Shimelis Aynalem Zelelew

Accurate assessment of ecotourism site suitability is essential for sustainability planning, ecological conservation, and local economic development. This study evaluates ecotourism suitability in the Lake Tana watershed, Ethiopia, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and multi-criteria evaluation techniques. The methodological novelty of this study lies in the integration of spatial environmental and infrastructural factors, supplemented with local expert and community perceptions, within a GIS-based AHP framework. This provides a more comprehensive and context-specific suitability assessment for sustainable ecotourism development in the Lake Tana watershed compared to previous broader regional studies, including detailed validation using ROC-AUC and consideration of multiple accessibility metrics. Key factors considered include elevation, slope, vegetation density, and proximity to water bodies and infrastructure. A suitability map was developed based on weighted criteria derived from pairwise comparisons. The results showed that 20% of the watershed, mainly around Lake Tana and nearby water bodies, is highly suitable for ecotourism development, while 50% is moderately suitable, 3.5% is marginally suitable, and 26% is unsuitable. The findings provide important guidance for sustainable ecotourism planning, policy development, and evidence-based decision making, and demonstrate the applicability of GIS–AHP approaches for assessing ecotourism potential in other regions.

The expansion of seasonal agriculture has contributed to forest habitat loss and declines in avian populations dependent on these ecosystems. This study investigates how habitat structure and seasonal variation influence bird species richness, abundance, and community composition in the Tara Gedam Monastery church forest, a sacred grove. The forest was stratified into edge, intermediate, and interior zones based on distance from the edge and vegetation structure. Data were collected during the wet (August–October 2019) and dry (December 2019–February 2020) seasons using 200 point counts across 20 sample blocks. Tree density and diameter at breast height (DBH) were measured within 20 m × 20 m quadrats. Bird community structure was assessed using Shannon diversity, evenness, and equitability indices, alongside Chao‐1 and ACE estimators. A total of 94 species and 2375 individual birds were recorded, with an overall Shannon Diversity Index of 4.009, indicating high species diversity. While bird abundance was 61% higher in the wet season, species richness and diversity remained remarkably stable between seasons, reflecting the forest's role as a perennial refuge. Multivariate analysis revealed that avian community structure is shaped by complex interactions among habitat class, distance from edge, tree density, and tree DBH (Roy's largest root = 1.731, p = 0.009). Contrary to classic edge effect predictions, both species richness and abundance were significantly higher at the forest edge, highlighting the ecological importance of ecotone habitats. Foraging guild analysis revealed a community dominated by insectivores (25 species) and omnivores (38 species), with near‐equal representation of arboreal (39 species) and ground‐foraging (41 species) strata, underscoring the importance of vertical habitat heterogeneity. These findings emphasize that the conservation value of sacred groves extends beyond species richness to encompass functional diversity and community resilience. Preserving structural complexity, particularly at forest edges, is critical for sustaining avian biodiversity in fragmented agricultural landscapes.

The study investigated the vegetation diversity as a driver of avian richness and seasonality in Ethiopia's sacred forest habitats in the southern Lake Tana watershed during the wintering and breeding periods. The study was conducted in three historically significant sacred forests of the Ethiopian Orthodox churches. Data collection took place from November to December and from March to April 2022, utilising systematic random sampling to establish point‐count plots for assessing bird diversity and abundance. A total of 163 avian species were recorded. Two of them were endemic, 11 near‐endemic, and 24 highland biome species. The richness of birds and abundance were notably higher in the post‐rainy time ( H = 4.51); the interior and edge habitat diversity were H = 4.39 and H = 4.33, respectively. Diversity indices indicated a more even distribution of bird species in the post‐rainy time, while dominance enlarged at the edge forest in the dry periods, relatively. The study further uncovered significant correlations between bird richness and tree richness and abundance, highlighting the essential impact of vegetation diversity in supporting avian populations. The multiple regression analysis considering the factor scores in the Principal Component Analysis reveals that the linear combination of tree richness or tree abundance has a significant effect in determining bird richness ( R ² = 0.796, p < 0.001) than DBH (diameter of tree at breast height), tree basal area, and tree height, which were not significant predictors. Overall, conservation efforts should prioritise enhancing vegetation diversity in less disturbed areas of church forests to sustain avian populations. We recommend that continued research is crucial to explore the multifaceted relationships between other vegetation variables such as canopy cover, tree age and anthropogenic factors with avian dynamics.

Accurate information on ecotourism site suitability is crucial for effective planning, aiding in ecological conservation and local economic uplift. This study addresses the lack of documented ecotourism site suitability in the Lake Tana watershed of Ethiopia by evaluating factors such as elevation, slope, vegetation density, and proximity to water and infrastructure using Geographical Information System (GIS) and multi-criteria evaluation methods. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with GIS was used to create a resource inventory and establish sustainable tourism criteria. A suitability map was developed based on weights from pair-wise comparisons of the selected criteria. Results show that 20% of the area, particularly near Lake Tana and water bodies, is highly suitable for ecotourism. Additionally, 50% is moderately suitable, 3.1% is marginally suitable, and 26% is unsuitable for development. These findings can guide resilient policies for ecotourism initiatives and help assess sustainable tourism in other regions. Regional tourism offices, Non-governmental Organizations, and policymakers can use this data to evaluate natural resource suitability for ecotourism, providing a foundation for further research in the field.

