The effects of exclosures in restoring degraded semi-arid vegetation in communal grazing lands in northern Ethiopia

Tesfay, Yayneshet; Eik, Lars Olav; Moe, Stein R.

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2008.12.002

Cited by 138 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This shows that there are other factors that influence the structure and composition of vegetation in the area. In line with this finding, Yayneshet et al [23] reported that grazing throughout the year has consistently reduced the above ground biomass production capability of the grazed area. Similarly, Bilotta et al [53] reported that heavy and uninterrupted grazing can cause a reduction in herbaceous vegetation and a sharp decline in the concentration of soil nutrients, thereby leading to defoliation and soil compaction.…”

Section: Interaction Of Management and Vegetation Attributesmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…The high diversity, richness and biomass measured in the enclosures might be attributable to increased litter accumulation, improved soil organic matter and other nutrients inside the enclosures [23,54]. According to Tessema et al [5], higher soil nutrient contents under light grazing conditions are attributed mainly to larger basal cover and greater amounts of standing biomass.…”

Section: Interaction Of Management and Vegetation Attributesmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…They strongly argue that it is the basis of the ecological study of any piece of vegetation [20]. Various studies (e.g., Brand and Goetz [21], Descheemaeker et al [22], Yayneshet et al [23], Bakker et al [24] Allington and Valone [25], and Haftay et al [10] were conducted to assess the direction of vegetation change in the context of rangeland enclosures to estimate dry matter yields and to indirectly measure the species composition. However, no study has been conducted using the phytosociological data analysis method for rangeland vegetation layers of the rangelands in Ethiopia in general and the Harishin rangelands in particular.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Analysis of Vegetation Phytosociological Characteristics and Soil Physico-Chemical Conditions in Harishin Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia

Hailu

2017

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:The objective of this study is to analyse the phytodiversity, distribution, herb biomass and physico-chemical conditions of the vegetation system in the context of communal continuous open grazing and enclosed grazing management practices in the Harishin rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia. A total of 58 herbaceous species and 11 woody species were recorded in the study area. Analysis of Importance Value Index for two management practices was represented by different combinations of species with varied dominance. The herbs' diversity-dominance curve revealed a lognormal distribution in both managements practices. The overview of distribution patterns for most of the species layer showed contiguous growth and a clumped distribution pattern. Species diversity, richness, herb biomass, basal cover and soil physico-chemical attributes showed a distinct separation in relation to grazing management practices. Based on the findings, one can conclude that the establishment of enclosures has a positive impact in restoring rangeland vegetation diversity, distribution, in increasing herb productivity and in boosting soil fertility.

show abstract

Section: Interaction Of Management and Vegetation Attributesmentioning

confidence: 62%

Section: Interaction Of Management and Vegetation Attributesmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Analysis of Vegetation Phytosociological Characteristics and Soil Physico-Chemical Conditions in Harishin Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia

Hailu

2017

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In grazing lands, the low standing biomass carbon is a result of free grazing practices and human interference, resulting in severe overgrazing, which affects regeneration and growth of herbaceous plant species negatively and suppresses woody vegetation growth (Mekuria and Yami 2013). A study in Ethiopia by Taddese et al (2002); (Yayneshet et al 2009) demonstrated that free grazing resulted in lower plant biomass when compared to non-grazing plots due to its impact on soil physical properties. Other studies conducted in Ethiopia have also shown that community-managed forests provide favorable microhabitats for herbaceous plants, which can be an effective method to improve aboveground biomass of naturally regenerating plant species (Abebe et al 2006;Mengistu et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbon stocks and sequestration potential of dry forests under community management in Tigray, Ethiopia

