Re-Greening Ethiopia: History, Challenges and Lessons

Lemenih, Mulugeta; Kassa, Habtemariam

doi:10.3390/f5081896

Cited by 186 publications

(160 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The removal of the forest cover has resulted in severe soil erosion, species extinction, as well as reduction in productivity and carbon sequestration [4]. The main reasons for the rapid land use change is the expansion of agricultural land associated with the demand for fuelwood for a fast growing population [5]. Ethiopia has a population of about 100 million people and an estimated annual increase of 3% or 3 million people, 73% of them working in the agricultural sector [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon Dynamics of Dry Tropical Afromontane Forest Ecosystems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Belay

Pötzelsberger

Sisay

et al. 2018

Forests

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Forest degradation due to land use change is a severe problem in Ethiopian Afromontane Forests. We investigated such degradation effects by comparing degraded agricultural land (previously covered with forest) with neighboring natural forests, 40 to 50 years after conversion. We selected four different study areas to cover the eco-climatic conditions of the Amhara region in Northwestern Ethiopia. For a paired-stand comparison we collected soil data on both land use types. We calculated forest biomass to evaluate the biogeochemical-mechanistic ecosystem model Biome-BGC, which is used as a diagnostic tool to assess the site and management impacts on productivity as well as ecosystem carbon and nitrogen accumulation. We applied Biome-BGC to assess rehabilitation options on such degraded land. Afromontane forests in the highlands of Ethiopia showed high soil C stocks, resulting from long lasting biomass accumulation. Removing the tree cover and converting forest areas to crop-or grassland, has led to a loss of 40-85% of the soil C stocks and thus a loss in soil fertility within only 40 to 50 years. Rehabilitation efforts by replanting trees will improve soil fertility, but may require over a thousand years to achieve a similar level in biomass and soil fertility versus the situation prior to the land use change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon Dynamics of Dry Tropical Afromontane Forest Ecosystems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Belay

Pötzelsberger

Sisay

et al. 2018

Forests

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“…However, at Bachake sub watershed little survival rate of O. africana has been recorded, only 29% (Table 1). The reasons for the variation of survival rate at all sub watersheds were due to high interference of local (Garrity and Verchot, 2008;Lemenih and Kassa, 2014). Furthermore, it has been noticed during the study that the perception of local people in all sub watersheds, particularly, in Bachake sub watersheds, towards the growth of considered endemic tree species was so poor though they use these trees for traditional and other purposes (Table 2).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth and survival rate of endemic trees of Ethiopia: Olea africana and Hagenia abysinicca in Lake Haramaya Watershed, Eastern Ethiopia

Sorecha¹

2017

J. Hortic. For.

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The study was conducted to explore the growth and survival rate of the native tree species of Ethiopia, Olea africana and Hagenia abysinicca in Lake Haramaya Watershed, Eastern Ethiopia. Three sub watersheds of Lake Haramaya Watershed, namely, Bachake, Damota, and Tinike were selected purposefully on the basis of their extreme degradation and nearby vanished Lake Haramaya. In each sub watersheds, a total of about 12 main standard quadrats have been applied and the required data has been recorded. The result of the study indicated that O. africana performs well at Damota sub watershed, accounting 38% of survival rate followed by Tinike sub watershed having a survival rate of 37%. Only 29% of the total planted O. africana were survived at Bachake sub watershed. Furthermore, it has been revealed via this study that about 55.6% of H. abysinicca survived at Damota sub watershed. Comparing the survival rate of the two species, H. abysinicca better withstand and grow under an extreme pressure of local peoples intervention at all sub watersheds. Therefore, the study shows that growing and maintaining of these two endemic trees in all sub watersheds were difficult task unless much awareness will be made. Lastly, the study encourages mega projects on growth and survival rate of other native trees species and explores the challenges associated with growing these trees in the study area in specific and in Ethiopia in general.

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“…Drought together with a dense grass layer promotes forest fires in the Lowlands, which may occur several times per year [38]. Thus, only so called 'exclosures' [15,75], which are fenced and guarded areas with natural regeneration and no or reduced grazing may help to restore the woodland areas in the Lowlands [76]. Unfortunately, it is especially the Combretum-Terminalia woodlands that are suffering from recent deforestations [27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Carbon Sequestration Potential of Degraded Agricultural Land in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Belay

Pötzelsberger

Hasenauer

2018

Forests

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Forests are a key player within the global carbon cycle and reforestation is an important climate change mitigation mechanism. In this study, we identify potentially suitable areas for reforestation to assess the carbon sequestration potential in the highly deforested and degraded Amhara region of Ethiopia. We apply biogeochemical mechanistic ecosystem modelling to predict the amount of carbon that can be potentially sequestered within different time horizons. Since human intervention plays a key role within the Amhara region, three different forest management scenarios and five different rotation periods following reforestation are tested: (i) unthinned; (ii) removal of 5% of the stem carbon every 20 years (thinning 1); and (iii) removal of 10% stem carbon every 20 years (thinning 2), as well as a rotation period of 10, 30, 50, 100, and 150 years. Sustainable management of reforested land is addressed by implementing the so called 'Normal-forest' system (equal representation of every age class). This ensures the long term sequestration effect of reforested areas. The study shows that 3.4 Mha (Mha = Million hectare) of land, including bare land (0.7 Mha), grass land (1.2 Mha), and shrub land (1.5 Mha) can be considered as ecologically potentially suitable for reforestation. Assuming a 100 year rotation period in a 'Normal-forest' system, this shows that a total net carbon sequestration potential of 177 Tg C (10.8 Tg C in the soil and 165.9 Tg C aboveground; Teragram = 10 12 g) is possible, if all 3.4 Mha are replanted. The highest total net carbon sequestration (soil and aboveground) was evident for the Highland-wet agro-ecological zone, whereas the lowest values are typically in the Midland-dry zone. The highest net aboveground carbon sequestration was predicted for reforestations on current grass land and shrub land versus bare land, whereas the highest net soil carbon sequestration was predicted on current bare land, followed by grass land and shrub land.

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Re-Greening Ethiopia: History, Challenges and Lessons

Cited by 186 publications

References 15 publications

The Carbon Dynamics of Dry Tropical Afromontane Forest Ecosystems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

The Carbon Dynamics of Dry Tropical Afromontane Forest Ecosystems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

Growth and survival rate of endemic trees of Ethiopia: Olea africana and Hagenia abysinicca in Lake Haramaya Watershed, Eastern Ethiopia

The Carbon Sequestration Potential of Degraded Agricultural Land in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia

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