Abstract:
Compared to other agroforestry systems, the homegarden agroforestry system primarily consists
of complicated multi-strata. This study's was conducted with the objective to assess floristic
composition of woody plant species found in homegardens agroforestry and how they affect
household livelihoods in the Dendi district, West Shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Purposive
sampling technique was employed in order to select kebeles in the district. Selections of
homegardens from each kebeles were conducted using a systematic random sampling technique.
Woody Plant species inventories were carried out for 48 homegardens from 143 total
household sample sizes. All woody plant species was counted and recorded in 10 x 10 m plots.
A total of 37 woody plant species belonging to 33 genera and 26 botanical families were
recorded in the study homegardens. The most diversified woody plant family represented in the
Dendi district was the Fabaceae, which included five species. Rosaceae and Euphorbaiaceae
each had three species. Gare Arera and Galesa Koftu kebeles were, respectively, had the largest
and lowest abundance of woody plant species. The values of Shannon-Wiener diversity indices for
Gare Arera, Dano Ejersa Gibe, Kaba Bareda and Galesa Koftu were 2.6, 2.48, 2.23 and 2.2
respectively. The range of species evenness, which was greater than 0.5 and varied from 0.67 to
0.72, indicated that the distribution of species in the homgardens of Dendi District is more or less
similar. Homegarden agroforestry in the Dendi district were classified into 9 functional
categories to the households. The result revealed that about 34.4% of woody plant species
in homegardens were serving for household‘s cash income generation. Others are accounted
for medicine, building or fuel wood, live fence, home materials, spices, stimulants, shade,
ornamentals. In addition, it contributes to environmental sustainability. Encourage
homegardening agroforestry for plant biodiversity conservation and management as well as for
ecological interventions is the main issue.Generally, Homegarden agroforestry systems are
conserving several woody species diversity in its system and woody species were more or less
similar, among in the study kebeles. Therefore, focus should be given to extension services,
management and sustainably use of woody species in homegarden agroforestry.
