Forests provide ecosystem services (ESs) and ecosystem disservices (EDs) to the local community living in and around the forest. The current study examined the trade-offs between forest ESs and EDs at different distances from the forest edge in southeast Ethiopia. The study employed a household survey, focus group discussions and field observations along six transects, laid down in a pair-wise design in six study villages. The study findings revealed that forests provide diverse services to the local community such as water sources (93.9

This study examines the perceived effects integrated farm management (IFM) intervention, specifically terracing and agroforestry solutions, by the Terracing, Agroforestry and Farm Optimization (TAF) project on smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change in the South Gondar Zone, Northern Ethiopia. Using a qualitative research design, data were collected through interviews with 17 purposively selected key informants, supplemented by document reviews and empirical literature, and were analysed thematically within the OECD/DAC evaluation framework. Findings reveal that the TAF project successfully established a network of Farm Innovation Agents (FIAs) and strengthened multipurpose cooperatives to promote Fanya Juu terracing and agroforestry practices. Participants reported that these interventions contributed to enhance household and community resilience by diversifying agricultural production, improving incomes, and promoting sustainable land management. The engagement of model farmers and the commission-based FIA approach played a pivotal role in fostering private extension system. The findings highlight the importance of expanding FIA networks, reinforcing farmer-to-farmer learning, and strengthening private extension mechanisms to ensure the long-term sustainability and scalability of IFM practices. The study concludes that IFM represents a promising strategy for building climate resilience, though sustaining its benefits requires stronger institutional support and policy frameworks that formalise and reinforce private extension roles. Similarly, scaling up IFM approaches is crucial for advancing climate-resilient agriculture, and contributing to broader global efforts to address climate change and food insecurity. These findings are particularly crucial to inform future policies that promote private extension systems and integrated land management in similarly vulnerable, semi-arid environments.

Protected areas are essential for conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services, yet they face growing threats from habitat fragmentation, human encroachment, and limited funding. This study investigates community willingness to support conservation in Kafta-Sheraro National Park through financial or labor contributions, aiming to address these challenges and uncover factors influencing participation. Surveying 384 local residents, the study reveals widespread concern over habitat degradation caused by agricultural expansion, illegal logging, and overgrazing. Majority of respondents (88.8 %) supported the proposed conservation plan, with 72.43 % preferring to contribute labor and 27.57 % opting for monetary support. Using probit and biprobit models the study identified key determinants of payment vehicle preference and amount of contribution. Ethnicity and residence condition, living conditions, livestock ownership, and income from forest resources are factors influencing decision. Prior conflicts related to conservation efforts negatively impacted willingness to participate. Households favoring monetary contributions were willing to pay an average of 1362.24 birr annually (approximately US$40.40), while those preferring labor offered 30 days per year. When extrapolated across kebeles (lower administrative unit) bordering the park, total annual contributions amounted to 5,632,519 birr (US$166,988.41) and 325,929 labor days-equivalent to 88,000,830 birr (US$2,608,978.06). The study recommends a more inclusive conservation strategy that legally integrates community roles in park governance. This includes mandated involvement in patrols, infrastructure maintenance, faire control activities, decisionmaking, and financial support. Such measures are vital for ensuring the long-term sustainability of protected areas and fostering sense of shared responsibility among local communities.

Ethiopia faces challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, and biodiversity loss. The predominantly rural population relies on staple cereals, leading to deficiencies in essential micronutrients. Ethiopia's Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot hosts a variety of wild edible fruits (WEFs) that could help alleviate these deficiencies. However, WEFs are stigmatised as "food-for-the-poor" and remain underutilised partly due to limited data on their nutritional value. This study is the first to systematically assess the elemental composition of 23 wild and four cultivated fruit species from Oromia and Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regions of Ethiopia. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we found several WEFs to be rich in Ca, Fe, Mg, and Se, often surpassing levels in cultivated fruits. A 100 g serving of these fresh fruits could provide up to 40% of recommended nutrient intakes for adolescent boys. Analysis of soil samples collected from fruit harvesting sites revealed significant correlations between soil and fruit elemental concentrations for several minerals, highlighting the importance of soil properties in determining the nutritional quality of WEFs. Species distribution modelling for 11 selected WEF species identified suitable habitats across southern Ethiopia, with significant spatial variation, suggesting opportunities for targeted promotion and conservation. Integrating WEFs into diets and agroforestry systems could enhance nutrition and biodiversity. Further research on bioavailability, domestication, and policy engagement is recommended.

