Effects of Inclusion of Different Levels of Ethiopian Thyme (Thymus schimperi Ronniger) as Natural Additive on Chemical Composition and In Sacco Dry Matter Degradability of Total Mixed Ration and Feed Ingredients

This study evaluated the effects of the inclusion of Ethiopian thyme (Thymus schimperi Ronninger) to natural pasture hay (NPH), noug seed cake (NSC), wheat bran (WB) and total mixed ration (TMR) on the chemical composition and in Sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of the feeds. The Thyme plant used for the study was collected from Dinsho and Tarmaber districts in the highlands of Ethiopia. Samples of the TMR and NPH, WB and NSC with or without thyme were divided into two parts and ground to pass through 1 mm screen for chemical analysis and 2 mm screen for in sacco DM degradability. The TMR contained 50% NPH, 32.5% WB, 14% NSC, 3% molasses and 0.5% common salt. The feed ingredients (NPH, WB and NSC) and the TMR were incubated without thyme or with thyme substituting the diet at 8%, 16% and 24% levels of treatments. The chemical composition of all the feeds differed significantly (P In sacco rumen dry matter degradability of NPH, WB, NSC and TMR was increased (P in sacco DM degradability of NPH at all incubation hours was higher (P Thymus schimperi plant up to a level of 24% DM in feed can reasonably stimulate the growth and activity of the certain rumen microbes that promoted an improvement in ruminal DM degradability of the diet with the thyme inclusion.

Human-climate induced drivers of mountain grassland over the last 40 years in Sidama, Ethiopia: perceptions versus empirical evidence

Background:Mountain grasslands are globally important ecosystems.They are considered as heritage sites with“outstanding values”to ecological communities by adding a further“layer and support to the existing protection measures.”However,mountain grasslands are increasingly under threat from human activities and impacts of climate change.Methods:Using satellite imagery,we studied land use/land cover(LULC)patterns between 1973 and 2015.Individual interviews consisting of 240 households for comparison and field data collection were conducted for accuracy assessment.Results:Five categories of LULC types were identified from the image classification that included forestland,grassland,shrubland,bushland,and agricultural land.Between 1973 and 2015,the forestland,grassland,and shrubland covers were declined by 15.9%,53.6%,and 41.0%,respectively.In contrast,bushland and agricultural land were increased by 169%and 647%,respectively.The overall LULC classification accuracies for the four reference years ranged from 77.6 to 86.5%with Kappa statistic of 0.69 to 0.80.The majority of respondents(92.5%)mentioned that the cover of forestland outsized the other land use land cover types followed by grassland in the past.Conclusions:The stated indicators of land use/land cover changes linked to the impact of climate change were decline in milk yield and crop production,spread of livestock diseases,degradation of grazing lands,and change in the timing of rain.The results of the study suggest that human-climate related components were major drivers of land use/land cover dynamics that demand for proper management and conservation of mountain grassland ecosystem in Sidama South Ethiopia.

Rangeland water requirement satisfaction index under rainfall variability and predicting future rainfall scenarios: implication for availability of feed resources

Introduction:Rangeland ecosystems provide multiple ecosystem services,including feed resources for wild and domestic herbivores in semi-arid areas.However,under the ever increasing environmental changes,the impact of rainfall variability on the productivity and vegetation dynamics of rangelands are the great challenges that pastoral community are facing today.As a result,the potentials of most rangelands in semi-arid ecosystems affect the livestockproduction.Therefore,we studied the interconnections between the long-term rainfall variation and the rangeland Water Requirement and Satisfaction Index(WRSI)in Mieso,Jigjiga,and Shinile districts under pastoral conditions of Ethiopia.Methods:The base period rainfall data(1984–2015)was obtained from the National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia,whereas the future rainfall trend was predicted using MarkSim software(Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 GHG concentration trajectory).Mann-Kendall’s statistical tests,coefficient of variation,LEAP software(version 2.61),and Minitab Software(version 15)were used to assess the relationship between rangeland WRSI and long-term rainfall variability.Results:The result indicated that mean annual rainfall anomaly had strong positive correlation with rangeland WRSI in Mieso(P<0.05),Jigjiga(P<0.001),and Shinile(P<0.001)pastoral areas.Similarly,short and long rainy seasons had positive association(P<0.001)with rangeland WRSI,especially in Jigjiga and Shinile pastoral districts.The base period rainfall as well as the predicted annual rainfall showed variability in amount and distribution in all studied districts in pastoral areas of Ethiopia.Conclusions:The mean annual rainfall anomaly is correlated with the rangeland WRSI.Moreover,the future rainfall trend analysis indicated that variability of rainfall would be expected in between the years 2020–2049,2040–2069,and 2070–2099.Thus,the future rainfall variability would limit future rangeland WRSI under pastoral conditions of Ethiopia.Based on our study,we suggested establishment and implementation of early warning systems to reduce the likely impact of rainfall variability on future rangeland potential in dry lands under the pastoral production systems in eastern Ethiopia.