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Encroachment of woody plants has been among the major threats to the livelihoods of Borana pastoralists and their ecosystem. An approach that integrated vegetation survey and pastoralists' perception was followed to study the impacts of encroachment of woody plants in the Borana lowlands, Ethiopia. Density of woody species was determined in 192 plots of 500 m 2 . Canopy cover of woody plants was estimated in 123 quadrates of 400 m 2 . Pastoralists' perception was assessed through group discussions and a semi-structured questionnaire. Results showed that plant density was 3014 woody plants ha )1 . Cover of woody plants was 52%, indicating an increasing trend from £40% cover reported in the early 1990s. It was concluded that the increase of woody plants density and cover has crossed the critical threshold and has entered into the encroached condition. Principal components analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) also showed that woody plants were negatively correlated with herbaceous biomass. Commiphora africana, Acacia melliphera, A. drepanolobium, A. brevispica and Lannea rivae were among the dominant encroachers. RDA revealed that soil nutrients were positively correlated with woody plants density and cover. The pastoralists perceived that encroachment of woody plants had decreased the production of their grazingland. A ban on fire was perceived as the major factor that caused encroachment of woody plants. Re-utilization of fire and strengthening of traditional rangeland management strategies are recommended.

There are more than 50000 known edible plants in the world, yet two-thirds of global plant-derived food is provided by only three major cereals - maize (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oryza sativa). The dominance of this triad, now considered truly global food commodities, has led to a decline in the number of crop species contributing to global food supplies. Our dependence on only a few crop species limits our capability to deal with challenges posed by the adverse effects of climate change and the consequences of dietary imbalance. Emerging evidence suggests that climate change will cause shifts in crop production and yield loss due to more unpredictable and hostile weather patterns. One solution to this problem is through the wider use of underutilised (also called orphan or minor) crops to diversify agricultural systems and food sources. In addition to being highly nutritious, underutilised crops are resilient in natural and agricultural conditions, making them a suitable surrogate to the major crops. One such crop is teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter], a warm-season annual cereal with the tiniest grain in the world. Native to Ethiopia and often the sustenance for local small farmers, teff thrives in both moisture-stressed and waterlogged soil conditions, making it a dependable staple within and beyond its current centre of origin. Today, teff is deemed a healthy wheat alternative in the West and is sought-after by health aficionados and those with coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity. The blooming market for healthy food is breathing new life into this underutilised crop, which has received relatively limited attention from mainstream research perhaps due to its 'orphan crop' status. This review presents the past, present and future of an ancient grain with a potential beyond its size.

Wof‐Washa forest is one of the few remaining dry Afromontane forests in the central plateau of Ethiopia. Woody species composition, structure and regeneration patterns of this forest were studied to generate information essential for formulating feasible management options for the forest. Vegetation data were collected from 64 quadrats of size 20 m × 20 m, 10 m × 10 m and 5 m × 5 m for tree/shrub, sapling and seedling, respectively, laid systematically along transects. A total of 62 woody species belonging to 54 genera and 40 families were recorded. Rosaceae was the most diverse family with five (12.5%) species followed by Anacardiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Myrsinaceae with three (7.5%) species each. Tree/shrub, sapling and seedling densities were 699, 1178 and 7618.7 individuals/ha. About 56.7% of the importance value index was contributed by Juniperus procera, Maytenus arbutifolia, Podocarpus falcatus and Ilex mitis. Vegetation classification resulted in five plant communities: Ilex mitis – Maytenus obscura, Galiniera saxifraga – Maesa lanceolata, Juniperus procera – Erica arborea, Podocapus falcatus – Allophylus abyssinicus and Pittosporum viridiflorum – Polycias fulva community types. Regeneration status of all the woody plant species was categorized as ‘Good’ (28%), ‘Fair’ (19%), ‘Poor’ (8%), ‘None’ (40%) and ‘New’ (5%).

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