Forest cover changes in southwest Ethiopia have significant social and environmental implications. This study explored the primary drivers and effects of forest cover changes from 1986 to 2019 in the region. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining socioeconomic data, geospatial data, and both global and locally adapted ecosystem services value (ESV) coefficients. The findings indicated a significant decline in forest cover attributed to its conversion to human-modified land types, with approximately 87.3 percent of respondents acknowledging this reduction in the study area. The intricate factors driving forest cover changes include agricultural expansion, population growth, land grabbing, fuelwood collection, and illegal logging, highlighting the necessity for a multifaceted approach to tackle these challenges. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that various sociodemographic factors significantly influenced ( p < 0.05) respondents’ perceptions regarding the drivers of forest cover change. The ESV over three timeframes indicated a decrease from around US$226.75 million to US$172.81 million, equating to a total loss of approximately 23.79%. The ESV of shrublands fell by 46.35%, wetlands by 32.63%, dense forests by 23.77%, and open forests by 17.29% during the evaluation period. In contrast, cropland rose by 38.06% and agroforestry by 20.03%. Significant ecosystem services, like water supply and disturbance regulation, faced reductions of over 30%. Correlation analysis reveals that forest conservation strategies are linked to the drivers of deforestation, suggesting that integrated approaches can mitigate deforestation and promote sustainable resource management. Positive attitudes toward afforestation, enhanced enforcement, community forest management, and improved agricultural practices highlight opportunities for collaborative conservation efforts. Achieving sustainable conservation requires increased community engagement and governance, along with comprehensive policies to address changes in forest cover and their impacts on ecosystem services.

Land use and land cover (LULC) changes can adversely affect livelihood assets/resources impacting rural communities. This study assessed the livelihood impacts of LULC changes on rural livelihoods in Bale Mountains Eco-Region (BMER), Southeast Ethiopia. A sustainable livelihood framework was employed to assess the impact. A cross-sectional survey of 339 households, combined with field observations, was conducted to gather data on the effects of LULC changes between 1973 and 2021. Household heads served as the unit of analysis, and quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Results showed that 62.8%, 62.2%, and 85.3% of respondents reported expansion of cultivation into marginal areas, increased overgrazing, and excessive tree cutting, respectively, as significant indicators of change during the study period. As a result, local communities have experienced reduced crop yields, loss of grazing lands, declining soil fertility, and increased vulnerability to environmental risks. Furthermore, 99.7% of respondents perceived LULC changes as having a direct impact on their livelihood adversely affecting their livelihood assets, primarily natural resources. Livelihood patterns have transformed significantly, shifting from traditional pastoralism to agro-pastoralism and crop-based systems, with households diversifying into various income-generating activities. Adverse livelihood outcomes, including reduced well-being and increased food insecurity, were commonly perceived among respondents. The findings highlight an urgent need for sustainable management of natural resources to improve livelihoods across different LULC types. Moreover, diversifying livelihood strategies and assessing the community’s coping and adaptive capacities are essential to mitigate the adverse impacts of LULC changes.

Environmental and health risks stemming from traditional biomass fuel use remain a significant challenge in developing countries like Ethiopia. Improved cooking stoves have become a viable option to reduce these adverse effects; however, the adoption and use rates remain low. This study aims to analyze the performance of Mirt-improved stoves and identify the factors that determine its adoption in Northwest Ethiopia. A kitchen performance test (KPT) was conducted based on three days of repeated firewood measurement on randomly selected 15 Mirt-stove users and 20 three-stone stove user households. Additionally, 420 households were surveyed to identify factors determining the adoption of Mirt-stove. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a binary logistic regression model. An independent t-test was also employed to analyze the kitchen performance test. The KPT results reveal that Mirt-stoves saved about 5.4 kg of firewood/injera baking session, which translates to about 777 kg (40.5

With the 1.5°C-5°C increase in global temperature projected for this century, many plant species are expected to shift their distribution ranges to track their environmental requirements. Across several mountain regions, responses to climate change like upslope shifts may result in accelerated rates of species turnover, species richness increases in upper montane belts, and amplified habitat losses. Yet, evidence of how such processes may influence plant diversity in Africa is still scarce. Here, using a species distribution modeling approach, we quantify and map how different scenarios of climatic and land-use changes may affect plant species ranges in African mountains. Using individually tuned models and dispersal buffers, we compared distribution losses and potential expansion through dispersal across 607 vascular plant species under three shared socioeconomic pathways for the end of the century. Our projections indicate that keeping warming under 2°C until 2100 under a sustainability scenario (SSP1.26), almost half (49.3%) of the species would experience a contraction in suitable areas, compared to 71%-75.6% in case these targets are not met (SSP3.70 and SSP5.85). Among these losses, mean contractions between 19% and 50.4% are predicted depending on the scenario. We project rates of upslope shifts that may be up to three times higher than the global calculated average. Contractions will be higher for species occurring at upper elevations, and trees and shrubs will show lower declines. Our findings align with previously reported trends of upslope shifts of species distributions but suggest that accelerated rates of change may limit the capacity of some species to track their niche based solely on their natural dispersal capacity. This implies that further efforts to improve habitat connectivity, restoration, and assisted migration may be necessary.

