Tag: evergreen
The transitional semi-evergreen bushland in Ethiopia: Characterization and mapping of its distribution using predictive modelling
Question: Evergreen bushlands in Ethiopia have been inadequately studied and mapped. We address the question whether there is a transitional semi-evergreen bushland on the eastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands, with unique floristic characteristics that distinguish it from the evergreen bushlands in other parts of Ethiopia and eastern Africa. Methods: Based on a review of the recent descriptions of evergreen bushlands in Ethiopia, we hypothesize that there is a distinct zone of natural semi-evergreen bushland, which is restricted to the eastern and southeastern escarpment of the Ethiopian Highlands. In contrast, evergreen bushlands in other parts of Ethiopia are considered to be of a secondary nature. To test this hypothesis, we carried out qualitative vegetation surveys in 354 locations across Ethiopia and classified the vegetation in these locations based on the occurrences of indicator species. Based on this data, we created predictive distribution models of the semi-evergreen bushland in Ethiopia using various environmental distribution models. We furthermore compared the occurrences of characteristic evergreen bushland species in Ethiopia with the occurrence of these species within the evergreen bushlands in Kenya and Uganda. Results: The vegetation surveys confirmed the existence of a distinct type of evergreen bushland vegetation. The transitional semi-evergreen bushland forms a transitional zone between the Acacia-Commiphora woodland and bushland and the Afromontane forest on the eastern and southeastern escarpments of Ethiopia, but is also characterized by a number of species that, within Ethiopia, are unique to this zone. Most of the characteristic species of the transitional semi-evergreen bushland are not found or only in lower densities in western Ethiopia. There is, furthermore, a limited overlap in characteristic species of the evergreen bushlands of Kenya and Uganda. Conclusions: Our results provide important information on the hitherto inadequately studied semi-evergreen bushland of Ethiopia. It highlights the unique character of this part of the evergreen bushlands in Ethiopia, which we argue should be taken into account for future conservation planning. © 2016 International Association for Vegetation Science.
Allanblackia propagation protocols
This protocol is an application of practice in Allanblackia domestication team as experienced and practiced by the research and development programme in Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania. It is a research and development tool with particular biases on participatory domestication as basic foundation of quality and quantity seedling development. The preparation of this protocol been developed into modules by its scientific staff in support of various groups participating in domestication of this species. This training manual has been developed for the fol-lowing reasons: • To support the various domestication research and development activities.• To provide reference material for participating institutions and extension agents when they are propagating AB trees.• To provide guidelines and resource material for managers and/or resource persons who wish to organize a training course in the future.In producing this protocol reasonable care has been taken to ensure that all statements represent the best information available. ICRAF and its partners/collaborators shall not be liable on any ground for any loss, damage, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect result of any reliance by any person or institu-tion upon information contained or opinions expressed in this work. The opinions or views expressed in this publication are those of the author alone and do not imply any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) or its partners or collaborating institutes. Comments and suggestions are invited and can be addressed to the editor(s) or to the author(s) themselves. These protocol notes are periodically reviewed and updated to reflect advances in this species research and development
People-Centric Nature-Based Land Restoration through Agroforestry: A Typology
Restoration depends on purpose and context. At the core it entails innovation to halt ongoing and reverse past degradation. It aims for increased functionality, not necessarily recovering past system states. Location-specific interventions in social-ecological systems reducing proximate pressures, need to synergize with transforming generic drivers of unsustainable land use. After reviewing pantropical international research on forests, trees, and agroforestry, we developed an options-by-context typology. Four intensities of land restoration interact: R.I. Ecological intensification within a land use system, R.II. Recovery/regeneration, within a local social-ecological system, R.III. Reparation/recuperation, requiring a national policy context, R.IV. Remediation, requiring international support and investment. Relevant interventions start from core values of human identity while addressing five potential bottlenecks: Rights, Know-how, Markets (inputs, outputs, credit), Local Ecosystem Services (including water, agrobiodiversity, micro/mesoclimate) and Teleconnections (global climate change, biodiversity). Six stages of forest transition (from closed old-growth forest to open-field agriculture and re-treed (peri)urban landscapes) can contextualize interventions, with six special places: water towers, riparian zone and wetlands, peat landscapes, small islands and mangroves, transport infrastructure, and mining scars. The typology can help to link knowledge with action in people-centric restoration in which external stakeholders coinvest, reflecting shared responsibility for historical degradation and benefits from environmental stewardship.