of global water), which ... more Abstract The agricultural sector requires a large volume of water (∼70 % of global water), which makes this sector difficult to produce enough food for the rapidly growing population demand with the existing scarce available freshwater source. As a viable alternative water source, urban wastewater reuse is a potential candidate. However, wastewater reuse and disposal before treatment pose a significant threat to human health and ecological systems. This study was aimed to treat urban wastewater using aerobic-anoxic system and then effluent evaluated to grow different vegetables. Wastewater samples collected (Arba Minch town) at nine sites during different seasons were used to characterized water quality (physicochemical and biological) parameters and feed aerobic-anoxic reactors. Health risk as a result of vegetable ingestion was investigated using HRI, THQ, and HI. Statistically significant (p 96, 92, 88, and 58 %, respectively. The order of heavy metals concentration in raw wastewater was Fe > Pb > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cd, which is lower than corresponding heavy metals in vegetables having the order Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The phytotoxicity effect was significantly higher for cabbage followed by lettuce and tomato. The HRI, THQ, and HI values for Cd and Pb >1.0 (exceeded WHO and FAO limits) for vegetables irrigated with wastewater, which could result in health risk in adults and children. Overall, results confirmed that wastewater after aerobic-anoxic treatment is a sustainable approach to maintain safe environmental and human health.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Background and aims-Although soils and topography are reported to be key factors determining vege... more Background and aims-Although soils and topography are reported to be key factors determining vegetation patterns, there are very few studies on this topic in tropical Africa. Given the young nature of the soils of Nech Sar National park, we hypothesised that the woody vegetation would be related to both topsoil and subsoil characteristics. As topography also determines soil characteristics, we investigated whether soil and topography could be considered independently. Methods-Abundance of woody plant species was measured in 19 stratified randomly selected plots of 20 m × 20 m. At the centre of each plot a soil profile pit was dug and samples were taken from each horizon. Topographic characteristics were derived from a 30 m × 30 m digital elevation model. TWINSPAN and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) were used to identify major patterns in species composition. Factor Analysis was used to assess the variability of, and correlation between, the soil characteristics. Differences between the vegetation groups in-terms of stand and environmental characteristics was tested with the Mann-Whitney U test. DCA axes describing the major variation in vegetation patterns were correlated with soil and topographic characteristics. Results-Forest vegetation was found on Fluvisols and Gleyic Cambisols while bushland was found on Andosols and Vertic Cambisols. The vegetation gradient from forest to bushland (DCA-1) was correlated with both topsoil and subsoil characteristics reflecting parent material and alkalinity; these could however not be dissociated from topography. In contrast, variation both within the forest and the bushland (DCA-2) was not correlated with environmental characteristics. We attribute this variation to disturbances such as collection of firewood or logging, and to the absence of large browser or scarcity of wildfires. Conclusions-This study calls for giving equal attention to topsoil and subsoil for elucidating woody vegetation patterns. Though vegetation patterns vary with topography, a comprehensive understanding requires insights into soils.
High amount of heavy metal ions like Cr in the environment has been harmful for animal and human ... more High amount of heavy metal ions like Cr in the environment has been harmful for animal and human health. Bioadsorption of Cr from tannery wastes would be an alternative method to the chemical treatment in tannery industries. Hence, in this study the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract to adsorption Cr from tannery waste water was investigated. The influence of solution pH, adsorbent concentration, initial concentration of Cr, contact time and temperature on the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract for the adsorption of Cr from tannery effluent was studied. Results obtained revealed that in strongly acidic condition Moringa stenopetala seed extract was less efficient to remove Cr. However, the result of the present study showed that Moringa stenopetala seed extract at a concentration of 1g/100 ml and pH of 9.5 decreased the concentration of Cr in tannery waste by 99.86%. In addition, the adsorption data was correlated using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm models. Among models studied Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm was the best fit with correlation coefficient of 0.958. Moreover, thermodynamics parameters, such as Gibbs free energy (∆G o), enthalpy (∆H o), and entropy (∆S o) were calculated. Results indicated that the bioadsorption of Cr by Moringa stenopetala seed extract was spontaneous, feasible and endothermic. The results of this study proved that Moringa stenopetala seed extract can be used to remove Cr from tannery effluent.
Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is a major anxious weed found in pastures, wastelands, a... more Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is a major anxious weed found in pastures, wastelands, and agricultural lands. It usually competes very well and reduces crop yield. Up-rooting and herbicides have long been used as management options for weeds. However, these methods are neither economically nor environmentally sound. Another approach is to make compost of it, transforming a problem into an opportunity. Four treatments viz. Parthenium (100%) and Parthenium to cow dung ratio (75 : 25, 50 : 50, 25 : 75 w/w) were partially stabilized for 60 days under aerated conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of partially stabilized organic materials were analyzed and the effects of the partially stabilized organic materials on the germination and growth performance of maize (Zea mays L.) were assessed. The results revealed that pH, EC, OC, OM, TN, P availability, and C/N were not significantly different; this showed an insignificant difference ( P > 0.05) among the trea...
