The application of biomass models for quantifying forests’ above-ground biomass is essential for sustainable forest management. However, lack of knowledge in modelig biomass of individual tree growth hinders the sustainable management of Dry Afromontane forests. In this study, models to estimate above-ground biomass were developed for Rhus ruspolii, Ekebergia capensis, and Nuxia congesta. To develop the models, a total of 45 trees from different diameter classes were selected, felled, and divided into different biomass compartments. For the model’s development, diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (TH), diameter at stump height (DSH), and wood density (WD) were used as independent variables. Models’ performances were evaluated using RSE, adjusted coefficient of determination, and AIC. Also, model validations were done by using rRMSE, mean absolute deviation, bias, and coefficient of variation. Models 5 (Adj-R2 = 0.92), 6 (Adj-R2 = 0.97), and 8 (Adj-R22 = 0.82) were the best fitted models for Nuxia congesta, Ekebergia capensis, and Rhus ruspolii, respectively. The average wood densities of Ekebergia capensis, Nuxia congesta, and Rhus ruspolii were 0.59, 0.50, and 0.69, respectively. The variation between observed biomass and estimated biomass using new models was statistically not significant (<svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="18.973pt" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" id="M1" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -8.34882 18.973 11.7782"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-113" d="M570 304C570 398 525 448 414 448C385 448 343 445 312 434L329 511L321 518C297 504 262 482 244 460L233 411C195 397 159 381 128 358L135 332C160 347 189 360 224 373L111 -147C97 -210 84 -218 17 -231L13 -257L254 -247L259 -218L233 -216C183 -212 177 -202 189 -142L218 -1C238 -10 266 -12 283 -12C351 3 429 48 483 105C543 168 570 242 570 304ZM482 289C482 161 380 33 304 33C278 33 248 51 233 69L303 396C326 400 352 403 369 403C428 403 482 380 482 289Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.342,0)"><path id="g117-92" d="M512 230V281L75 514V456L453 256V254L75 55V-3L512 230Z"/></g></svg><svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="21.921pt" style="vertical-align:-3.42938pt" height="11.7782pt" version="1.1" viewBox="22.555183800000002 -8.34882 21.921 11.7782"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.605,0)"><path id="g113-49" d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.845,0)"><path id="g113-47" d="M113 -12C146 -12 170 11 170 46C170 78 146 103 114 103S58 78 58 46C58 11 82 -12 113 -12Z"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,31.809,0)"><use xlink:href="#g113-49"/></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.049,0)"><path id="g113-54" d="M153 550H386L412 615L406 623H120L82 318C104 327 142 338 184 338C294 338 347 275 347 187C347 112 305 39 221 39C160 39 119 71 97 89C88 97 80 96 71 90C59 80 50 67 49 57C48 45 52 36 66 23C80 9 123 -12 169 -12C221 -11 288 15 342 59C403 109 431 165 431 225C431 308 366 395 238 395C212 395 165 379 127 364L153 550Z"/></g></svg>). Thus, the biomass models developed here can be important tools to accurately estimate above-ground biomass in the Menagesha Suba forest and can be integrated into decision support tools.

Tamiru Lemi

Abeje Eshete

Getinet Seid

Sinke Mulugeta

Dereje Egeta

Mindaye Teshome

Aboveground Biomass Models for Indigenous Tree Species in the Dry Afromontane Forest, Central Ethiopia

Tree fodder is an important supplement to livestock feed particularly where the shortage of palatable herbaceous biomass affects the animal production in dry seasons. In Arba Minch and nearby semiarid parts of southern Ethiopia, lopping and feeding tree fodder is becoming a common practice to increase livestock productivity. However, knowledge of the fodder species’ biomass productive potential and their nutritional content along with their digestibility is limited. Hence, this study investigated leaf yield, nutritional value, and chemical composition including mineral profile and in vitro dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) degradability of these three browse tree species viz., Dendrocalamus giganteus, Balanites aegyptiaca, and Terminalia brownii. These are commonly used trees for lopping branches and harvesting fodder in Arba Minch, southern Ethiopia. The leaf yield of the trees was assessed based on the uniformity in tree parameters such as height, diameter at breast height, and crown spread. Samples of tree leaves were analysed for chemical composition using standard procedures. The results indicated that fodder yield lopped from all branches was 25.92 kg·DM/five culms for D. giganteus, 19.60 kg·DM/tree for B. aegyptiaca, and 22.53 kg·DM/tree for T. brownii. The crude protein (CP) content was 69.3 g/kg·DM, 113.2 g/kg·DM, 102.6 g/kg·DM, and 122.7 g/kg·DM for the forage hay, D. giganteus, B. aegyptiaca, and T. brownii, respectively. Among the studied browse species, Terminalia brownii leaf fodder constitutes greater potential to supply CP, IVDMD (48.43%), and IVOMD (56.39%) for ruminants. Mineral contents of the trees fodder were also in the suitable optimal range to support ruminant livestock performance except for zinc which was below the recommended level.

