25.06.2013 Views

Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

Results and Discussi<strong>on</strong><br />

Numbers and distributi<strong>on</strong><br />

During <strong>the</strong> survey 47 horas and 3 tabalas were found in <strong>the</strong> forest. Due to time and logistical<br />

c<strong>on</strong>straints (i.e. damage to <strong>the</strong> GPS and illness of pack horses) 40 sites were fully documented,<br />

three were partially documented and seven (five horas and two tabalas) were impossible to reach.<br />

Summarizing, 42 horas were visited (Fig. 1), as was <strong>on</strong>e hot-spring (Tabala Sof Omar). Of <strong>the</strong><br />

mineral springs visited, two (Gamo Sof Omar and Haro Cerbo) were not associated with livestock<br />

husbandry but ra<strong>the</strong>r had social and religious functi<strong>on</strong>s. Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, in Rira, several mineral springs<br />

were located close toge<strong>the</strong>r and, <strong>the</strong>refore, are c<strong>on</strong>sidered here as a single site. Two horas in Addeye<br />

were filled with sediments. Those factors reduce <strong>the</strong> number of recorded horas actively used to 27.<br />

Of those 27, six are important for livestock husbandry (hora Rasa, Dofo, Waticha, Dokke’, Habire’<br />

and Higan), while <strong>the</strong> rest are mostly unused. Never<strong>the</strong>less, informati<strong>on</strong> is provided <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> unused<br />

horas as it may be useful for future ecological or historical research. A summary of <strong>the</strong> results is<br />

given in <strong>the</strong> Appendix (Table 1 and Table 2).<br />

Rira<br />

All <strong>the</strong> horas in Rira were found in a glade named “Hora Rasa” or “Rasa Hora”. This is a grassy<br />

valley where many springs are clustered toge<strong>the</strong>r. There are at least 12 horas, of which eight are<br />

active. The rest of <strong>the</strong> horas are currently filled with sediments but <strong>the</strong> gimba is still visible (Fig. 2),<br />

a sign that <strong>the</strong>y were used in <strong>the</strong> past. Near hora Hungullo, at least seven more unused horas were<br />

identified, so closely clustered that <strong>the</strong>y were not recorded individually. Horas in Hora Rasa are used<br />

by settlers of Rira during both wet and dry seas<strong>on</strong>, although more intensively during <strong>the</strong> latter due to<br />

reduced c<strong>on</strong>taminati<strong>on</strong> by rain water. The horas in <strong>the</strong> Sanetti plateau, in particular hora Worg<strong>on</strong>a,<br />

are c<strong>on</strong>sidered to be of better quality and are used preferentially.<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Walia</str<strong>on</strong>g>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Special</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Editi<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bale</strong> <strong>Mountains</strong> 228

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!