Ethiopia is a key region for biodiversity hotspots and plant diversity due to diverse land features, climatic characteristics, and an extremely heterogeneous ecology. The objective of this review was to document the woody species diversity and structure of Ethiopian Afromontane forests for identifying conservation and research gaps. Various research articles were collected from indexed databases (Scopus, Web of Science, DOAJ, and Sherpa Romeo) focused on the woody species diversity, population structure, and regeneration status of different Ethiopian Afromontane forests. The reviewed documents ranged from the years 2008 to 2025. Woody species diversity, population structure, and regeneration capacity provide valuable information on the status and quality of forest resources. An inverted J-shaped population structure was common in both dry and moist forest patches. The majority of forest patches had stem density per hectare ranging from six hundred to four thousand four hundred. The poor regeneration status from different forest patches of dry and moist afromontane forest required immediate conservation and sustainable management.

Forest regeneration is a key process influencing species composition, ecosystem resilience, and biodiversity recovery following disturbance. This study evaluated the regeneration strategies of tree and shrub species in fallow woodlands of Abobo Woreda, Gambela Region, Ethiopia, focusing on the relative contributions of seed-based and sprout-based regeneration along a successional gradient. A total of 80 main plots (20 × 20 m) were established across four successional stages (5, 15, 30 years, and undisturbed control), each containing five 1 × 1 m subplots. Geographic coordinates of all main plots were recorded using GPS and integrated into GIS for spatial analysis. Species diversity of seedlings and sprouts was calculated using the Shannon–Wiener index (H′), and regeneration strategies were compared across successional stages. Results revealed a clear successional trend in regeneration dynamics. In early succession (5 years), sprouting contributed substantially to diversity (H′ = 2.68), nearly matching seedlings (H′ = 2.90), indicating the importance of vegetative regrowth immediately after disturbance. Mid-succession (15 years) showed reduced diversity for both seedlings (H′ = 2.56) and sprouts (H′ = 1.94), reflecting competition and canopy development. In late succession (30 years), seed-based regeneration dominated (H′ = 3.62), with sprouts absent, while in mature control sites, seedling diversity was highest (H′ = 3.78) and sprouting minimal (H′ = 1.55). The study demonstrates that sprouting is critical in early succession, while seed-based regeneration drives long-term recovery in later stages. These findings provide insights for forest restoration and management, emphasizing the protection of early successional stages and promotion of seed-based regeneration for sustainable biodiversity conservation.

Phenology is the study of the time series of biological phenomena of plants, such as flowering, fruiting, and leaflessness, related to seasonal change. Ethiopia is rich in vascular plant species. However, the tree phenology of selected species has been less studied. Therefore, the study aimed to document the phenology of nine native tree species in the Gera moist Afromontane forest in southwest Ethiopia. Forty-five mature trees (five of each species) were selected and numbered according to their species. The intensity of flowering and fruiting was assigned to four different classes. PAST software (version 4.03) and Microsoft Excel (version 2016) mapped phenological phases and durations. Almost all leaf growth occurs throughout the year for the studied tree species. Different phenophases of flowering for Ficus sur, Polyscias fulva, and Croton macrostachyus were seen from February to June. On the other hand, for Millettia ferruginea, Allophylus abyssinicus was seen from September to January. Finally, for Bersama abyssinica, Syzygium guineense, and Olea welwitschii were seen from December to April. Most of the tree species (Ficus sur, Millettia ferruginea, Bersama abyssinica, Albizia gummifera, Syzygium guineense, and Olea welwitschii) made fruit from December to the end of May. Polyscias fulva, Croton macrostachyus, and Allophylus abyssinicus made their fruiting from June to December. We did not know any flowering stage for Albizia gummifera during the study period. A species-specific phenological study of native tree species is important for understanding the physiological aspects of the Gera forest. Long-term periodical observations on plant phenology will be required for the studied species.

