Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration: A user’s guide for practitioners in Uganda

Since its introduction to Uganda in 2012, the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) approach has been spreading in Uganda, as a fast and affordable option for reforestation. The spread of the FMNR approach has translated into a loose network of organizations which have adopted and are promoting FMNR. This guide is a response to the demand from the members of the FMNR network (to which ICRAF belongs as a founder member), for FMNR knowledge materials which are specific to the Ugandan context.

Plant diversity and regeneration in a disturbed isolated dry Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia

We studied the diversity, community composition and natural regeneration of woody species in an isolated but relatively large (> 1,000 ha) dry Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia to assess its importance for regional forest biodiversity conservation. The principal human-induced disturbance regimes affecting this forest include logging and livestock grazing. Vegetation data were collected in 65 plots (50 m × 50 m); seedling species composition and density were determined in 10 m × 10 m nested plots. We used a cluster analysis to identify plant communities and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination to investigate environmental factors that influenced the distribution of the emergent plant communities. Three plant communities were identified: a Juniperus procera-Maytenus senegalensis community, which represented a phase of the potential natural dry Afromontane forest vegetation on steep slopes with shallow soils, a Pterolobium stellatum-Celtis africana community, found on more mesic sites, and a Cadia purpurea-Opuntia ficus-indica community, typically representing severely disturbed habitats. Altitude, slope, soil depth and distance to the nearest stream, which we collectively interpreted as a moisture gradient, and forest disturbance separated the plant communities. With only 39 of the 79 recorded woody species present in the seedling layer, the forest currently faces an extinction debt of 50 per cent of the total woody species pool. Human disturbance has clearly affected plant species diversity in this forest as degraded plant communities typically lacked the commercially interesting or otherwise valuable tree species, were encroached by shrubs and in areas severely invaded by alien species. Further disturbance will most likely result in additional declines in biodiversity through local extinction of indigenous tree species. Despite the problems associated with conserving plant species diversity in small and isolated populations, this relic forest is of particular importance for regional conservation of forest biodiversity, as species with high conservation value, such as Afrocarpus falcatus, Allophylus abyssinicus and Bersama abyssinica, are still present as mature trees, and as other forest fragments in the region are two orders of magnitude smaller, and therefore more heavily impacted by small population sizes and unfavourable edge effects. Forest management should focus on avoiding further degradation, increasing natural regeneration and improving stakeholder participation. © 2016, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

Vegetation resistance and regeneration potential of Rhizophora, Sonneratia and Avicennia in the Typhoon Haiyan-affected mangroves in the Philippines: Implications on rehabilitation practices

Typhoons cause damage to mangrove ecosystems, hampering their delivery of ecosystem goods and services, including coastal protection. We examined the vegetation resistance (VR) and seedling regeneration potential (SRP) of three mangrove genera: Rhizophora, Sonneratia and Avicennia at the seafront areas. We assessed genus-specific resistance to and recovery from the impacts of Typhoon Haiyan, by far the strongest storm to make landfall in recorded history. VR was estimated using density, tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH). SRP was measured as the post-disturbance seedling growth rate within a given plot.Thirty-six 3m-radii plots were established in the typhoon-affected mangrove areas of Ormoc City and Tacloban City in Leyte; and Quinapondan and General MacArthur in Eastern Samar. Results showed that Avicennia and Sonneratia species yielded the higher average VR values, as compared to Rhizophora,which had the lowest VR across all sites. The different genera could also be arranged from highest to lowest SRP: Avicennia (67.27 ± 2.62 cmyr-1)>Rhizophora (32.46 ± 4.64 cmyr-1). Overall, our findings on the higher relative VR and SRP values of Sonneratia and Avicennia calls for a shift to these species in mangrove planting at the seafront areas, which currently favor Rhizophora. – See more at: https://www.cddjournal.org/article/view/vol01-iss01-001#sthash.22CAKqC7.dpuf

Promoting indigenous tree species in the Sahel – information on growth and management of priority species in the Sahel

To restore the degraded lands in the region, farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) has been used as a lowcost efficient option. However, the major challenge of the approach is a lack of species diversity, at times meaning a lack of diverse functions for farmers and growers. Therefore, to fill the diversity gap, tree planting using seeds and seedlings is suggested. However, the success of numerous projects involving tree planting in the Sahel has been limited with a very low survival of planted trees following browsing, droughts and wildfires.

REGREENING AFRICA. ETHIOPIA Country Overview

Regreening Africa is a five year program which commenced in 2018 that seeks to reverse land degradation across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa by integrating trees into agricultural systems while improving the livelihoods, food security, and climate change resilience of smallholder farmers. The program’s vision is to spur regreening among 500,000 households and across one million hectares in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia.

REGREENING AFRICA. SENEGAL Country Overview

Regreening Africa is a five year program which commenced in 2018 that seeks to reverse land degradation across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa by integrating trees into agricultural systems while improving the livelihoods, food security, and climate change resilience of smallholder farmers. The program’s vision is to spur regreening among 500,000 households and across one million hectares in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia.

REGREENING AFRICA. KENYA Country Overview

Regreening Africa is a five year program which commenced in 2018 that seeks to reverse land degradation across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa by integrating trees into agricultural systems while improving the livelihoods, food security, and climate change resilience of smallholder farmers. The program’s vision is to spur regreening among 500,000 households and across one million hectares in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia.

REGREENING AFRICA. RWANDA Country Overview

Regreening Africa is a five year program which commenced in 2018 that seeks to reverse land degradation across eight countries in sub-Saharan Africa by integrating trees into agricultural systems while improving the livelihoods, food security, and climate change resilience of smallholder farmers. The program’s vision is to spur regreening among 500,000 households and across one million hectares in Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal and Somalia.

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