Assessment of commelina species feed use in Konso Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Identification, seasonal characterization, and altitudinal distribution

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of the Study Area.

Table 1. Family Size and Educational Level of the respondents

Variable	Category	Altitude				Total %
		Low altitude		Mid altitude
		F	Percent	F	Percent
Family Size	<3	5	4.27	1	1.28	3.08
	3 to 6	20	17.09	16	20.51	18.46
	7 to 10	59	50.43	42	53.85	51.79
	>10	33	28.21	19	24.36	26.67
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	100
Educational Level	Illiterate	46	39.32	34	43.59	41.03
	Youth Education	14	11.97	9	11.54	11.79
	1 to 4	27	23.08	17	21.79	22.56
	5 to 8	20	17.09	14	17.95	17.44
	9 to 12	3	2.56	3	3.85	3.08
	Higher institution	7	5.98	1	1.28	4.10
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	100

Note: F=Frequency; N=Total sample

Table 2. Land Holdings (hectare) and Land Use Pattern Correlations

	Land Holding, Altitude
	Low altitude		Mid altitude
Land Type	Mean±SD	%, Total Land	Mean±SD	%, Total Land	P-Value
Crop land	2.11±1.42^a	76.52	1.61±1.55^b	80.89	0.02
Grazing Land	0.65±0.68^a	23.48	0.38±0.63^b	19.11	0.006
Total Land	2.76±2.08^a	-	1.99±2.16^b	-	0.013
Correlation between Land use Patterns
	Crop Land		Grazing Land		Total Land
Crop Land	1.00
Grazing Land	0.945***		1.00
Total Land	0.995***		0.974***		1.00

Note: SD=Standard deviation; ^{a, b} means with the different superscripts across rows (between altitudes) are significantly different at (P<0.05)

Table 3. Mean livestock holding per altitude expressed in TLU

S.No.	Livestock Species	Altitude, Mean±SD		P -Value	SL
		Low altitude	Mid altitude
1	Cattle	3.77±3.45^a	2.78±2.04^b	0.023	*
2	Sheep and Goat	1.31±1.7^a	0.78±0.59^b	0.009	**
3	Donkeys	0.12±0.32	0.076±0.25	0.301	ns
4	Poultry	0.075±0.066	0.062±0.046	0.134	ns
5	Total Livestock	5.28±4.88^a	3.70±2.33^b	0.008	**

Note: TLU=Tropical Livestock Unit; SD = Standard deviation; * = means different at α = 0.05; ** = means different at α = 0.01; ns =non-significant; ^{a, b} means with the different superscripts across rows are significantly different at (p<0.05).

Figure 2. Pressed Specimen and Field Photos of Different Commelina spp.

Note: a=C.benghalensis; b=C.imberbis; c=C.diffusa; d=C.albescense; e=C.africana

Table 4. Availability of Commelina spp. Viewed per Season Across Altitude

Species	Availability Character	Altitude				Total
		Low altitude		Mid altitude
		F	%	F	%	F	%
C.imberbis	Available year-round	3	2.56	2	2.56	5	2.56
	Diminish slowly at dry period	104	88.89	66	84.62	170	87.18
	Diminish quickly at dry period	10	8.55	10	12.82	20	10.26
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.Albescens	Available year-round	7	5.98	-	-	-	-
	Diminish slowly at dry period	85	72.65	-	-	-	-
	Diminish quickly at dry period	25	21.37	-	-	-	-
	Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.diffusa	Available year-round	105	89.74	69	88.46	174	89.23
	Diminish slowly at dry period	10	8.55	5	6.41	15	7.69
	Diminish quickly at dry period	2	1.71	4	5.13	6	3.08
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.africana	Available year-round	5	4.27	-	-	-	-
	Diminish slowly at dry period	88	75.21	-	-	-	-
	Diminish quickly at dry period	24	20.51	-	-	-	-
	Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.benghalensis	Available year-round	6	5.13	4	5.13	10	5.13
	Diminish slowly at dry period	99	84.62	64	82.05	163	83.59
	Diminish quickly at dry period	12	10.26	10	12.82	22	11.28
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100

Note: F=Frequency; N=Total sample

Figure 3. Anatomical Features of C. benghalensis and C. imberbis.

