RETRACTED: Gum and resin resources from some Acacia, Boswellia and Commiphora species and their economic contributions in Liban, Southeast Ethiopia
摘要
Oleo-gum resins, hardened resinous plant exudates obtained from some Acacia, Boswellia and Commiphora species in the lowlands of Ethiopia, have been traded for centuries both on the international and domestic markets. However, their economic contribution to the rural households is little documented. A reconnaissance survey was carried out in Liban, one of the administrative zones in the Ethiopian Somali National Regional State (ESNRS), to investigate major oleo-gum resins collected for commerce and their economic contributions to rural households. The results showed that five types of oleo-gum resins are collected for commerce in Liban. These are gum arabic obtained from Acacia senegal, gum talha obtained from A. seyal, frankincense obtained from Boswellia neglecta and B. ogadensis, myrrh obtained from Commiphora myrrha (syn. C. molmol), C. truncata and C. borensis and hagar obtained from Commiphora africana. The average annual cash income generated per household was estimated to be US$80.00. This income contributes to 32.6 % of annual household subsistence, and ranks second after livestock in the overall household livelihood. The contribution from crop farming was estimated to be 12 % , which is about one third of the contribution from oleo-gum resins. These results show that oleo-gum resins obtained from the vegetation resources play a significant role in the economy of rural households in Liban. The vegetation resources and their oleo-gum resins also provide various goods and services for the rural households in Liban. Fodder for livestock, traditional medicines for human and livestock disease treatments, incense for fumigation, cultural and religious rituals, and emergency foods during droughts are among the most common. Opportunities and constraints for oleo-gum resin based development in Liban and other similar areas in Ethiopia are discussed. The results could be used as baseline information for evaluating the potential of the arid and semi-arid land vegetation resources of the country, to plan for extensive studies of their management, conservation and proper utilization.