In addition to the 3 species we sampled in the Debresena church forest on our first day here in our second week of the expedition, we are focusing on a species in the same family as cherry trees. It is called Prunus africana (Prunus is also the genus of cherry). This Prunus is very important to the Ethiopians since it has not only medicinal values, but also (quote from the locals) MAGICAL VALUES as well. It is also used for treating prostate conditions. It has fairly high herbivory (translation: bugs love to eat it!) and this intrigues me, but also intrigues my colleagues who are looking at its epiphytes, its canopy soil communities, its fly populations, and other insects in general. So we will fully get the story on the African Prunus and look forward to more information as it happens.
