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Agricultural intensification is a major challenge for biodiversity conservation in many parts of the world. Organic agriculture is perceived as a possible solution for biodiversity conservation in agriculture dominant systems. This study aimed at investigating the current status of plant species diversity and its determinants in organic agriculture-dominated areas of Gedeo zone, Southern Ethiopia. Multistage sampling procedures were used to obtain 108 households from three agroecological zones of the study area, and plant species data were collected from the quadrants laid in farms of sampled farmers. Besides, diversity management practice data were collected using focus group discussion. A total of 234 plant species belonging to 82 plant families were identified. Most (69.2%) of species in the system were native. The mean value of richness and Shannon index evenness for the whole system was 10.36, 2.06, and 0.89 for highland midland and lowland agroecological zones, respectively, which is relatively high compared with other agriculture-dominated systems in the tropics. The diversity of overall plant species were significantly affected by both agroecological zones and the wealth status of farmers. Midland and lowland agroecological zones had the highest richness values for total plant species than highland. Similarly, highest richness was recorded among farmers of rich and medium wealth classes than poor. The diversity of tree species was significantly affected by both agroecological zone and wealth status of farmer households. The lowland agroecological zone had a significantly higher number of tree species than midland and lowland agroecological zones, while the rich farmer had higher tree diversity compared to medium and poor farmers. The study also identified that diversity of shrubs were significantly influenced by agroecological zone. The midland agroecological had a significantly higher number of shrubs diversity compared to lowland and highland agroecological zones. In this study, herbaceous species diversity was not influenced by both agroecological zone and farmer wealth class. The function of plant species and indigenous plant species maintenance practice had its own effect on plant species diversity in the study area, since the area is dominated with organic agriculture. Therefore, to maintain the current status of the system and to improve the farmer’s livelihood, development planners may need to design agroecological-based plant species conservation strategies that give due consideration for indigenous plant species conservation practices and function of plant species.

Ethiopia has more than 58 different types of natural and manmade wetland lake resources which provide enormous socioeconomic and environmental values. However, nowadays these Ethiopian wetland lake resources are under severe problems such as population pressure, aquatic biodiversity loss; drying up, pollution, and degradation. These severe problems are created due to improper extraction, over use, weak management, improper policy and misconceptions forward to wetlands. Consequently the health of the wetland lake resources of the country is continuously decreasing from year to year and from time to time. Therefore, the objective of the study was aimed: 1) to appreciate the wet land lake resources of Ethiopia for their unlimited benefit to local communities and National GDP growth 2) to identify the major threats and challenges of the country' wetland lake resources and 3) forward the possible correction measures to tackle their problems. Regarding methodology to collect the relevant data, qualitative (descriptive) research methods were used. The data were obtained through interview, field survey, observation, reviewing relevant secondary sources and organized using tables, Graphs, charts then analyzed qualitatively. Among the 100,000 total populations of the wetland lake resource users only 200 sample respondents were selected and interviewed to collect the relevant information regarding the benefit of wetland resources, conservation practices, their attitude towards them and the challenges they faced. The results of this study was expected to have a positive impacts on wetland conservation, to local users, national level, in identifying the challenges and point out the remedial correction measures to solve the problems. The study will have significance in solving problems through realizing the collaboration of relevant stockholders from policy maker's level to grassroots communities and it is the best opportunity to increase the conservation methods of Ethiopian wetland lake resources.