Deforestation and fragmentation have posed a serious threat to tropical forests, leading to a loss of biodiversity and ecological disturbance. This study aimed to investigate the effects of forest fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbances on the diversity, structure, and regeneration status of woody species. Systematic sampling approach was employed to assess woody vegetation and human disturbances across four forest fragment sizes (FFSs) in 122 sample plots, each measuring 20×20 m. One-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to evaluate the impacts of fragmentation and disturbances on woody species diversity, structure, and regeneration status. The results showed that very large FFSs had higher mean species richness (S) (31.55), Shannon diversity (H´) (2.96), and evenness (E) (0.86) than large (S = 26.44, H´ = 2.68, E = 0.81), medium (S = 24.57, H´= 2.48, E = 0.78), and small FFSs (S = 22.28, H´ = 2.22, E = 0.76), with significant differences (p < 0.001) between very large and small FFSs. Disturbance levels varied significantly, with small FFS experiencing higher mean index (34.37). Mean stem density ranged from 613.2 to 985 individuals/ha, showing significant differences between small and very large FFSs. Mean basal area density varied from 27.68 to 60.66 m²/ha, with significantly higher values in very large FFSs. Larger FFSs and reduced disturbances positively influence tree species regeneration. These findings underscore the negative effects of forest fragmentation and disturbances on woody species richness, diversity, structure, and regeneration in southwest Ethiopia. Urgent conservation strategies are necessary to protect these forest fragments and their biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Studies on the local community’s perceptions of conservation governance and outcomes have not sufficiently used inferential models to demonstrate the influence of socioeconomic variables on participants’ responses. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic factors on participant’s perceptions of conservation governance and outcomes of Kafta-Sheraro National Park. A survey was conducted in 2020 to collect data from 384 heads of families. The study employed ordinal logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. Although most responses were in a higher response category, the findings reveal significant influence of factors such as education level, number of livestock in tropical livestock unit and conflict with conservation rules are the factors that negatively affect individual’s perceptions of many of governance principles and outcome while affiliation to Kunama ethnicity and farm land are factors that positively influence perceptions. The findings indicate that all higher or lower outcome responses do not mean the governance process is good or bad, as some responses are linked with personal feelings and exposure to governance processes and conservation outcomes. Governance principles or governance aspects have a simultaneous and complementary nature; any negligence or mistake by key players, primarily legislative, interpretive, and executive, in carrying out their roles in the governance process paves the way for the protected areas failure to achieve social and environmental objectives. The study recommended integrated efforts across all government levels to ensure effective conservation, emphasizing the need for rule of law, adequate resources, community outreach, and sustainable livelihood activities and further research.

Land use and other human activities generally reduce downstream water quality, with consequences for ecosystem services and freshwater biodiversity. However, the relative effects of different types of land use and associated activities across large spatial scales can be difficult to understand, and thus to address, in heterogeneous landscapes. To assess how different types of landscapes affect the water quality and aquatic biodiversity downstream. To assess if coffee agroforestry landscapes are intermediate between forests and agriculture in terms of their effects on biodiversity in streams. We measured water quality parameters and sampled stream macroinvertebrates in 46 catchments with perennial streams draining through mosaic landscapes managed by smallholder farmers in southwest Ethiopia. For each of the catchments, we estimated the proportion of each land use, including agriculture, coffee agroforestry and forests, estimated the settlement density and calculated an index representing the number of and distance to coffee washing stations. We found that water quality was better (e.g. high dissolved oxygen, low turbidity and low nutrient concentration) for streams draining through landscapes with high forest cover as compared to landscapes dominated by agroforestry or agriculture. Furthermore, we found elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) concentrations in most streams, especially those draining agroforestry landscapes. The composition of macroinvertebrates varied much across streams with sensitive taxa dominating clean streams and vice versa. This pattern became even clearer when we analysed the direct effects of settlement density and coffee washing stations on the abundances of families with different sensitivity to poor water quality, but there were also inconsistent responses in some groups. Our finding suggests that a single measurement of water chemistry alone inadequately captured land use effects on water quality, highlighting the importance of including biodiversity assessment. Since people frequently use these streams for various purposes and freshwater biodiversity is at stake, our findings highlight the urgent need of measures to reduce these negative effects. Such measures should focus on agriculture and agroforestry-dominated landscapes to primarily reduce the negative impacts of wastes from settlement areas and wet coffee washing stations.

