Ecology Of The Cape Buffalo (syncerus Caffer Caffer Sparrman 1779) Land Use Land Cover Change A And The Socio-ecology Of The Jorgo- Wato Protected Forest Western Ethiopia

An ecological investigation on forest inhabited Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer Sparrman,rn1779), land–use/ land–cover change and socio-ecology of the Jorgo-Wato Protected Forest wasrncarried out during July, 2015–June, 2017. The study aimed to describe the population estimates,rndistribution and diet composition of buffaloes, and to assess human–buffalo conflicts as well asrnbushmeat hunting practices in the Jorgo-Wato Protected Forest. Population size of Cape buffalo wasrnestimated indirectly from dung counts. Faecal standing crop (FSC) counts and faecal accumulationrnrate (FAR) methods were employed during dung counts. Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsatrn8 OLI (1986, 2001 and 2017) imageries were used to analyse LU/LC changes of the area to infer itsrnimpact on the distribution of buffaloes. Feeding quadrat survey and faecal analysis methods werernemployed to determine the diet composition of buffaloes in the area. Various aspects of bushmeatrnhunting practices, human–buffalo conflicts and human impact on buffaloes were collected from localrncommunities and through direct and indirect observations during field surveys. Estimate of Capernbuffalo population in JWPF was 60 (52 to 68) as determined by FSC and FAR methods. Due tornincreased anthropogenic activities, buffaloes totally rest in dense forest and thicket riparianrnvegetation during the daytime and engage in nocturnal and crepuscular foraging. Thirty-nine plantrnspecies were identified as the main diet composition of Cape buffaloes. Grass accounted for 82.6%,rnwhereas browse comprised about 17.4% of buffalo diet. Four graminoids (Panicum hochstetteri,rnSetaria poiretiana, Digitaria abyssinica, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus distans), two herbsrn(Achyranthes aspera, Galinsoga quadriradiata) and one shrub (Dracaena afromontana) speciesrnwere identified as annual staple forage of buffaloes. Mean faecal nitrogen and phosphorus contentsrnwere 18.4±0.53g/kg and 4.3±0.39g/kg during the wet and 17.7±0.71g/kg and 3.9±0.36g/kg duringrnthe dry seasons, respectively. Land–use/land–cover change and other anthropogenic activitiesrnsynergistically influenced buffalo ranges and their distribution in the area. Crop damage was therncause of human–buffalo conflicts in the area. Mammals such as Tragelaphus scriptus,rnPotamochoerus larvatus, Hylochoerus meinertzhageni, Sylvicapra grimmia, Phacochoerusrnafricanus, Syncerus caffer caffer and Hystrix cristata were illegally hunted for subsistence andrncommercial purposes. Gin trap and spears and dogs were the most common hunting tools used in thernarea. Inadequate knowledge about wildlife law and ambiguity over the usage of wildlife resulted inrnmisuse of wildlife and contraction of the area of Jorgo-Wato Protected Forest. Therefore,rnimplementation of wildlife law and community awareness programmes should be introduced.rnMoreover, alternative economic opportunities, modern farming system and development of industryrnshould be considered to overcome the recent recurring drought driven resettlement programmes andrnencroachment in wildlife habitats in the Didessa- Dabena River Valleys.

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