Community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed to assess community perceptions towards invasion of Prosopis juliflora, utilization, and its control options in Afar region, Northern Ethiopia. Using purposive sampling and stratified random methods, 20 members of key informants and 154 households from four sites of Awash Fentale and Amibara Districts were selected. For data analysis, we used Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests of K independent samples. About 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale reported that Prosopis juliflora was largely introduced into their landscape by livestock. It showed that 29% of the respondents in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara responded that Prosopis juliflora largely invaded and affected rangelands. Morevover, about 1% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora hindered movements of livestock. In addition, 30% of respondents in Amibara and 29% in Awash Fentale believe that Prosopis juliflora was largely dispersed by livestock. It showed that 20% of households in Awash Fentale and 41% in Amibara have the notion that Prosopis juliflora majorly impacted rangelands. Whereas 1.3% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 14% in Amibara argued that Prosopis juliflora have hampered the movement of livestock. Thus, the afromentioned findings are implications for management of rangelands. With regard to the control of Prosopis juliflora invasions, 12% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 33% in Amibara District tried control its expansion by fire. About 10% of respondents in Awash Fentale and 9% in Amibara district managed Prosopis juliflora expansion by its utilization, whereas, in Awash Fentale (11%) and Amibara (8%) households indicated that invasion of Prosopis juliflora could be controlled by mechanical methods. It is advisable to do some managerial work to reverse these impacts as perceived by local communities in the study area to avert the aggressive proliferation of Prosopis juliflora in the region.