The deep connection between Indigenous communities and nature plays a pivotal role in biodiversity conservation. Ethiopia, one of Africa's priority countries for bird conservation, harbours 821 bird species and 83 ethnic groups of Indigenous people. However, cultural and spiritual ties between Indigenous peoples and bird species remain largely unexplored. This is particularly true for remote Indigenous communities such as the Nuer. Relying on preexisting bird survey data, we conducted focussed group discussions and semi‐structured interviews with Indigenous Nuer in western Ethiopia to explore human–bird interactions and documented associated traditional ecological knowledge and considered their conservation implications. We found that Nuers have strong ties with birds. In Nuer community, birds are collectively known by three interchangeable terms: ‘gaatkuoth’ to mean sacred children of god, ‘kuoth’ meaning bearers of spirit and ‘diit’ symbols of human twins (since birds nurture multiple offspring, they associate the incidence of twins in human with birds). We identified 71 culturally important bird species that were used in seven different use categories. Among these species, 10 were used as bushmeat, five for traditional medicine, eight as fish indicators, seven as omens (believed to indicate upcoming misfortunes), three as amulets (believed to protect against danger when bird's body parts are used as necklaces and bracelets), three as season indicators and 45 for their scenic beauty. An informant consensus factor for species in all use categories was >90%, except for the scenic value, indicating a high homogeneity of knowledge about species uses. Bird species with multiple uses have significant cultural values among locals, emphasizing the need to understand these values in conservation efforts. Nuer traditional systems regulate the direct use of birds including for bushmeat. Hunting is permitted only by impoverished households during severe food shortages and is prohibited for those with a history of twins in their ancestry. The Nuer people exhibit a profound cultural connection to birds, viewing them as sacred and spiritually valuable beings. This deep‐seated reverence and traditional knowledge highlight the importance of integrating Indigenous perspectives into bird conservation strategies to enhance their effectiveness and respect cultural values. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

The Wattled Crane is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and isolated population occurs in Ethiopia. This study was conducted in Chimba wetlands, Lake Tana area from October–2013 to December–2014. The objectives were to understand the distribution and population status of the Wattled crane and assess the vegetation characteristics and threats of the ecological units. The population size and density of cranes in the study area was determined from weekly counts carried out in equal-sized sampling units. The total survey area was divided into square grids, and each of them was 1.23 square km wide/size. A total of 10 grid squares, which have an area of 12.32 square km were considered for density analysis. Although the total area of the study was 208.2 km2, unsuitable habitats, such as forest or farmlands were excluded. Counts of cranes were made at known sites. The density was calculated as the average number of cranes counted per unit area. A total of 32 cranes were recorded. The density of cranes in the study area is 2.6 per km2. Cranes were located in Addis Amba, Dehena Mesenta, Latamba, and Legdia local administrative areas. The number recorded in each area varied, the largest (17) was recorded in Latamba Kebele and the fewest (2) in Legdia. The dominant vegetation type of Chimba wetlands is emergent macrophyte. However, the papyrus bed represents about 10% of the wetland. Species of vegetation other than papyrus bed is represented by a 20 quadrat study. A total of 26 macrophyte species belonging to 10 families were recorded. Intensive cultivation, draining of the wetland, habitat degradation, overgrazing of the wetland, overharvesting of papyrus, invasive species, and over-flooding are the major threats of wetlands.

Birds select breeding habitats based on biotic and abiotic environmental factors, resulting in a non-random spatial distribution of nests. This study investigated the onset of nesting, nest location, the relationship between nest height and water depth, nest materials, and the structure and characteristics of Black Crowned Crane nests in the Lake Tana region, Ethiopia. A total of 52 nests were recorded in four wetlands from 2014 to 2015. Nesting activity predominantly took place from September to October. There was a significant difference in the distance from nests to the edge of the wetland (χ² = 24.843, n = 46, df = 3, p < 0.001). However, in all study areas the distance between nests, which indicates the degree of territoriality, did not show any significant difference (χ² = 6.016, n = 34, df = 3, p = 0.111). In addition, nests were constructed in the wetland where the water depth ranged from 80 to 220 cm. Nest height (H_2i) and water depth (WD_i) at nesting sites were highly correlated, and the regression equation (H_2i = 13.77 + 1.03WD_i) indicated that when the water depth increases, the nest height also increases. The shallowest depth where a nest was constructed was 80 cm. Vegetation type varied, but cranes used Leersia hexandra, Oryza longistaminata, and Cyprus rotundus plants as their selected nesting material. The average vegetation height observed at nests with eggs, measured one metre away from the nest rim, ranged from 20 to 90 cm (44.83 ± 2.397), n = 48. The vegetation height at each study site showed no significant difference (F₍₃₎ = 2.527, p = 0.07). The mean nest length, width, and height from the surface of the water between nests were not significantly different. Nesting density was variable depending on the size of the wetland, water depth, and vegetation type and cover.