Singh (Ph.D), K.NGelaw, Abren2019-12-052023-11-192019-12-052023-11-192019-03http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/20318Degradation of environmental services is a salient feature of Ethiopia and Hare Catchment. So, this study was aimed at analyzing magnitudes of ESV dynamics, and level of earnings from crop and fuel-wood products in HRC. Remote sensing sources, questionnaire (survey of 465 HH), interview, etc., were used for data acquisition. LULC data were extracted using Arc GIS (9.3). Sensitivity analysis was used to prove accuracy of estimated values of ecosystem service changes (1967 – 2015) computed upon change matrix data and value coefficients of Costanza et al., (1997). Correlation, t-test, ANOVA and regression were used for data analysis via SPSS. HRC experienced a net ESV loss of US$ 7.039 million and declining trend of service value within 1967 – 2015; and, where the lion’s share of the ESV loss was triggered by cropland expansion at the cost of natural resources. The impact of ESV loss was rising temperature (by 0.5 – 0.6 0C) and rainfall (by 104 - 214.8mm), and decline discharge of Hare River (by 689,000 m3). “Farm size” in LC and overall HRC, and “labor” in the MC and UC” were the strongest significant predictors of crop harvest at 99% confidence interval (CI). Location (Sub-catchment) difference, “gender,” “HH size,” “farm size,” “labor” and “fertilizer” use difference-based variation of average yield and income from crop harvest among HH of HRC was significant at 95% CI. Amount of fuel-wood consumption also revealed significant variation upon variation in HH-size and income status of HH at 95 CI. Average income from both crop and fuel-wood products revealed significant variation among HH of HRC at 99% CI based on disparity in gender, family-size and location (Sub-catchment). Current (2015/16) average income (US$ 877.3 per/HH) from crop and fuel-wood products of HRC was somewhat low due to dwindling ecological services overtime. Thus, stakeholders should focus on agro-forestry options and payments for ecological services-based resilience of degraded resources of HRC, Southern Ethiopia. Key words: Ecosystem service, loss, trend, harvest, income, smallholder farmer, average, cropland, net economic value, fuel-wood, etc.en-USThesis