Restoration and sustainable management of forests in East Africa (I-TOO)

Project description
In 2002 we started a new African-European project on the restoration and sustainable management of forest in East Africa. We have study sites in the miombo-woodlands in Tanzania, in rainforests and more open woodlands in Uganda, and mountain forests in Ethiopia. Our major contribution is the set up and analysis of permanent plots in the Ethiopian mountain forests, in tight collaboration with Ethiopian partners from EARO (Ethiopian Agricultural Research Institute). In Ethiopia, large-scale deforestation led to loss of biodiversity, degradation of soils and, ultimately, to decreasing agricultural production and poverty. Nowadays only 2-3% of the original natural forest area is left. In this project we study opportunities for sustainable use of the remaining forests, and for restoration of forest in degraded areas. In different sites, we set up plots in Juniperus-Podocarpus-Olea dominated forests, both in natural and disturbed locations. We compare natural regeneration between natural and disturbed locations, and focus on the effects of climatic factors (e.g. precipitation), resource levels (light, nutrients), tree harvests, and grazing on regeneration. The project lasts till the end of 2005, but is also meant as a start for long-term research. The permanent sample plots will serve for long-term research on issues related to natural regeneration. With a number of other recent projects on Ethiopian forest issues (church forest PhD, dry woodland regeneration, non-timber woodland use (olibanum, Arabic gum, Myrre), we want to contribute to the restoration and sustainable management of forest in Ethiopia.

• Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration Bongers, F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010)  The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK. 370 pp. ISBN 978-1-84407-767-0.

• Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: Introduction.  Pp. 1-18 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Teketay, D., Lemenih, M.;  Bekele, T.; Yemshaw, Feleke, Tadesse, Moges, Hunde, Nigussie  (2010) Forest resources and challenges of sustainable forest management and conservation in Ethiopia. Pp. 19-64 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Wassie,  A.; Bongers, F.; Sterck, F.J.; Demel Teketay (2010) Church Forests - Relics of dry afromontane forests of northern Ethiopia: opportunities and challenges for conservation and restoration. Pp. 123-132 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Abiyu, A.; Bongers, F.; Eshete, A.; Gebrehiwot, K.; Kindu, M.; Lemenih, M.; Moges, Y.; Ogbazghi, W.; Sterck, F.J. (2010) Incense Woodlands in Ethiopia and Eritrea: Regeneration Problems  and Restoration Possibilities. Pp. 133-152 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Nangendo,G.; Bongers, F.;Steege, H. ter ; Gier, A.de (2010) Vegetation Variation in Forest-woodland-savannah mosaics in Uganda and its implications for conservation.  Pp. 153-170 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Lemenih, M.; Bongers, F. (2010) The Role of Plantation Forests in Fostering Ecological Restoration: Experiences from East Africa. Pp. 171-219 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T. (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.
• Sterck, F.J.,  C. Couralet, G. Nangendo, A. Wassie, Y. Sahle, U. Sass-Klaassen, L. Markesteijn, T. Bekele and F. Bongers (2010) Juniperus procera (Cupressaceae) in Afromontane Forests in Ethiopia: From tree growth and population dynamics to sustainable forest use. Pp. 291-303 In: Bongers F.; Tennigkeit, T.  (eds.) (2010) Degraded Forests in Eastern Africa: management and restoration. The Earthscan Forest Library. Earthscan Ltd. London, UK.

Completed MSc thesis

• Sahle, Y. (For.& Nat.Cons.-WU). Population dynamics of Juniperus procera in high mountain forests of Ethiopia: Dendrochronology and Matrix modeling. (supervision: Bongers, Sass-Klaassen, Sterck, in cooperation with Bekele/EARO) Summary

Other information
For information on I-TOO (Indicators and TOOls for restoration and sustainable management of forests in the East African region) and their newsletters visit their website http://www.uni-freiburg.de/waldbau/I-TOO/