Small-scale plantations for commercial purposes bring a variety of benefits, including increased revenue, employment, and improved household livelihood. However, empirical research on the factors that affect smallholders’ decisions to establish commercial plantations is lacking. This study aimed to discover the factors that influence smallholder farmers’ commercial tree-planting decisions in Ethiopia’s central and southern regions. Cross-sectional data were collected from 255 households using structured, semi-structured questionnaires. The Heckman two-stage selection model was used to examine smallholder farmers’ participation in commercial tree planting and land allocated for tree planting. The results of the regression analysis revealed that education level of the household head, distance of the plot from home, distance of the plot to the market, size of livestock holdings, and frequency of contact with extension agents had a significant impact on the probability of participation in commercial tree planting by a household. In addition, the move to tree-based livelihoods was hampered by lack of capital and scarcity of land. Because trees take a long time to generate income for tree planters, it is critical to focus on creating alternative income-generating opportunities for smallholders until the trees reach harvest age.

This paper examined the potential of dry north western woodlands of Ethiopia (Adi Goshu, Lemlem Terara, and Gemed) for carbon stocks. Allometry equations were used to determine the aboveground, belowground, and dead woods biomasses; litter and herbaceous biomasses were determined using direct harvesting method. The result showed the estimated mean carbon stocks of the aboveground, belowground, and the dead wood biomass for the Untapped Boswellia Papyrifera Woodland (UW) in Lemlem Terara site were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the Adi Goshu site. In the Gemed site, the mean Herb Biomass Carbon (HBC) stock was 1.2 Mg ha(-1), which is significantly highest (P < 0.05) than the other two study sites (Lemlem Terara, 0.42 Mg ha(-1) and Adi Goshu, 0.45 Mg ha(-1)) for the Tapped Boswellia Papyrifera Woodland (TW). In UW, the mean soil carbon stock of the Lemlem Terara site (58.19 Mg ha(-1)) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of Adi Goshu (33.61 Mg ha(-1)). In the case of the total carbon stocks in UW stratum, for the Adi Goshu site, the carbon stock was estimated to be about 55.26 Mg ha(-1) while 96.74 Mg ha(-1) for Lemlem Terara. Therefore, Carbon stock in different carbon pools (aboveground and belowground biomass, dead wood, litter, herbaceous biomass, and soil) has a potential to decrease the rate of enrichment of atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide.

Woodlands in Ethiopia are under heavy pressure and shrinking overtime.Despite the woodland's economic and ecological importance's, little attention has been given to monitor the condition of the resources through time.The aim of this study is to assess the status of western dry woodlands of Ethiopia by analyzing land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics and recommend their future sustainable management and development in view of their multi-functions, climate change mitigation potentials as well as local livelihood improvement.Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Positioning System (GIS) were used to assess the LULC dynamics in three regional states (Amhara, Tigray, and Benshangul-Gumz).Three study sites: Metema, Kafta-Humera and Sherkole were selected, respectively.In all study sites the classes of agricultural land and bare land have expanded at an average rate of 2322.9 and 726.6 ha/year, respectively.On the other hand, the woodland cover in the three districts was decreasing at an average rate of 2833.8 ha/year in the past 25 years (1985-2010).The woodland cover was transformed mainly to agriculture at an average rate of 2057.9 ha/year.

2 ha -1 . Based on their population structures, the woodland species can be categorized as Group I contained species with a progressively declining numbers of trees with increasing diameter in Gemed site and Group II was comprised of both Adi-Goshu and Lemlem-Terara sites with a bell-shaped or irregular distribution. In addition, Boswellia papyrifera is known to occur in various parts of Ethiopia including Tigray, Amhara and Benshangul Gumuz regions. Therefore, the total production of gum olibanum and gum arabic in the three sites was recorded approximately 12,112.98 tons with the net income of 129.34 million Birr since 1999. Therefore, Ethiopia will be more benefited from the export of these products, provided efforts are made to develop and manage these resources in a sustainable way.

