Abstract: Understanding the importance of home gardens in the production of food, generating income, traditional medicine and other useful products for human beings is indispensable. In Ethiopia, research and documentation on home gardens are very few. The present study was intended to investigating the role of home gardens for improved livelihoods, plant species composition and their diversity. This study was conducted in Midakegn Woreda, West Showa zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia from Septem...
Abstract: Freshwater ecosystems harbour a considerable proportion of Earth’s biodiversity, even though they cover < 2 % of the land surface. Lakes are one of humanity’s most important resources,where they are viewed as highly productive biological systems.The availability of good quality water is the major factor for preventing diseases and improving quality of life. In the present study the physicochemical parameters and the occurrence of three heavy metals in the tissues of fish specim...
Abstract: Nowadays declined natural resources alongside rapid population growth necessitate optimum use of scarce land resources based on their potentials. In this regard, land suitability evaluation which identifies the fitness of land for a defined use has no substitute. It is with this understanding that a study was proposed to evaluate the suitability of land at Edo Gojola watershed for major rainfed cereal crops wheat, maize, teff and sorghum. This study was aimed to identify suitabilit...
Abstract: The use of benthic macro invertebrates together with physico- chemical parameters was considered as the reliable method for water quality assessment. This study was conducted to assess the level of pollution in the Rukkisa River water using biological and physico chemical parameters. Three sampling sites were selected, one site was not affected by the coffee processing plant effluent used as reference site and two affected sites in the outlet and downstream were used to collect the...
Abstract: Amylases are important enzymes commonly used for the hydrolysis of starch to generate hydrolysates useful for different industrial applications. This study was aimed at isolating amylase producing fungal species from decomposed wastes and spoiled foods using solid state fermentation. The isolated fungal species were screened experimentally using the starch hydrolysis test and identified based on cultural and microscopic characteristics. Amylase activity was determined using the din...
Abstract: Sarthrura ayresi were endangered birds and their migratory routes are between Ethiopia and South Africa. Because of their population size, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource(IUCN) regarded Sarothrura ayresi as critically endangered species. The study was aimed at assessing community awareness about ecology, conservation, and distribution and population census of WWFs in Berga Wetland. From 230 household owners living in four kebeles were use...
Abstract: Biogas is an alternative eco-friendly renewable energy source that produced by methanogenic bacteria through anaerobic digestion of organic materials. In this research, biogas production from co-digestion of the cow dung (CD) and groundnut shell (GS) with five mix ratios (T1 100%CD,T2 75%CD+25%GS,T3 50%CD+50%GS,T4 25%CD +75%GS,T5 100%GS) was evaluated under mesophilic conditions (38ºC) using batch fermentation for 21 days. The substrates were prepared with different total solid pe...
Abstract: Biogas is a methane gas produced through anaerobic digestion fermentation of organic matter. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal mix ratio for biogas production from anaerobic digestion of vegetable waste (carrot and cabbage waste) and goat manure. The experiment was batch operated and daily gas yield from the mixture was monitored for 30 days. The parameters measured were total solids (TS), volatile solids (VS), organic carbon, and moisture content. For the experime...
Abstract: Recently, the use of organic liquid fertilizer assumed as a proper and practical fertilizer for plant productivity purposes. This study aimed to produce ecologically friendly organic liquid fertilizer from cow manure and onion peels that can be used for hydroponic growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). The fermentation process was carried out in open container covered with cotton cloth (to prevent entries of insects). After 43 days of fermentation the mixture was converted in to or...
Abstract: Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally eco-friendly renewable energy. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of the Justicia schimperiana and cow dung in five mix ratios,A100%JS, B 75%JS: 25%CD, C 50%JS:50%CD, D25%JS:75%CD, E100%CD was evaluated under mesophilic conditions (38ºC) using a batch digester in microbiology laboratory of Haramaya University. In all treatments, Total solid, Volatile ...
Abstract: Food safety issues are of growing concern to consumers globally because of the risks associated with consumption of foods contaminated with heavy metals and pathogenic microbes. In Harar town, kebele 05 vegetable farm is known to produce vegetables irrigated with wastewater. To what extent these vegetables are contaminated with heavy metals and pathogens was not known. Thus, a laboratory based cross sectional study was conducted from October 2016 to January 2017 to assess the exten...
Abstract: Energy is one of the most important factors for human development and to global prosperity.Biogas is a versatile renewable energy source, which can be used for replacement of fossil fuels in power and heat production. Therefore, this research was initiated to utilize biomasses such as Vernonia auriculifera leaves (VA) and cow dung (CD) for biogas production. In this study, biogas production from co-digestion of the VA and CD in five mix ratios (100% VA, 70% VA: 30% CD, 50% VA: 50% ...
Abstract: The level of water pollution and ecological disturbance of Ejersa river was assessed using physico-chemical parameters and benthic macro-invertebrates. Ejersa river which is part of the Omo-Gibe basin is used for various activities such as irrigation, washing and cattle watering. But it is exposed to wastewater discharge from municipal sewage, nearby prison institution and abattoir. Three sites selected randomly at upstream as site one, at the back of prison institution in middle o...
Abstract: Land degradation is a global, ongoing and relentless problem diminishing the functions and services provided by land resources. The problem is most serious in tropical regions, high in population density and mainly dependent on subsistence agriculture. Ethiopia can be viewed as a vivid example of countries in these regions most affected by land degradation. Although its extent varies, the problem is widespread in all regions of the country. The highlands, originally endowed with ab...
Abstract: Production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of organic waste materials provides an alternative environmentally friendly renewable energy. In this study, biogas production from codigestion of corn cob with cow dung in five mix ratios was evaluated under mesophilic condition (38ºC) using a batch digester for 30 days. In all substrates, VS, organic carbon, pH and C: N ratios were measured before and after digestion. The Parameters studied were total solids (TS), volatile solids ...