Assessing Context-Specific Factors to Increase Tree Survival for Scaling Ecosystem Restoration Efforts in East Africa

Abstract

Increasing tree cover in agricultural lands can contribute to achieving global and national restoration goals, more so in the drylands where trees play a key role in enhancing both ecosystem and livelihood resilience of the communities that depend on them. Despite this, drylands are characterized by low tree survival especially for tree species preferred by local communities. We conducted a study in arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya and Ethiopia with 1773 households to assess how different tree planting and management practices influence seedling survival. Using on-farm planned comparisons, farmers experimented and compared tree survival under different planting and management practices as well as under varying socioeconomic and biophysical contexts in the two countries. Seedling survival was monitored at least six months after planting. Results show that watering, manure application, seedling protection by fencing and planting in a small hole (30 cm diameter and 45 cm depth) had a significant effect on tree seedling survival in Kenya, while in Ethiopia, mulching, watering and planting niche were significant to tree survival. Household socioeconomics and farms’ biophysical characteristics such as farm size, education level of the household head, land tenure, age of the household head had significant effects on seedling survival in both Ethiopia and Kenya while presence of soil erosion on the farm had a significant effect in Kenya. Soil quality ranking was positively correlated with tree survival in Ethiopia, regardless of species assessed. Current findings have confirmed effects of context specific variables some involving intrahousehold socioeconomic status such education level of the household head, and farm size that influence survival.

Onto the Farm, into the Home: How Intrahousehold Gender Dynamics Shape Land Restoration in Eastern Kenya

“…A significant barrier to increasing tree cover, particularly in the drylands, is low seedling survival caused by erratic climate, inappropriate management practices and use of ecologically unsuitable species (De Leeuw et al 2014, Ndegwa et al 2017, Derero et al 2020. The project worked with farmers to compare the effect of different planting and management practices on tree seedling survival, including planting hole size, planting with or without manure and different watering regimes (Magaju et al 2020). Seven drought-tolerant, multipurpose tree species, many of which provide both ecological and socio-economic benefits, were selected through consultative workshops with farmers (Table 1).…”

Explore before you restore: Incorporating complex systems thinking in ecosystem restoration

“…Despite these clearly defined targets and guidelines (Di Sacco et al, 2021), restoration outcomes vary widely, with multiple failures to establish target ecosystems (Banin et al, 2023;Brancalion & Holl, 2020;Brudvig & Catano, 2021;Dudney et al, 2022). Examples of ecological failures, that is attributed to biotic and abiotic ecological constraints, include poor survival of planted or naturally regenerating trees in forest restoration (Banin et al, 2023;Christmann et al, 2023;Kodikara et al, 2017;Magaju et al, 2020), no population growth of targeted fish species in lake or coral reef restoration (Boström-Einarsson et al, 2020;Fox et al, 2019;Graham et al, 2013) and failure to restore non-turbid water conditions in lake restoration (Gulati et al, 2008;Jilbert et al, 2020;Søndergaard et al, 2007).…”

Agroforestry-Based Ecosystem Services

“…Assessing context-specific factors to increase tree survival for scaling ecosystem restoration efforts in East Africa [4] Farmer's technology tested…”

“…Especially in drylands, tree planting is not enough to get trees growing, and survival rates depend on management. A survey in Kenya and Ethiopia [4] showed low tree survival especially for tree species preferred by local communities, but also local knowledge on options to increase seedling survival in local context. Soil quality ranking was positively correlated with tree survival in Ethiopia, regardless of species assessed, while in Kenya the presence of soil erosion on a farm had a negative effect on seedling survival.…”