Dry Forests of Ethiopia and Their Silviculture

Abstract

An estimated 55 million ha of various kinds of dry forests exist in Ethiopia. Productivity of these dry forests is generally low, and intensive logging for timber and fuelwood has significantly altered their species composition toward the dominance of pioneers and shrubs. A number of efforts to improve dry forest management is underway, and some of these include establishment of plantations as buffer and substitute for wood supply, area exclosure to rehabilitate degraded dry forests, and introduction of participatory forest management to regulate forest access. Traditional community based forest management (TCBFM) is common in Ethiopia, and has contributed to the conservation of considerable parts of dry forests. TCBFM practices comprise various forms of traditional agroforestry systems and communal forest management using traditional institutions such as the Gada and Kobo systems. Dry forests are utilized for various purposes and by various users. Primarily, they provide frontiers for agricultural expansion and fuelwood for household energy. They are also used as natural rangelands and to provide diverse nonwood products such as gum-incenses for subsistence and cash income generation.