Community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northern Ethiopia. Using purposive sampling and stratified random methods, 20 members of key informants and 154 households from four sites of Awash Fentale and Amibara Districts were selected. For data analysis, we used Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests of K independent samples. About 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale reported that Prosopis juliflora was largely introduced into their landscape by livestock. It showed that 29% of the respondents in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara responded that Prosopis juliflora largely invaded and affected rangelands. Morevover, about 1% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora hindered movements of livestock. In addition, 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale believe that Prosopis juliflora was largely dispersed by livestock. It showed that 20% of households in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara have the notion that Prosopis juliflora majorly impacted rangelands. Whereas 1.3% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora have hampered the movement of livestock. Thus, the afromentioned findings are implications for management of rangelands. With regard to the control of Prosopis juliflora invasions, 12% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 33% in Amibara District tried control its expansion by fire. About 10% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 9% in Amibara district managed Prosopis juliflora expansion by its utilization, whereas, in Awash Fentale (11%) and Amibara (8%) households indicated that invasion of Prosopis juliflora could be controlled by mechanical methods. It is advisable to do some managerial work to reverse these impacts as perceived by local communities in the study area to avert the aggressive proliferation of Prosopis juliflora in the region.

Effects of the Invasive Alien Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC and Its Management Options in Ethiopia: A Review

“…According to Shiferaw et al [83], disrupting the phenology of Prosopis juliflora or aborting the juveniles of the species throughout the year, particularly during the peak time of flowering before seed set could also be used for the management P. juliflora. This method controls the species before it disperses seeds into the soil stores as a soil seed bank (Figure 6).…”

“…His results indicated that in 16 years (1986-2001) of land use, land cover changes by P. juliflora and displaced 9.91 km 2 areas of Acacia woodlands. Most households reported that invasion of P. juliflora into rangelands was more in Amibara woreda than in Awash Fentale [83]. These could be probability and the adaptability of the species and its first arrival in the earlier woreda than the later.…”

“…juliflora thorns are dangerous and inflict pain that is like being bitten by a snake [21]. For instance, among human injuries, 8.4% in Awash Fentale and 5.2% household respondents in Amibara woreda reported that pricked by thorns of P. juliflora [83]. Furthermore, the studies also highlighted the complexity of the cause of Anopheles' relationship with invasive alien plants such as P. juliflora that increased malaria incidences [53,90].…”

“…Effects of the Invasive Alien Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC and Its Management Options… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108947 their number [88]. Nevertheless, households in Awash Fentale and Amibara woredas replied that pods/seeds were the most palatable part of P. juliflora by animals [83]. Most of them argued that leaf of P. juliflora was the most toxic and killed their animals after consumptions [10].…”