A Survey of Nontimber Forest Products and their Conservation Status in the Gimbo District, SNNPR, Southwest Ethiopia

The study was carried out to document the NTFPs and assess their conservation status within the Bonga Forest of Gimbo District. Also in the study, by comparing two forest patches one managed by PFM and another freely accessed by the local people, the role of PFM in forest conservation is evaluated. To do all these, ethnobotanical studies, market surveys and vegetation studies were carried out. Ethnobotanical and market data collection were done in accordance with PRA techniques. And vegetation data were collected within 60 sample plots that have a dimension of 30 m X 30 m wherein data for all trees and lianas were recorded. Data for all the shrubs and herbs were also collected within subplots of 5 m X 5 m and 2 m X 2 m respectively. Random walking technique was used to lay the main plots. Vegetation study determined stem density, forest structure, population structures of important tree species, IVI and biodiversity patterns. The study documented 26 NTFPs categories. Out of these, house construction materials, honey and coffee are the most preferred NTFPs. NTFPs; coffee, honey and beeswax, korrorima, wild pepper, carpets made of phoenix reclinata leaves, fruits of Fagaropsis angolensis, Ramnus prinioides leaves and branchs, firewood, charcoal, ropes of different kinds are the NTFPs widely found in the local markets. The status of NTFPs in the study area has reduced over the years and the stutus of Fagaropsis angolensis was known to have reduced highly. Student’s t-test revealed that neither total stem density nor trees and shrubs density separately in the forests under PFM and free access differ significantly. This shows that although higher rate of selective logging is evident in the free access forest, there is also high rate of reproduction or regeneration or succession within this forest. The biodiversity pattern of the forests in the study area was found to be high (H’= 4.37 & 4.27) and (E =0.94 & 0.91) in the PFM and free access forests respectively. Preference ranking results shows that Olea welwitschii, Elaeodendron buchananii, Syzygium guineense, Allophylous abyssinicus, Millettia ferruginea, Cordia Africana, Ehretia cymosa , Euphorbia ampliphylla, Ficus sur, Poutera adolfi-friedericii, Shefflera abyssinica and vernonia amygdalina are the most preferred tree species that are source of NTFPs and the IVI result indivcated Cordia africana, Ficus thonningii, Dombeya torrida, Ekebergia capensis, Vernonia auriculifera, Fagaropsis angolensis, Galinieria saxifrage, Pitosporum virdiflourm and Psychotria orophilia to be the least important tree species. Therefore, the above-mentioned tree species should be a center of foret conservation scheme in the area either due to their high preferredness or due to their low abundance.