Habtamnesh Adane

Agena Anjulo

Evaluation of Priority Fodder Trees for Leaf Yield and Nutritional Value at Arba Minch, Ethiopia

Afromontane forests are crucial for maintaining plant diversity and reducing climate change. Even though the Jib Godo Natural Forest is subject to anthropogenic impacts such as cutting and farming, it lacks long-term conservation practices. The researchers conducted fieldwork in Jib Godo Natural Forest to investigate the floristic composition and structural analyses of woody plant species in Ethiopia. The vegetation and environmental data were collected from 50 (20 m × 20 m) sample plots established for woody species at every 100 m along seven transect lines and 5 m × 5 m in five subplots for saplings and seedlings using a systematic sampling procedure. In each sample plot, soil samples were obtained from 0–20 cm and mixed to generate a composite sample. A vegetative structural analysis of DBH, height, and stem IVI was computed. There were 65 species of woody plant identified, belonging to 58 genera and 41 families, with 34 species (52.30 percent) being trees, 23 species (35.38 percent) being shrubs, and 8 species (12.30 percent) being lianas. Outside of the sample plot, four other species were identified. Only eleven environmental characteristics were significant at <svg xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" style="vertical-align:-3.42943pt" id="M1" height="10.2124pt" version="1.1" viewBox="-0.0498162 -6.78297 7.83752 10.2124" width="7.83752pt"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path id="g113-113" d="M570 304C570 398 525 448 414 448C385 448 343 445 312 434L329 511L321 518C297 504 262 482 244 460L233 411C195 397 159 381 128 358L135 332C160 347 189 360 224 373L111 -147C97 -210 84 -218 17 -231L13 -257L254 -247L259 -218L233 -216C183 -212 177 -202 189 -142L218 -1C238 -10 266 -12 283 -12C351 3 429 48 483 105C543 168 570 242 570 304ZM482 289C482 161 380 33 304 33C278 33 248 51 233 69L303 396C326 400 352 403 369 403C428 403 482 380 482 289Z"/></g></svg> < 0.05, according to the results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). In conclusion, the distribution of plant communities and the composition of the species depend on altitude and topographic aspects. The forest’s population structure and regeneration condition suggested that the area had experienced forest degradation and severe anthropogenic disturbances; therefore, the conservation of species and sustainable use of forest genetic resources are advocated as a result of this study’s findings.

Kassaw Awoke Wubu

Elango Matavan Ramaraj

Endale Adamu Anteneh

Floristic Composition and Structural Analysis of Woody Plant Species in Jib Godo Natural Forest, Farta District, South Gonder Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

The wildlife population is an important part of the forest ecosystem and plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem health and integrity. In many grassland ecosystems, wild herbivores face substantial competition for space and resource use from livestock over grazing resources. Livestock and ungulates have shared a large portion of the Terai forest resources for decades, but little information has been explored about the influence of livestock on the grassland ecosystems of the protected areas of the Terai region of Nepal. We assessed the impact of livestock grazing on wild ungulate habitat in the Khata Corridor, Bardiya, Nepal. We used direct field observation, key informant interview (n = 10), focus group discussion (n = 5), and a questionnaire survey with local households to study the seasonal occurrence of wild ungulates in multiple habitats, livestock rearing practices, stocking density, and resource use by domestic livestock in and around the forest land of villages located in the Khata Corridor, Bardiya, Nepal. We followed livestock herds from the early morning to their return for consecutive days in each sample village to estimate the grazing circuits. We individually recorded a total number of grazing cattle in five different habitats while following the cattle grazing path by direct and indirect observation. Morisita’s index was used to evaluate the habitat overlap between domestic livestock and wild ungulates. The domestic cattle had a higher habitat overlap and effective stocking density in winter than wild ungulates in summer in the corridor forest. Lower availability of forage around the village led to the concerted effort of grazing in the forest, increasing the higher effective stocking density in winter, leading to the competition with wild ungulates. However, the carrying capacity is highly unevenly observed across the region, and overgrazing is found in many areas of the forest corridor. We recommend the development of comprehensive wildlife livestock grazing strategies for planning sustainable livestock farming and for important wildlife areas to maintain long-term landscape connectivity to protect migrating endangered wild species.