Half of the world's population relies on biomass fuels for cooking and heating, which contributes... more Half of the world's population relies on biomass fuels for cooking and heating, which contributes to global forest depletion that leads to environmental and human health impacts. Although biomass consumption is unavoidable, using Mirt stoves save biomass fuel consumption and time for cooking. Currently, improved cooking stoves (ICS) are disseminating worldwide including sub-Saharan countries. However, studies on factors that influence the adoptions and fuel-saving performance of ICS were limited. This study was carried out to assess factors that determine the adoption and fuel use efficiency of Mirt stoves in Dilla district, Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected using questionnaires from 384 households. To test fuel use efficiencies a triplicate controlled cooking test (CCT) was made. The data gathered from questionnaires and CCT were analyzed using binary logistic regression and t-test statistical tools, respectively. The regression results revealed that marital status, household income and availability of stoves were significantly (P < 0.05) affecting the adoption of Mirt stoves. Distance, culture, and fixed nature of the stoves showed negative significant effect (P < 0.01) on adoption. The CCT result showed Mirt stoves save 31% fuelwood consumption over traditional open fire stoves. However, the statistical ttest showed insignificant (P > 0.05) difference in the length of time to bake a given amount of Injera and the amount of charcoal extracted. Our result suggested that improve cooking stoves like Mirt stove could ease the burden fuelwood collection of rural households and the efforts made to improve the adoption of Mirt stove could be successful when ICS dissemination programs consider socioeconomic and market-related factors into account.
We explored farmers' perceptions of the causes and consequences of human‐carnivore conflict i... more We explored farmers' perceptions of the causes and consequences of human‐carnivore conflict in Maze National Park, Ethiopia. We selected 225 household heads randomly from five villages for interview using survey questionnaires. We identified the five villages randomly from the 16 that border the park. The majority (75.1%) of the respondents had a negative perception towards the park and the carnivores due to livestock depredation. Overall, 1142 livestock depredation were reported over 3 years (2017–2019). Cattle, sheep and goats were reportedly the most depredated animals. The numbers of livestock depredated significantly varied among villages and predators. Farmers perceived lions as the major livestock depredator followed by leopards and spotted hyaenas and they perceived that proximity, poor livestock husbandry and low natural prey density were the main causes of livestock depredation. The distance of the household holdings to the park was correlated negatively with the depre...
Abstract The agricultural sector requires a large volume of water (∼70 % of global water), which ... more Abstract The agricultural sector requires a large volume of water (∼70 % of global water), which makes this sector difficult to produce enough food for the rapidly growing population demand with the existing scarce available freshwater source. As a viable alternative water source, urban wastewater reuse is a potential candidate. However, wastewater reuse and disposal before treatment pose a significant threat to human health and ecological systems. This study was aimed to treat urban wastewater using aerobic-anoxic system and then effluent evaluated to grow different vegetables. Wastewater samples collected (Arba Minch town) at nine sites during different seasons were used to characterized water quality (physicochemical and biological) parameters and feed aerobic-anoxic reactors. Health risk as a result of vegetable ingestion was investigated using HRI, THQ, and HI. Statistically significant (p 96, 92, 88, and 58 %, respectively. The order of heavy metals concentration in raw wastewater was Fe > Pb > Zn > Mn > Cu > Cd, which is lower than corresponding heavy metals in vegetables having the order Fe > Mn > Zn > Pb > Cu > Cd. The phytotoxicity effect was significantly higher for cabbage followed by lettuce and tomato. The HRI, THQ, and HI values for Cd and Pb >1.0 (exceeded WHO and FAO limits) for vegetables irrigated with wastewater, which could result in health risk in adults and children. Overall, results confirmed that wastewater after aerobic-anoxic treatment is a sustainable approach to maintain safe environmental and human health.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Background and aims-Although soils and topography are reported to be key factors determining vege... more Background and aims-Although soils and topography are reported to be key factors determining vegetation patterns, there are very few studies on this topic in tropical Africa. Given the young nature of the soils of Nech Sar National park, we hypothesised that the woody vegetation would be related to both topsoil and subsoil characteristics. As topography also determines soil characteristics, we investigated whether soil and topography could be considered independently. Methods-Abundance of woody plant species was measured in 19 stratified randomly selected plots of 20 m × 20 m. At the centre of each plot a soil profile pit was dug and samples were taken from each horizon. Topographic characteristics were derived from a 30 m × 30 m digital elevation model. TWINSPAN and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) were used to identify major patterns in species composition. Factor Analysis was used to assess the variability of, and correlation between, the soil characteristics. Differences between the vegetation groups in-terms of stand and environmental characteristics was tested with the Mann-Whitney U test. DCA axes describing the major variation in vegetation patterns were correlated with soil and topographic characteristics. Results-Forest vegetation was found on Fluvisols and Gleyic Cambisols while bushland was found on Andosols and Vertic Cambisols. The vegetation gradient from forest to bushland (DCA-1) was correlated with both topsoil and subsoil characteristics reflecting parent material and alkalinity; these could however not be dissociated from topography. In contrast, variation both within the forest and the bushland (DCA-2) was not correlated with environmental characteristics. We attribute this variation to disturbances such as collection of firewood or logging, and to the absence of large browser or scarcity of wildfires. Conclusions-This study calls for giving equal attention to topsoil and subsoil for elucidating woody vegetation patterns. Though vegetation patterns vary with topography, a comprehensive understanding requires insights into soils.
