Revista de Biodiversidade, Bioprospecção e Desenvolvimento

This study was conducted at Daligaw Kebela East Gojjam Zone to assess the medicinal plants and their conservational status. The data were collected through questionnaire, key informant interview, and observation. A total of 82 households were selected randomly from the total household. The key informants from the study area were selected purposively. The collected data were analyzed by using Microsoft excel and expressed by using descriptive statistical such as percentage, tables and bar graphs. In the study area a total of 38 medicinal plants were identified. About 55%, 2.63% and 42.11% were used for treatment of human aliments, Animals aliments and were used for both animal and human aliments respectively. Leaves (78%) followed by roots (40%) are the most frequently used plant parts for traditional medicine. However, the conservation status of some of those medicinal plants are nearly too endangered because of overexploitation, overgrazing, mainly due to over harvesting of their roots. Generally, the above-mentioned conservation challenges may be due to lack of awareness among local community and the concerned government and non-government bodies. So, appropriate intervention on awareness creation and parallel conservation works should be facilitated as far as the issue of medicinal plants sustainability is concern.

With the present pace of development world over with focus on immediate needs and political gains, an effort has usually been made presently to overlook the future needs, interest of future generations and environmental damages resulting into long term and irreversible negative impacts. Such an issue needs to be addressed in an integrated manner with vision on future generations. The authors have therefore made an attempt in this editorial article to address some of the issues relating to environmental sustainability.

This study examined the factors that influenced the quality of adaptation strategies of farmers to climate change hazards in Benue state Nigeria. Multi-stage and Probability Proportional to Size sampling technique were adopted to select 360 farmers across the three agro-ecological zones in the state. Data were collected using interview schedule. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. The results showed that the farmers adopted strategies with the mean vales as Mixed cropping system (4.41), Use of irrigation (1.60), Use of drought tolerant crops (2.60), Diversification (2.59), Use of improved variety (3.41), non-agricultural income (2.80), Increased use of fertilizer (2.61), Land ownership (43.60%), Membership of an association (2.21), livestock ownership (2.20), supply of pesticide (1.79). The result of logistic regression showed that the educational level of the farmers is a significant (X= 0.603; p<0.050) socioeconomic variable influencing the kind of climate change adaptation strategies adopted by the farmer.

A study was undertaken to identify the causes of the postharvest losses of horticultural crops along postharvest chain and set solutions for the identified and prioritized problems related with horticultural crop's management in Jimma town, the case of Bishishe market. In the first phase of the study a survey was carried out using random sample to collect information on the present system of postharvest handling of horticultural crops. The market management of horticultural crops were identifies by interview, questionnaires, and observation regarding to handling practice, hygienic condition of fruit handlers, problems related to transportation. The major stages of postharvest marketing sequence were identified and loss assessment was carried out at each stages followed by prioritizing the problems based on the loss assessment results. The survey result reveals that a major cause of postharvest loss of horticultural crops is mismanagement of commodities along postharvest system. Poor postharvest handling facilities and practices such as absence of sanitation, temperature management, uniformity of quality within containers, overfilling of containers and other quality and safety assurance problems were among the common causes for these observed losses. The second phase of this study was prioritizes the problems based on the loss assessment results obtained in phase one and intervene those problems.