A metapopulation study of Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata in forest patches of Zobel area northern Wollo Ethiopia

In recent years, the concept of metapopulation has acquired traction in both biological and conservation circles. The population of a metapopulation is believed to be unstructured and spatially distributed when modeling it. As a result of both natural and artificial forces, Ethiopia's forest has been fragmented and divided into smaller portions. Due to the expansion of agriculture and urbanization, forest areas have been preserved around Ethiopian Orthodox Church monasteries and churches. Species that are important to the local community are on the edge of extinction in the forest and are seeking shelter in protected or church woodlands. Olea europaea subsp. Cuspidata is a plant that is widely used by locals in different sections of the country. The study's major goal is to determine the population distribution and investigate factors that influence Olea's survival and growth. Both a plot and a comprehensive survey were used to determine the species' prevalence. The metapopulation of the Olea population in the Zobel region was studied using thirty forest patches owned by various owners. The Incidence function model was used to analyze the presence and absence data from both the dry and rainy seasons. The largest patch was 24.06 hectares in size, while the smallest was 0.9 hectares in size. The presence of mature trees in the study area was shown to be strongly influenced by the age of the patch. Forest ownership and the number of goats in the area, according to the GLM data, have a significant impact on the occurrence of Olea seedlings and saplings in the patches. The species' adult stage has been influenced by the local community, and it can only be found in old forests like church forests. Steps must be taken to improve awareness in order to increase the incidence of species planting.