High amount of heavy metal ions like Cr in the environment has been harmful for animal and human ... more High amount of heavy metal ions like Cr in the environment has been harmful for animal and human health. Bioadsorption of Cr from tannery wastes would be an alternative method to the chemical treatment in tannery industries. Hence, in this study the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract to adsorption Cr from tannery waste water was investigated. The influence of solution pH, adsorbent concentration, initial concentration of Cr, contact time and temperature on the efficiency of Moringa stenopetala seed extract for the adsorption of Cr from tannery effluent was studied. Results obtained revealed that in strongly acidic condition Moringa stenopetala seed extract was less efficient to remove Cr. However, the result of the present study showed that Moringa stenopetala seed extract at a concentration of 1g/100 ml and pH of 9.5 decreased the concentration of Cr in tannery waste by 99.86%. In addition, the adsorption data was correlated using the Langmuir, Freundlich, Dubinin-Radushkevich, and Temkin isotherm models. Among models studied Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm was the best fit with correlation coefficient of 0.958. Moreover, thermodynamics parameters, such as Gibbs free energy (∆G o), enthalpy (∆H o), and entropy (∆S o) were calculated. Results indicated that the bioadsorption of Cr by Moringa stenopetala seed extract was spontaneous, feasible and endothermic. The results of this study proved that Moringa stenopetala seed extract can be used to remove Cr from tannery effluent.
Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is a major anxious weed found in pastures, wastelands, a... more Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is a major anxious weed found in pastures, wastelands, and agricultural lands. It usually competes very well and reduces crop yield. Up-rooting and herbicides have long been used as management options for weeds. However, these methods are neither economically nor environmentally sound. Another approach is to make compost of it, transforming a problem into an opportunity. Four treatments viz. Parthenium (100%) and Parthenium to cow dung ratio (75 : 25, 50 : 50, 25 : 75 w/w) were partially stabilized for 60 days under aerated conditions. The physical and chemical characteristics of partially stabilized organic materials were analyzed and the effects of the partially stabilized organic materials on the germination and growth performance of maize (Zea mays L.) were assessed. The results revealed that pH, EC, OC, OM, TN, P availability, and C/N were not significantly different; this showed an insignificant difference ( P > 0.05) among the trea...
Half of the world's population relies on biomass fuels for cooking and heating, which contributes... more Half of the world's population relies on biomass fuels for cooking and heating, which contributes to global forest depletion that leads to environmental and human health impacts. Although biomass consumption is unavoidable, using Mirt stoves save biomass fuel consumption and time for cooking. Currently, improved cooking stoves (ICS) are disseminating worldwide including sub-Saharan countries. However, studies on factors that influence the adoptions and fuel-saving performance of ICS were limited. This study was carried out to assess factors that determine the adoption and fuel use efficiency of Mirt stoves in Dilla district, Southern Ethiopia. Data were collected using questionnaires from 384 households. To test fuel use efficiencies a triplicate controlled cooking test (CCT) was made. The data gathered from questionnaires and CCT were analyzed using binary logistic regression and t-test statistical tools, respectively. The regression results revealed that marital status, household income and availability of stoves were significantly (P < 0.05) affecting the adoption of Mirt stoves. Distance, culture, and fixed nature of the stoves showed negative significant effect (P < 0.01) on adoption. The CCT result showed Mirt stoves save 31% fuelwood consumption over traditional open fire stoves. However, the statistical ttest showed insignificant (P > 0.05) difference in the length of time to bake a given amount of Injera and the amount of charcoal extracted. Our result suggested that improve cooking stoves like Mirt stove could ease the burden fuelwood collection of rural households and the efforts made to improve the adoption of Mirt stove could be successful when ICS dissemination programs consider socioeconomic and market-related factors into account.
Uploads
Papers by Shetie Gatew