The vitality of seedlings is significantly impacted by nursery activities. Among other things, the size of containers and growing media are the most important variables in producing healthy and high‐quality seedlings. For that reason, this experiment took place at the Boye Nursery Site in the Jimma Zone of Ethiopia, aimed to evaluate the impact of varying growing media and pot sizes on the growth of seedlings of three significant indigenous tree species: Prunus africana , Croton macrostachyus , and Millettia ferruginea . For this purpose, three distinct soil mixtures comprising local soil, forest soil, and sand, with ratio of 3:3:1, 3:2:1, and 3:1:1, were combined with three different pot sizes (8, 10, and 12 cm). Based on a 3 × 3 factorial design with four replications, a complete randomized block design was employed. Measurements of seedling height and root collar diameter were made. According to the findings, seedlings grown in large pots exhibited significantly greater height (mean heights of 26.17, 25.19, and 22.67 cm for Millettia ferruginea , Croton macrostachyus , and Prunus africana , respectively) and larger root collar diameters (mean diameters of 0.384, 0.39, and 0.32 cm for the same species) compared to those grown in smaller pots. On the other hand, the soil mix had no effect. Therefore, to ensure better success in tree establishment, we advise using large pots for the production of Millettia ferruginea , Croton macrostachyus , and Prunus africana seedlings in these places.

Ethiopia is the origin of coffee arabica, which grows in moist Afromontane forests. Today, the expansion of coffee production to adjacent natural forests is high. The current study aims to compare species diversity, richness, regeneration, and soil physico-chemical properties of forests without and with coffee for conservation. A result showed that Forests without coffee have better mean species richness (45.86), Shannon wiener diversity index (2.69), Evenness (0.85), and Simpson (2.94) than forests with coffee. Forests without coffee had a higher percentage of soil carbon storage (mean 147.18) than forests with coffee (Mean 120.25). Forests without coffee are better for all comparisons. Documentation of woody species will be required for both systems for immediate conservation.

Climate change is a global problem caused by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. This leads to indicators of climate change like increased flooding, sea level rise, and water stress. Tropical forests play a crucial role in mitigating climate change through photosynthesis, storing large amounts of carbon in their biomass. Two methods, destructive and non-destructive, are commonly used to estimate the biomass of tropical forests. There are five components of biomass in these ecosystems, with most of it found aboveground. Belowground biomass is estimated based on aboveground biomass. About 50 % of the dry biomass in forest ecosystems is carbon. Allometric equations are used to estimate biomass and volume based on tree diameter and height. Different equations have been developed for different species and locations. Carbon stocks in forest ecosystems are present in both aboveground and belowground parts.

Ethiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in the country. The current study aims to investigate the woody species composition, structure, regeneration, diversity, and distribution of the soil seed bank in a degraded part of the Gera moist Afromontane forest. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect tree data. Twenty representative sample square plots, each measuring 400 m2 for trees and shrubs, were established. Inside the main plots, five subplots measuring 9 m2 were assigned for regeneration data collection. Another five subplots were also marked for soil seed bank data collection that are 9 cm deep and 15 cm wide. The forest had twenty-one woody species that belonged to seventeen families. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s indices, and evenness of the whole forest were recorded to be 2.17, 0.82, and 0.42, respectively. Syzygium guineense had the highest species-specific value indices (68.49), accounting for 22.83 percent of the total. The first DBH and height class patterns encompass over 61.16 and 59.92 percent of the total individuals, respectively. There were two growth phases (seedling and saplings) missing in three tree species (Allophylus abyssinicus, Olea welwitschii, and Schefflera abyssinica). The soil seed bank in the forest contained 77 plant species belonging to 41 families. Compared to other moist Afromontane forests, the Gera forest has a smaller composition of woody species and medium diversity. The soil seed bank did not significantly contribute to the restoration of the forest.

The application of biomass models for quantifying forests’ above-ground biomass is essential for sustainable forest management. However, lack of knowledge in modelig biomass of individual tree growth hinders the sustainable management of Dry Afromontane forests. In this study, models to estimate above-ground biomass were developed for Rhus ruspolii, Ekebergia capensis, and Nuxia congesta. To develop the models, a total of 45 trees from different diameter classes were selected, felled, and divided into different biomass compartments. For the model’s development, diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (TH), diameter at stump height (DSH), and wood density (WD) were used as independent variables. Models’ performances were evaluated using RSE, adjusted coefficient of determination, and AIC. Also, model validations were done by using rRMSE, mean absolute deviation, bias, and coefficient of variation. Models 5 (Adj-R2 = 0.92), 6 (Adj-R2 = 0.97), and 8 (Adj-R22 = 0.82) were the best fitted models for Nuxia congesta, Ekebergia capensis, and Rhus ruspolii, respectively. The average wood densities of Ekebergia capensis, Nuxia congesta, and Rhus ruspolii were 0.59, 0.50, and 0.69, respectively. The variation between observed biomass and estimated biomass using new models was statistically not significant (p>0.05). Thus, the biomass models developed here can be important tools to accurately estimate above-ground biomass in the Menagesha Suba forest and can be integrated into decision support tools.