Table 5. Four Commelina spp. Dry Season Persistence Potential Based Ranking for lowlands

S.NO	Species	Rank Values				Index	Rank*
		1	2	3	4
1	C.allbescens	0	3	109	5	0.201	3^rd
2	C.benghanensis	110	7	0	0	0.394	1^st
3	C.africana	0	0	5	112	0.104	4^th
4	C.imberbis	7	107	3	0	0.303	2^nd
5	Total	117	117	117	117	1

Note: *=1^st rank means most persistent to maintain its vigor in dry season followed by 2^nd and 3^rd while 4^th means least persistent

Table 6. Altitudinal Distribution and Availability of Commelina spp

Species	Distribution Pattern	Altitude				Total
		Low altitude		Mid altitude
		F	Percent	F	Percent	F	%
C.imberbis	Sparse	10	8.55	5	6.41	15	7.69
	Frequent	8	6.84	8	10.26	16	8.21
	Abundant	99	84.62	65	83.33	164	84.10
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.Albescens	Very Sparse	6	5.13	-	-	-	-
	Sparse	105	89.74	-	-	-	-
	Frequent	6	5.13	-	-	-	-
	Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.diffusa	Sparse	7	5.98	4	5.13	11	5.64
	Frequent	8	6.84	5	6.41	13	6.67
	Abundant	102	87.18	69	88.46	171	87.69
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.africana	Very Sparse	14	11.97	-	-	-	-
	Sparse	92	78.63	-	-	-	-
	Frequent	11	9.40	-	-	-	-
	Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.benghalensis	Sparse	7	5.98	5	6.41	12	6.15
	Frequent	12	10.26	7	8.97	19	9.74
	Abundant	98	83.76	66	84.62	164	84.10
	Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100

Note: F=Frequency; N=Total sample

Table 7. Source and Utilization Practice of Commelina Species

Species	Variable	Explanation	Altitude				Total
			Low altitude		Mid altitude		F	%
			F	%	F	%
C.imberbis	Source	Jangle only	10	8.55	13	16.67	23	11.79
		Jangle and Farmland	107	91.45	65	83.33	172	88.21
		Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
	Utilize	Cut and carry only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing, cut and carry	117	100	78	100	195	100
		Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.Albescens	Source	Jangle only	117	100	-	-	-	-
		Jangle and farmland	0	0.00	-	-	-	-
		Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
	Utilize	Cut and carry only	0	0	-	-	-	-
		Grazing only	0	0	-	-	-	-
		Grazing, cut and carry	117	100	-	-	-	-
		Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.diffusa	Source	Jangle only	117	100	78	100	195	100
		Jangle and farmland	0	0.00	0	0.00	0	0
		Total (N)	117	59.49	78	100	195	100
	Utilize	Cut and carry only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing, cut and carry	117	100	78	100	195	100
		Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100
C.africana	Source	Jangle only	117	100	-	-	-	-
		Jangle and farmland	0	0.00	-	-	-	-
		Total (N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
	Utilize	Cut and carry only	0	0	-	-	-	-
		Grazing only	0	0	-	-	-	-
		Grazing, cut and carry	117	100	-	-	-	-
		Total(N)	117	100	-	-	-	-
C.benghalensis	Source	Jangle only	18	15.38	3	3.85	21	10.77
		Jangle and farmland	99	84.62	75	96.15	174	89.23
		Total (N)	117	59.49	78	40.51	195	100
	Utilize	Cut and carry only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing only	0	0	0	0	0	0
		Grazing, cut and carry	117	100	78	100	195	100
		Total (N)	117	100	78	100	195	100

Note: F=Frequency; N=Total sample

Figure 4. Pattern of Livestock Species Preference in Feeding Commelina spp.

Table 8. Biomass yield based ranking of Commelina spp. for lowlands

S.NO	Species	Rank Values					Index	Rank*
		1	2	3	4	5
1	C. diffusa	0	9	102	6	0	0.202	3^rd
2	C. benghanensis	105	12	0	0	0	0.326	1^st
3	C. allbescens	0	0	0	8	109	0.071	5^th
4	C. imberbis	12	96	9	0	0	0.268	2^nd
5	C. Africana	0	0	6	103	8	0.132	4^th
6	Total	117	117	117	117	117	1

Note: *=1^st rank means most biomass yielder followed by 2^nd and 3^rd while 4^th means least biomass yielder of all

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.