US Forest Service Technical Assistance Trip Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia In Support to USAID-Ethiopia for Assistance in Rangeland Management Support to the Pastoralist Livelihoods Initiative for USAID-Ethiopia Office of Business Environment Agriculture & Trade Vascular Plants of Negelle-Borona Kallos Mission dates: November 19 to December 21, 2011 Report submitted June 6, 2012 by Karen L. Dillman, Ecologist USDA Forest Service, Tongass National Forest [email protected] Vascular Plants of Negelle-Borona, Ethiopia, USFS IP Introduction This report provides supplemental information to the Inventory and Assessment of Biodiversity report prepared for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) following the 2011 mission to Negelle- Borona region in southern Ethiopia (Dillman 2012). As part of the USAID supported Pastoralist Livelihood Initiative (PLI), this work focused on the biodiversity of the kallos (pastoral reserves). This report documents the vascular plant species collected and identified from in and around two kallos near Negelle (Oda Yabi and Kare Gutu). This information can be utilized to develop a comprehensive plant species list for the kallos which will be helpful in future vegetation monitoring and biodiversity estimates in other locations of the PLI project. This list also identifies plants that are endemic to Ethiopia and East Africa growing in the kallos as well as plants that are non-native and could be considered invasive in the rangelands. Methods Field work was conducted between November 28 and December 9, 2011 (the end of the short rainy season). The rangeland habitats visited are dominated by Acacia and Commifera trees, shrubby Acacia or dwarf shrub grasslands. Vascular plants were collected from the gently undulating rangeland terrain in and around the kallos of Oda Yabi and Kare Gutu communities (at approximately 5°1’N and 39 ° 6’ E). Elevations averaged between 1000 and 1100 m. The survey methods incorporated were random transverses between permanent plot locations established for biomass and soil carbon estimation and biodiversity measurements within the kallos. Plants were also collected within the permanent plots. Plants were mainly selected for collection if abundant flowering parts or fruiting structures were present for proper identification. Many more grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees were not collected due to the lack of flowering or fruiting structures on the species, or insufficient dry pressing materials for proper drying of specimens in the field. When possible, duplicate vouchers of plants were collected if sufficient material was present. Plants were laid between layers of newspaper and cotton blotter paper and then pressed in the traditional botanical plant press. The plant press was continually rotated in the sun each day at the Save the Children office, as a dehydrator was not available. Additionally, each day wet blotters were changed between the plants to hasten the drying process. Wet blotters were then air dried as much as possible and reused. The collecting materials ( blotters, paper, plant press, field carrying case for plant press and clippers )were left with range technicians from Yabello Research Station. At the end of the field work period, the dried plant samples were transported to Wendo Genet College of Forestry. At the herbarium with the support of Wendo Genet botanist Alemnedga Degafa, the plant sample information was entered into an Excel spreadsheet. Plants were separated to make duplicate samples if sufficient material existed; one set for the Wendo Genet Vascular Plants of Negelle-Borona, Ethiopia, USFS IP College herbarium and a duplicate set to Addis Abeba University. Thirteen plants had just one voucher (unicates) that were sent to Addis Abeba with no duplicate in Wendo Genet herbarium.. Plants were identified by botanist Melaku Wondafrash at the Addis Abeba University herbarium. He also provided habitat descriptions, known range and other facts about some of the plants. Results Vascular plants representing 21 families and 101 species were identified by Melaku Wondafras to genus and species from the kallos (2 plants to genus only) (Table 1.). One additional shrub in the Acanthaceae family has not been identified due to lack of proper flowering structures (Sample #19 from Kare Gutu). Four species are known to be endemic to Ethiopia (Justicia schoensis Lindau , Leucas abyssinica (Benth.) Briq. (Fig 2), Thunbergia mauginii Fiori (Fig 3), and Tinnea somalensis Giirke ex Chiov (Fig 4). Three are endemic to East Africa (Asystasia excellens Lindau, Conyza pedunculata (Oliv.) Wild., and Ocimum cufodontii (Lanza) A.J. Paton). Many more are endemic to the African continent. At least are eight species are considered to be non-native and introduced to the area, possibly