ASSESSMENT OF WOODY PLANT SPECIES DIVERSITY ANDPOSSESSION, THEIR FUTURE PROSPECTSIN AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPES: THE CASE OF SMALLHOLDER FARMLAND IN BULE HORA DISTRICT.

Agricultural landscapes can play remarkable role in the preserving woody plant species. However, little is known about current status of woody species and factors affecting woody plant species diversity. The aim of this study was to assess the woody plants species diversity and possession in small-holder growing practices among small holder farmers of Bule Hora district. The study was considered four land use (home garden, farm land, grazing land and woodlots) three wealth class rich, medium and poor) and three altitudinal gradients (upper, middle and lower) Socioeconomic and plant biodiversity data were collected from a total of 27 households and 81 sample plots respectively. The collected Data was subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and to investigate the effect of land use, altitudinal gradient and wealth status on woody plant diversity and woody stem possession among households. The study result revealed that, in all the studied plots, 34 woody plant species were identified. Higher woody species richness’s were recorded from farmland and home garden, respectively. Woodlots had the highest number of tree stems followed by homesteads. The woody species diversity is significantly influenced by wealth status, location of the farmland holding size, family size, livestock holding, and age of house hold head and possession of off-farm income sources. The species preference analysis computations indicated that the woody demand species diversity is less likely to change in the future along all altitudinal gradients because there is no difference between the currently existing species and the preferred ones. Nonetheless, the number of woody species on the farmers’ holdings could increase.