Woodlands in Ethiopia are under heavy pressure and shrinking overtime. Despite the woodland's economic and ecological importance's, little attention has been given to monitor the condition of the resources through time. The aim of this study is to assess the status of western dry woodlands of Ethiopia by analyzing land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics and recommend their future sustainable management and development in view of their multi-functions, climate change mitigation potentials as well as local livelihood improvement. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Positioning System (GIS) were used to assess the LULC dynamics in three regional states (Amhara, Tigray, and Benshangul-Gumz). Three study sites: Metema, Kafta-Humera and Sherkole were selected, respectively. In all study sites the classes of agricultural land and bare land have expanded at an average rate of 2322.9 and 726.6 ha/year, respectively. On the other hand, the woodland cover in the three districts was decreasing at an average rate of 2833.8 ha/year in the past 25 years (1985-2010). The woodland cover was transformed mainly to agriculture at an average rate of 2057.9 ha/year.

Increased flooding and newly formed rills and gullies were observed in the Cheleleka wetland watershed, over the past three to five years. These events are due to problems related to land use changes and are adversely affecting land productivity. This study was conducted to quantify, analyze and map soil erosion risk areas using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation.

The dynamic interactions between society and land resources have to be taken into account when planning and managing natural resources. A computer model, using STELLA software, was developed through active participation of purposively selected farm households from different wealth groups, age groups and gender within a rural community and some members of Kebelle council. The aim of the modeling was to study the perceived changes in land-use, population and livelihoods over the next 30 years and to improve our understanding of the interactions among them. The modeling output is characterized by rapid population growth, declining farm size and household incomes, deteriorating woody vegetation cover and worsening land degradation if current conditions remain. However, through integrated intervention strategies (including forest increase, micro-finance, family planning, health and education) the woody vegetation cover is likely to increase in the landscape, population growth is likely to slow down and households' income is likely to improve. A validation assessment of the simulation model based on historical data on land-use and population from 1973 to 2006 showed that the model is relatively robust. We conclude that as a supporting tool, the simulation model can contribute to the decision making process.

Strategies for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) could become an important part of a new agreement for climate change mitigation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We constructed a system dynamics model for a cocoa agroforest landscape in southwestern Ghana to explore whether REDD payments are likely to promote forest conservation and what socio-economic implications would be. Scenarios were constructed for business as usual (cocoa production at the expense of forest), for payments for avoided deforestation of old-growth forest only and for payments for avoided deforestation of all forests, including degraded forest. The results indicate that in the short term, REDD is likely to be preferred by farmers when the policy focuses on payments that halt the destruction of old-growth forests only. However, there is the risk that REDD contracts may be abandoned in the short term. The likeliness of farmers to opt for REDD is much lower when also avoiding deforestation of degraded forest since this land is needed for the expansion of cocoa production. Given that it is mainly the wealthier households that control the remaining forest outside the reserves, REDD payments may increase community differentiation, with negative consequences for REDD policies.

We examined the changes in forest status and people's livelihoods through building future scenarios for Chilimo Forest in Central Ethiopia where participatory forest management (PFM) is being implemented. Participatory methods were employed to collect data, and a dynamic modeling technique was applied to explore trends over time. By integrating the more quantitative model outputs with qualitative insights, information on forests and livelihoods was summarized and returned to users, both to inform them and get feedback. A scenario of open access without PFM provides higher income benefits in the short term but not over the longer term, as compared to a scenario with PFM. Follow up meetings were organized with national decision makers to explore the possibility of new provisions in the national forest proclamation related to joint community–state ownership of forests. Project implementers must constantly work towards improving short term incentives from PFM, as these may be insufficient to garner support for PFM. Other necessary elements for PFM to succeed include: ensuring active participation of the communities in the process; and, clarifying and harmonizing the rules and regulations at different levels.