via agriculture practices, road building and livestock (Table 1; Figures 5 & 6). Table 1. List of plants collected from two kallos near Negelle-Borona, Ethiopia 2011. Additional information includes ethnobotanical or other plant information if available, the name of the kallo, and the treatment of the rangeland where the plant was collected or observed (b=burned, un=unburned). Family Plant name and author Plant information Kallo Treatment Acanthaceae Asystasia excellens Lindau Small shrub; E. Kare Gutu b African endemic Acanthaceae Barleria argentea Balff Perennial herb Kare Gutu b Acanthaceae Blepharis maderaspatensis (L.) Perennial herb; Kare Gutu b Rot widespread in tropical Africa and Asia Acanthaceae Crabbea velutina S. Moore Perennial herb; Oda Yabi b African endemic Acanthaceae Crossandra spinosa Beck Perennial herb Outside Kare un Gutu Acanthaceae Hypoestes forskaolii (Vahl) R. Br. Sprawling perennial Outside Kare un herb Gutu Acanthaceae Justicia ladanoides Lam. Perennial herb Oda Yabi b Acanthaceae Justicia schoensis Lindau Ethiopian endemic 9 Oda Yabi un Acanthaceae Ruttya fruticosa Lindau Vining shrub; native Kare Gutu b to tropical east Africa Acanthaceae Thunbergia mauginii Fiori Ethiopian endemic 9 Kare Gutu un Apiaceae Heteromorpha arborescens Small tree; African Oda Yabi un (Spreng.) Cham. & Schlecht. endemic; poor quality fuelwood, medicinal8 Vascular Plants of Negelle-Borona, Ethiopia, USFS IP Apocynaceae Acokanthera schimperi (A. DC.) Small tree; medicinal Kare Gutu b Schwein and also poisonous2, 10 Asparagaceae Asparagus africanus Lam. Perennial herb Kare Gutu un Asparagaceae Asparagus racemosus Willd. Perennial herb Kare Gutu un Asphodelaceae Trachyandra saltii (Baker) Oberm. Tufted perennial Oda Yabi un herb; endemic to Africa Asteraceae Aspilia mossambicensis (Oliv.) Shrubby perennial Kare Gutu b Wild Asteraceae Bidens prestinaria (Sch. Bip.) Perennial herb Oda Yabi un Cufod. Asteraceae Conyza pedunculata (Oliv.) Wild. E. African endemic Oda Yabi un Asteraceae Felicia abyssinica Sch. Bip. ex A. Perennial herb Outside Kare un Rich. Gutu Asteraceae Guizotia scabra (Vis.) Chiov. Annual herb Oda Yabi b Asteraceae Kleinia abyssinica (A. Rich.) A. Succulent herb Oda Yabi b Berger Asteraceae Lactuca inermis Forssk. Perennial herb Outside Oda un Yabi Asteraceae Osteospermum vailliantii (Decne) Perennial herb Kare Gutu b T Norl. Asteraceae Schkuhria pinnata (Lam.) Theil. Non-native annual Kare Gutu b herb; introduced from S. America 11 Asteraceae Tagetes minuta L. Non-native annual Kare Gutu b herb; introduced from S. America 11 Asteraceae Vernonia cinerascens Sch. Bip. in Subshrub; Native of Kare Gutu un Schweinf & Asch Africa and India 11 Asteraceae Vernonia popeana C. Jejfrey Annual herb Kare Gutu b Asteraceae Volutaria boranensis (Cujod.) Annual herb Kare Gutu b Wagenitz Asteraceae Xanthium strumarium L. Annual herb; Non- Outside Kare un native, introduced 11 Gutu Asteraceae Zinnia peruviana (L.) L. Annual herb; Non- native, introduced11 Boraginaceae Heliotropium simile Vatke Perennial herb Oda Yabi b Combretaceae Combretum collinum Fresen. Small to medium Kare Gutu b tree; endemic to Africa 11 Commelinaceae Commelina albescens Hassk. Annual herb Outside Kare un, b Gutu Commelinaceae Commelina stephaniniana Chiov. Annual herb Kare Gutu b Commelinaceae Commelina forskaolii Vahl. Annual herb; Oda Yabi b Widespread in Africa, Socotra, Madagascar and Vascular Plants of Negelle-Borona, Ethiopia, USFS IP India 11 Convolvulaceae Ipomoea oenotherae (Vatke) Hall.f Perennial herb; Outside Oda un Endemic to Africa 11 Yabi Cyperaceae Cyperus diurensis Bock Sedge Kare Gutu un Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia depauperata A. Rich. Perennial herb Outside Oda un Yabi Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia heterophylla L. Annual herb; Non- Oda Yabi b native introduced from Central America 11 Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia schimperiana Scheele Perennial herb Outside Oda un Yabi Euphorbiaceae Phyllanthus maderaspatensis L. Perennial herb Outside Oda un Yabi Fabaceae Acacia seyal Del. Tree: bark used for Kare Gutu b fodder in Kenya during drought; leaves are medicinal to humans 12 Fabaceae Crotalaria fascicularis Polhill Small shrub Oda Yabi un Fabaceae Crotalaria pycnostachya Benth. Oda Yabi un Fabaceae Indigofera brevicalyx Bak. Small shrub Kare Gutu b Fabaceae Indigofera volkensii Taub. Small shrub Kare Gutu b Fabaceae Indigofera schimperi Jaub. & Small shrub Kare Gutu & b Spach Oda Yabi Fabaceae Rhynchosia malacophylla Perennial trailing Oda Yabi b (Spreng.) Eoj. herb; Endemic to Africa 12 Fabaceae Rhynchosia minima (L.) DC. Sub-erect perennial Kare Gutu b herb Fabaceae Senna occidentalis (L.) Link Non-native, Outside Kare un introduced Gutu Fabaceae Vigna sp. Outside Oda un Yabi Geraniaceae Pelargonium quinquelobatum