Chapters authored
The Role of Woody Plant Functional Traits for Sustainable Soil Management in the Agroforestry System of Ethiopia
A woody plant functional trait that directly affects its fitness and environment is decisive to ensure the success of an Agroforestry practice. Hence, recognizing the woody plant functional traits is very important to boost and sustain the productivity of the system when different plants are sharing common resources, like in Agroforestry system. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to understand how woody plant functional traits contribute to sustainable soil management in Agroforestry system and to give the way forward in the case of Ethiopia. The contribution of woody plant species in improving soil fertility and controlling soil erosion is attributed by litter accumulation rate and the season, decomposability and nutrient content of the litter, root physical and chemical trait, and spread canopy structure functional trait. However, spread canopy structure functional trait is used in coffee based Agroforestry system, while with management in Parkland Agro forestry System. Woody species of Agroforestry system added a significant amount of soil TN, OC, Av.P, K, Na, Ca, and Mg nutrients to the soil. Woody plant species of Agroforestry system and their functional traits are very important to ensure sustainable soil management. Thus, further investigation of the woody plant functional traits especially the compatibility of trees with cops is needed to fully utilize the potential of woody species for sustainable soil management practice.
Part of the book: Biodiversity of Ecosystems
Effect of Climate Change on Conifer Plant Species, Juniperus procera, and Podocarpus falcatus, in the Case of Ethiopia: Critical Review Using Time Series Data
The Juniperus procera and Podocarpus falcatus tree species are the only indigenous conifer plants that Ethiopia has and dominantly found in dry Afromontane forests of the country. However, dry Afromontane forests are threatened by climate change. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of climate change on the regeneration and dominance of the J. procera and P. falcatus tree species in Ethiopia. The regeneration status classes and importance value index score classes analysis was done along the time series. This study revealed that J. procera had a fair regeneration status, while P. falcatus exhibited an alternate regeneration status between fair and good. Not regenerating regeneration status was recorded in 2006–2010 and 2016–2020 time series for J. procera, while in 2011–2015 and 2021–2023 for P. falcatus. Regarding the importance value index score of the species, J. procera had the top three throughout the all-time series except in 2011–2015 which had the lowest importance value index score, whereas P. falcatus had the top three importance value index score status from 2016 to 2023 time series. Safeguarding these conifer species from the negative effects of climate change relies on the attention of all responsible bodies.
Part of the book: Conifers