Investigation of Earthworms density, diversity and soil physicochemical properties in Bale Mountain National park in relation to endangered animal’s habitat

Bale Mountain National Park is located at 400 km southeast of Addis Ababa. Bale Mountains National Park was established in late 1969 or 1970 covered 2,220 km square of area. It was formally gazette by proclamation in 2014 under Council of Ministers Regulation 338/2014 and recently inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023. It contains a mixture of forest and moorland that harbored endemic species of mammals such as Gelada Baboon (Theropithecus gelada), Mountain Nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis), Giant mole rat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus). To conserve these animals, study of belowground of habitat in which they live is very important as belowground conservation directly support the conservation of aboveground diversity. Earthworms are ecological indicators of soil ecosystems and are also keystone species that help to provide sufficient information for conservation of endangered species' habitat. Till date, full research that link soil physicochemical properties of soil animal (earthworm: key stone species and indicator of soil ecosystem status) have not been conducted properly in this hot spot to support the conservation of above ground diversity and thereby the endangered animals in the park. Therefore, the concerned body, ecosystem conservation researcher and grant provider should support this project that helps the conservation of endangered animals in Bale Mountains National Park.