<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Despite their restriction, smallholder farmers have been continuing growing <italic>Eucalyptus globulus</italic> in the cultivated land in the central highland of Ethiopia. Literature has shown controversial issues against <italic>E. globulus.</italic> Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the compatibility of <italic>E. globulus</italic> in the smallholder farmers’ land use system. Soil samples were collected from five different land uses and analysed for selected physical and chemical properties. The socioeconomic contribution of <italic>E. globulus</italic> was collected through household surveys from 110 households. Analysis of soil showed that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) under <italic>E. globulus</italic> compared to the cultivated land. The survey results also showed that the largest proportion (58%) of households was interested in growing <italic>E. globulus</italic> because of its multiple uses. About 83% of households responded that <italic>E. globulus</italic> help them to attain food security through increasing the purchasing power of smallholder farmers to buy agricultural inputs and food. This study has substantiated the role of <italic>E. globulus</italic> in the land use system of smallholder farmers. Most of the soil fertility indicators were better under <italic>E. globulus.</italic> The present finding reveals that <italic>E. globulus</italic> degrade the soil seemingly difficult to generalise. Growing <italic>E. globulus</italic> must be promoted under appealing land use to enhance smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Removing <italic>E. globulus</italic> from the land use system may jeopardise the food security situation of many households.</p></abstract>

Despite their restriction, smallholder farmers have been continuing growing Eucalyptus globulus in the cultivated land in the central highland of Ethiopia. Literature has shown controversial issues against E. globulus. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the compatibility of E. globulus in the smallholder farmers’ land use system. Soil samples were collected from five different land uses and analysed for selected physical and chemical properties. The socioeconomic contribution of E. globulus was collected through household surveys from 110 households. Analysis of soil showed that organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were significantly higher (P<0.05) under E. globulus compared to the cultivated land. The survey results also showed that the largest proportion (58%) of households was interested in growing E. globulus because of its multiple uses. About 83% of households responded that E. globulus help them to attain food security through increasing the purchasing power of smallholder farmers to buy agricultural inputs and food. This study has substantiated the role of E. globulus in the land use system of smallholder farmers. Most of the soil fertility indicators were better under E. globulus. The present finding reveals that E. globulus degrade the soil seemingly difficult to generalise. Growing E. globulus must be promoted under appealing land use to enhance smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Removing E. globulus from the land use system may jeopardise the food security situation of many households.

Rethinking <italic>Eucalyptus globulus</italic> Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine

Department of Natural Resources Management

Ekológia (Bratislava)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Rethinking  Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Despite their restriction, smallholder farmers have been continuing growing Eucalyptus globulus in the cultivated land in the central highland of Ethiopia....

Rethinking Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Published Online: Mar 20, 2018

Page range: 57 - 68

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2018-0006

Keywords
land use systems, farm forestry, soil fertility, rural livelihoods, socioeconomics

© 2018 Dadi Feyisa et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Rethinking Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Based Land Use Systems in Smallholder Farmers Livelihoods: A Case of Kolobo Watershed, West Shewa, Ethiopia

Published Online: Mar 20, 2018

Page range: 57 - 68

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2018-0006

Keywordsland use systems, farm forestry, soil fertility, rural livelihoods, socioeconomics

© 2018 Dadi Feyisa et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
land use systems, farm forestry, soil fertility, rural livelihoods, socioeconomics