The impact of land uses on the diversity and farmers' preferences for woody species in the selected highlands of Ethiopia

Various woody species are growing in diverse landscapes and form a prominent component of farmland in Ethiopia. Farmers' preferences for woody species also vary in different parts of the country. The diversity and farmers' preferences for woody species have been described earlier. However, a simultaneous analysis of land use diversity and farmers’ preferences for woody species is scarcely available. Therefore, to fill the gap, this study was conducted in three selected highlands of Ethiopia to assess the land use diversity and farmers' preferences for woody species. A total of 320 households were randomly selected, and out of these, 105 households were purposely selected for species inventory. Overall, 525 plots were made using a 30 m × 30 m plot size for different land uses. Focus group discussion and key informant interviews were used for farmers’ preferences. The results imply that 32 woody species belonging to 16 families were recognized. Fabaceae was the leading family with 25% of species, followed by Rosaceae with 12.5% of species. In terms of species diversity, home garden (2.39) was more diverse than grazing land (1.94), crop land (1.50), boundary (0.92), and woodlot (0.54) in all areas. Among the preferred species, Eucalyptus globulus, Cuppressus lusitanica, Malus domestica, Cytisus proliferus, and Acacia decurrens were the most preferred and planted woody species by farmers. Generally, farmland maintains various tree and shrub species according to landscape practices. Farmers preferred and planted different woody species based on their benefits. Woody species must be maintained on farmland to overcome socio-economic and environmental problems.