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Forests form a major component of the carbon (C) reserves in the world's ecosystems. However, little is known on how management influences C stocks of woody vegetation, particularly in dry areas. We developed regression models for two dominant tree species to predict C stocks and quantified the potential of community managed forests as C sinks. Methods: Plots were randomly selected from community-managed natural forest, herbivore exclosures, and from communal grazing land. Tree and shrub biomass were estimated using a regression model on the most dominant woody species while herbaceous biomass was determined using destructive sampling.Results: The simplest model, based on only one single predictor variable, showed a good fit to the data for both species (Juniperus procera and Acacia abyssinica). Diameter at breast height (r 2 > 0.95) was a more reliable predictor than height (r 2 > 0.54), crown diameter (r 2 > 0.68) (p < 0.001). The C content of the total biomass for the managed natural forest and the exclosure were estimated as, 58.11 and 22.29 Mg ha −1 , respectively, while that for the grazing land was 7.76 Mg ha −1 , and the mean carbon content between the three land uses were significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions: We conclude that forests managed by the community have a high potential for C sequestration and storage and their conservation should be promoted.

show abstract

“…In moderately degraded rangelands where there is still some vegetation cover to serve as succession primer, passive restoration techniques, such as livestock exclosure for a certain period of time, can be effective ways. For instance, exclosures established in northern Ethiopia have been effective in restoring plant species composition, diversity, biomass, cover, and structure of both herbaceous and woody components (Yayneshet et al 2009), and improving soil nutrient status, and reducing erosion (Mekuria et al 2007). In a savanna rangeland of southern Ethiopia, Angassa et al (2012) have also found higher herbaceous biomass, grass basal cover, herbaceous species richness and diversity in traditional exclosures than in open grazed areas.…”

Section: Rangeland Rehabilitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rehabilitation of degraded dryland ecosystems – review

Yirdaw¹,

Tigabu²,

Monge³

2017

Silva Fenn.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Highlights• The prospect of restoring degraded drylands is technically promising.• The forest landscape restoration concept can be used as the overarching rehabilitation framework.• Development of process-based models that forecast rehabilitation outcomes is needed.• Rehabilitation methodologies developed for moist areas are not necessarily suitable for drylands.• More data is needed on cost-benefit analysis of rehabilitation interventions. AbstractLand degradation is widespread and a serious threat affecting the livelihoods of 1.5 billion people worldwide of which one sixth or 250 million people reside in drylands. Globally, it is estimated that 10-20% of drylands are already degraded and about 12 million ha are degraded each year. Driven by unsustainable land use practices, adverse climatic conditions and population increase, land degradation has led to decline in provision of ecosystem services, food insecurity, social and political instability and reduction in the ecosystem's resilience to natural climate variability. Several global initiatives have been launched to combat land degradation, including rehabilitation of degraded drylands. This review aimed at collating the current state-of-knowledge about rehabilitation of degraded drylands. It was found that the prospect of restoring degraded drylands is technically promising using a suite of passive (e.g. area exclosure, assisted natural regeneration, rotational grazing) and active (e.g. mixed-species planting, framework species, maximum diversity, and use of nurse tree) rehabilitation measures. Advances in soil reclamation using biological, chemical and physical measures have been made. Despite technical advances, the scale of rehabilitation intervention is small and lacks holistic approach. Development of processbased models that forecast outcomes of the various rehabilitation activities will be useful tools for researchers and practitioners. The concept of forest landscape restoration approach, which operates at landscape-level, could also be adopted as the overarching framework for rehabilitation of degraded dryland ecosystems. The review identified a data gap in cost-benefit analysis of rehabilitation interventions. However, the cost of rehabilitation and sustainable management of drylands is opined to be lower than the losses that accrue from inaction, depending on the degree of degradation. Thus, local communities' participation, incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge, clear division of tasks and benefits, strengthening local institutions are crucial not only for cost-sharing, but also for the long-term success of rehabilitation activities.

show abstract

The effects of exclosures in restoring degraded semi-arid vegetation in communal grazing lands in northern Ethiopia

Cited by 138 publications

References 54 publications

Analysis of Vegetation Phytosociological Characteristics and Soil Physico-Chemical Conditions in Harishin Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia

Analysis of Vegetation Phytosociological Characteristics and Soil Physico-Chemical Conditions in Harishin Rangelands of Eastern Ethiopia

Carbon stocks and sequestration potential of dry forests under community management in Tigray, Ethiopia

Rehabilitation of degraded dryland ecosystems – review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About