Abyssinian Grass Rats Arvicanthis abyssinicus and Common Mole Rats Tachyoryctes splendens are preyed upon by the Ethiopian Wolf Canis simiensis. The aim of this study was to assess distribution, diet and trophic level of Arvicanthis abyssinicus and Tachyoryctes splendens on Mount Guna, where wolves have recently become extinct. Rodents were captured with Sherman trap and identified, and samples were taken to Debre Tabor University for dissection and diet analysis via microscopy examination of stomach contents. 110 A. abyssinicus and 52 T. splendens were captured from the study area, and the estimated population sizes of A. abyssinicus and T. splendens in Mt. Guna computed by Peterson-Lincoln Index were 1,364 and 416, respectively. In addition, 379 burrows (203 of A. abyssinicus and 176 of T. splendens) were counted. Both species were observed to consume plants and arthropods, with plants predominant. We recommend that intensive studies should be carried out to determine the effects of rodent communities upon Mt. Guna afroalpine and subafroalpine ecosystems.

Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) is the only surviving primate of the genus Theropithecus that is endemic to Ethiopia. It adapted to live in afroalpine and subafroalpine ecosystems of the Ethiopian alpine. Although it is at risk of habitat loss due to agricultural expansion and deforestation, gelada has been classified as a least concern by the IUCN. Gelada has great importance as it represents the Ethiopian national treasure which brings tourists to the country. However, no proper gelada census has been carried out in and around Mount Guna (Mt. Guna). Therefore, the current study aimed to provide an accurate count of gelada individuals living in the study area. Total count along line transects was carried out from January 1–May 30, 2018, to estimate the population of gelada. According to the current result, gelada individuals counted from the entire sites of Mt. Guna were estimated to be 56. Forty-two gelada individuals were counted from outside the protected area, while 14 of them were from the protected area. There was a significant difference between gelada individuals counted from inside and outside the protected areas (P = 0.047). The ratio of age-sex of geladas also computed to be adult males: adult females: subadult males: subadult females: immature is 1 : 3.12 : 0.88 : 1.25 : 0.75 for the total population. Furthermore, five groups of geladas were observed outside the Mt. Guna community conservation area at three sites, while only one group of geladas was identified from the protected area. Based on the current result, we recommend further research to study the population trend, fertility problems, and conservation mechanisms of geladas living within the agricultural land and human-gelada conflicts around Mt. Guna.

Ethiopia is experiencing deterioration in river quality resulting in adverse effects on human health and hydrobionts. This study aimed to analyse the effects of specific environmental stressors on the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates in the Upper Awash River. The study was conducted from January 2018 to March 2018. Macroinvertebrates were collected from five sites using standard handheld nets. Physicochemical parameters including electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorous, nitrate-nitrogen, pH, dissolved oxygen and water temperature that can affect the distribution and abundance of macroinvertebrates were assessed. A total of 14,465 individuals belonging to 33 families of insects and 5 families of the noninsect group were identified. Among all recorded taxa, Diptera was the most abundant and diversified order. Macroinvertebrates among the five sites showed variation in species evenness, richness, and Shannon Diversity Index. Values obtained from biotic indices and environmental parameters indicated the presence of organic pollution at different levels. The impacted downstream site paper mill waste (Walgata) had the relatively highest H-FBI index followed by Osole (more agricultural activities) indicating that Walgata and Osole were poorer in benthic faunal diversity than other sites. In addition, as habitat and water quality degradation increased, the number and percentage of Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) decreased. The selected metrics will be also useful for the monitoring and assessment of the riverine systems and to access the impact of different stressors. As perturbation increased, species diversity, ETHbios index, Average Score Per Taxon, and family richness decreased, while the percentage of Chironomidae, Diptera, Dominant Taxa, and Hilsenhoff Family-Level Biotic Index increased indicating that tolerant species become abundant in degraded river bodies. Environmental protection agencies of governmental and nongovernmental organizations should make awareness for the local people so that they reduce activities that affect the river. Paper factory should also monitor its effluent from directly discharging into the Upper Awash River.

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