Soil is the centre of plant growth and, in turn, plants are important elements in soil creation. This points to a strong positive correlation between forest growth dynamics and soil qualities. However, the decline in the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of forest soils alters this link. Therefore, the objective of the study was to determine the physical and chemical properties of soils in the Afromontane rainforest of Gera as inputs for vegetation and land management. A systematic random sampling design was used to collect a soil sample. Twenty main plots with a size of 20 m by 20 m pits measuring (0.5) m by (0.5) m, one in the centre and four in the corners, were dug for the collection of soil samples. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 0 - 20 cm using an auger because the soil has a similar profile and is mixed to form a soil composite. From the composite sample, twenty samples were randomly selected as a working sample. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were carried out to analyze the data using SAS software. The sampled soil contains an average of 56.93 % sand, 26.22 % silt and 16.36 % clay. The average bulk density of the forest is 1.49 g cm-3. The forest contains 3.91 and 6.74 % organic carbon and matter, respectively. The analysis revealed that sandy loam accounts for 70 % of the texture classes in the Gera forest. Total nitrogen was highly correlated with organic carbon and matter, and magnesium and calcium were highly correlated with cation exchange capacity, while sodium was highly correlated with electrical conductivity. Further study on other soil physico-chemical properties will be required for rapid rehabilitation of the Gera forest for site species that match and sustain the forest.

A forest is a storehouse of carbon released from different sources when the activities of sustainable forest management, planting, and rehabilitation exist. However, few allometric equations are present to determine its contribution to carbon reduction. The target of the study was to develop species-specific allometric equations and establish a database for biomass expansion factor and wood density for five tree species grown in the dry Afromontane forest of Ethiopia. A direct or destructive sampling method was used on 62 trees from different diameter classes. The diameter at breast height and the total height of selected trees ranged from 7 to 48 cm and 6.7 to 23.4 m, respectively. Trees were felled and divided into various biomass sections. Stem and big branch discs were sampled to determine the wood density and volume of the trees. Sample wood and foliage were oven-dried for three days and two days at 105°C and 70°C, respectively, to get their dry weight. Total above-ground biomass was regressed using diameter at breast height, total height, wood density, and average crown diameter as independent variables. R software version 4.0.1 was used to fit the biomass equations. The best biomass models were determined to have lower AIC and RSE and highest adj. R2. The biomass expansion factor and wood density of five tree species ranged from 1.19 to 1.40 and 0.53 to 0.74 g/cm−3, respectively. Species-specific allometric equations were better than both mixed species and pan tropical models for the assessment of above-ground biomass in the Chilimo dry Afromontane forest of Ethiopia.

Abstract Forest is the second largest store house of carbon released from different sources. However, limited allometric equations are available to determine its contribution for carbon cycle. The objective of study was to develop species specific allometric equations, establish database for Biomass Expansion Factor (BEF) and Wood Density (WD) to five tree species, namely Apodytes dimidiata, Cassiopourea malosana, Celtis africana, Ilex mitis and Myrica salicifolia grown in dry afromontane forest of Ethiopia. The sampled tree diameter at breast height (dbh) and their total height (ht) ranged from 7 to 48 cm and 6.7 to 23.4 m respectively. A total of 62 sample trees harvested from different diameter classes of each species and divided in to different biomass compartments (stem, big branches > 7cm), small branches (2-7cm) and twigs and foliage (< 2cm). To determined WD, total of 186(stem position) and108 sample disks (big branches till 7cm dbh were sampled. Oven dried at temperature of 105oc and 70oc for 72 and 24hrs for wood and foliage respectively. A set of log transformed models relating total above ground biomass to dbh, ht, WD and average crown diameter as independent variables were fitted following R-software version 4.0.1. The best biomass models were found to be having lower AIC, residual standard error and higher adj.coefficient of determination. The BEF and WD of aforementioned tree species were ranged from1.19 to 1.40 and 0.53 to 0.74 gcm− 3 respectively. Species specific allometric equations were better than generalized allometric equation for estimation of above ground biomass of Chilimo dry afromontane forest.