Biodiversity and Natural Products

1.Biodiversity

Ethiopia is an open laboratory in biodiversity, biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems, and biodiversity is species diversity and species richness. If you are interested and would like to explore, collect, identify, characterize in this area field of study for education and research purposes, get in touch with us, we will lead you to the undiscovered biological site for individual, institutional or national and global interest.

Biologists most often define biodiversity as the “totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region”. The flora of Ethiopia that have been identified, as areas of plant endemism of global importance are found in Simien and Bale Mountains, the flora over there is very heterogeneous with endemic elements. The number of higher plants in Ethiopia is estimated to be around 7000 species of which about 12 % are endemic. Their flora is diverse and the afromontane representatives show affinities to South African, Eurasian and Himalayan elements. The southwestern board leaved evergreen forests shows affinity to the Congoiian forests of western Africa.The country is a critical region for faunastic diversity with limited studies. Numerous categories of terrestrial and aquatic resources such as mammals (277 spp.), which of 31 are endemic species; 861 species of birds (16 species are endemic); 201 reptiles from which 9 are endemic; 63 spp. amphibians (24 endemic species); and 101 spp. Of fish from which 4 species are endemic are recorded. However, there is much study and scientific investigations required in this area. Ethiopia is also believed to have a wide diversity of microbial heritage, which are hardly explored.

The southwest of Ethiopia is a region rich in wildlife resources, with three major national parks. Distinctly different from other parts of Ethiopia, it offers a mixture of fertile grasslands, terraced hillsides, broad rivers and forests. The National Park in which the hominid remains have been found is one of the most beautiful in Ethiopia. Its 4,068 km² of wilderness bordered by the Omo River is home to an amazing range of wildlife: 306 species of bird have been identified there, while large herds of eland; buffalo and elephant are not uncommon.