Usha Dahal

Nirjala Raut

Anubhav Dhital

Suruchi Mainali

Deepak Gautam

Shankar Tripathi

Impacts of Livestock Grazing on Wild Ungulate Habitat in the Khata Corridor, Bardiya, Nepal

Ethiopia has a diverse topography with higher plant species composition and estimated to the higher proportion of endemic plant species. Currently, several factors drive natural forest destruction in the country, extensive agricultural land expansion triggered by increasing human population is probably the dominant force. The Dilla University Botanical and Ecotourism Garden was established targeting to rescue threatened flora from extinction, contribute towards conservation, and research on biodiversity and sustainable education as well as ecotourism development. The study was aimed to generate basic scientific information by identifying and documenting the formerly available plant species in to the garden and provide information for farther plant collection planning and research. Systematic sampling method was used to collect the vegetation data from 52 plots of 20 m × 20 m (400 m2) quadrats. To collect data for herbaceous plants, five 1 m × 1 m subplots were laid in each of the main plot, where four were at the corners and one at the centre. Vegetation classification was performed using R-programme version 3.6.1 software packages. Shannon–Wiener Diversity Index was used to calculate species diversity, richness, and evenness. A total of 408 plant species, including trees (30%), shrubs (25%), herb (30%), grass (6%), and 9% of other species, were collected. The identified species belong to 287 genera and 105 families. Out of this, 27 species of plants are endemic to Ethiopia and 72 plant species were screened as a medicinal plant used for the treatment of human diseases. Based on IUCN Red Data List, among the endemic plant species nineteen species were least concern; two were near threatened; two were endangered while four were vulnerable. Three vegetation community types were identified from the hierarchical clustering analysis. The result designates that Dilla University Botanical and Ecotourism Garden has high plant species composition and diversity with a good distribution. The higher composition of this ecologically, economically, and socially important plant species at its early stage makes the garden a unique garden in the country and realize to be a centre for research, education, and tourist destination.

Fikadu Erenso

Mitiku Maunenenda

Plant Species Composition and Conservation Values at Dilla University Botanical and Ecotourism Garden, Dilla, Ethiopia

Both anthropogenic and climate change threaten Ethiopia’s forest regions. Sacred and religious sites maintain most indigenous and native plant species. Northern Ethiopia farmed and settled for thousands of years, causing environmental damage and deforestation. This study examines biodiversity conservation perceptions and biodiversity preferences by local communities and churchgoers. Among the five monasteries in the area, two were selected based on the stated chriteria. The selection criteria for monasteries were a historical antiquity of more than 50 years and a thick forest cover of more than 10 hectares. Multistage sampling was utilized to choose sample residences. Respondents were chosen using simple random sampling and proportion to population size. Among the total population, 310 survey participants were selected. It was found that the commitment to biodiversity conservation of local people and parishioners is directly explained by age, education, the number of years in a status region, and income. It is highlighted that a higher level of education, age above 51 years, and middle-income socioeconomic status most significantly affect respondents’ biodiversity engagement.

Arayaselassie Abebe Semu

Tamrat Bekele

Ermias Lulekal

Edelina Coayla

Local Communities’ and Parishioners’ Perceptions on Monasteries’ Forest Patch Plant Biodiversity Conservation in Northern Wollo Ethiopia

Agroforestry has been widely used in developing countries as a solution to mitigate the effects of climate variability. However, its significance to the well-being of farmers in rural communities has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to analyze the contribution of agroforestry practices (AFPs) to the farm income of rural families, the perceptions of farmers, and factors that affect AFPs’ contribution to household income in the Sodo Zuria district. The optimal sample size of 173 households from the three study sites was selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected using structured interviews, focus group discussion, observation, and key informant interviews. According to the findings, most farmers in the research area had a good perception of the benefits of agroforestry methods. The yearly mean gross income from various agroforestry approaches was 15,990.90 ETB·ha−1·yr−1 for nonadopters and 32,471.24 ETB·ha−1·yr−1 for adopters, respectively. Tree and fruit tree integration with crops, animals, or pastures has the potential to significantly increase food production and farmer economic situations. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the size of the farm, the number of livestock, the experience of agroforestry, and the extension service affect the adoption of agroforestry practices to house farm income positively, while the size of the family negatively affects it. Agroforestry plays a critical role in reducing food poverty and enhancing farmer livelihood resilience (reducing farmers’ vulnerability to climate variability). However, determining the extent to which this is true is challenging because both farmer groups often have low levels of assets such as land and income, which limits tree planting to reaping maximum benefits from agroforestry. As a result, the government and other responsible entities should pay special attention to assisting smallholder farmers in using agroforestry practices for the sustainability of their livelihoods that have been hampered by agricultural land scarcity.

Mathewos Tega

Elias Bojago

Farmer’s Perceptions of Agroforestry Practices, Contributions to Rural Household Farm Income, and Their Determinants in Sodo Zuria District, Southern Ethiopia

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International Journal of Forestry Research publishes research about the management and conservation of trees or forests, including tree biodiversity, sustainability, habitat protection and the social and economic aspects of forestry.

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International Journal of Forestry Research - Table of contents 2023

International Journal of Forestry Research | Hindawi

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International Journal of Forestry Research publishes research about the management and conservation of trees or forests, including tree biodiversity, sustainability, habitat protection and the social and economic aspects of forestry.

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International Journal of Forestry Research

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International Journal of Forestry Research