Water hyacinth spans extensive geographic areas in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Its impact on livelihoods is connected to the production of crops, fish, livestock, and other activities that influence costs and returns for rural smallholders. This invasive weed affects crop production by invading farmland adjacent to the lakes and has an impact on livestock by covering grazing land meant for animal feed. Although several studies have been conducted in Ethiopia, the livelihood impact of water hyacinth has been scarcely analyzed, quantified, and documented. This study evaluates the adverse effects of water hyacinth, particularly on crop production, livestock management, fish harvesting, and other off-farm incomes, by comparing groups of respondents’ proximity to Lake Koka and Demel in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia before and after a specified period. Data were collected from 348 sample households based on the nearness of farmlands to the lakes, both adjacent to (≤ 300 m) and distant from invaded lakes, six focus group discussions, six key informant interviews, and field observations to assess the impact using propensity scores, difference-in-differences, and weighted least squares methods. The result of difference-in-differences shows a decline in the total annual income by 823 ETB, income from crop production by 329 ETB per year, and income from off-farm activities by 6,952 ETB per year for those living adjacent to the invaded lakes. Although the impact varies according to the intensity of the water hyacinth infestation, it adversely affects rural livelihoods by reducing crop yields and returns from off-farm activities. The study did not find any significant impact on livestock production and harvested fish. Other control variables, such as education, experience, and interactions like dependency-age, experience-education, and land-lake, also influenced the impact of livelihood. As hypothesized, water hyacinth has caused differences in on-farm and off-farm incomes between groups of respondents. Further research is suggested to investigate the fish species favored and affected by this invasive weed. Ultimately, the impact of water hyacinth is of significant interest to affected communities, regional offices, policymakers, and scientists.

Climate change and variability pose substantial threats to rain-fed agriculture, critically impacting the livelihoods of rural communities in Ethiopia. The Gimbi District, recognized for its high agricultural potential within the West Wellega Zone, faces severe repercussions from recurrent droughts attributable to climate change. This study critically examines the perceptions of coffee farmers regarding climate change and its consequential effects on food crop production within the Gimbi District. Employing a multistage sampling method, 402 coffee farmers were selected across six kebeles. Additionally, areal gridded surface monthly rainfall and temperature data spanning from 1990 to 2020 were sourced from the Ethiopian Meteorological Institute. The finding reveals that 92

Water governance demands multi-sector participation beyond the state; and, appropriate laws, policies, regulations, and institutions need to be developed and put in place for sustainable use of water resources. A good water policy, a critical and integral instrument of water governance, guides water use schemes and ensures equitable water distribution among users. The Ethiopian Central Rift Valley (CRV) is rich in water resources, but these water resources are currently under severe strain owing to an imbalance in human-water interactions. This study examined the state of water resources governance framework, policy coherence, actors’ engagement and transparency, accountability, and participation in irrigation water supply in the CRV of Ethiopia. Key informant interviews (KII), focused group discussions, and document reviews were used to gather data for the study. The NVivo 11 program was used to organize, code, and analyze the data. The results revealed that water resources governance practices such as water allocation and apportionment, water resources protection, and conservation activities were inappropriately exercised. Water resources management policy mechanisms were not fully put in place. Lack of coherence in water policy implementation, absence of clear roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, absence of transparency and accountability in irrigation water service delivery, and lack of meaningful participation of key actors in water governance decision-making were observed. As a result, over-abstraction, deterioration of buffer zone areas, and chemical erosion from surrounding farming are attributed to the reduction in water volume and quality in the CRV. These challenges have influenced aquatic ecosystem services and threaten the livelihoods of the surrounding communities. Hence, reforms relating to policy coherence and enforcement, stakeholder engagement, water distribution strategies, and the implementation of water governance principles must be given adequate emphasis.

Agroforestry systems enhance ecosystem services, which helps decrease food insecurity. There is limited evidence addressing its importance in improving food security and diversity despite the recognized benefits of agroforestry. This study was conducted to examine how coffee-based agroforestry systems improved food security through diversified crop production in the agroforestry system in Gimbi district, West Wollega, Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 402 sample households. Data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews. Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), based on a 24 h recall period and Household Food Insecurity Access Score (HFIAS) measurements were used to evaluate the impact of crop diversity on the status of food security of the household coffee farmers. The coffee-based agroforestry system management helped farmers to produce various types of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and other crops, leading to a diversified diet year-round. The average dietary diversity score of household heads was 4.4 ± 1.27. About 34.33

Background:Institutions can play a key role in coordinating how natural resources are effectively managed and used without over-exploitation. Institutions are laws, policies, and organizational arrangements that permit, forbid or regulate human action. This study aimed to look into the roles of formal and informal institutions, and their interactions in water resources governance in the Central Rift Valley (CRV), Ethiopia. Methods:Key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and secondary data sources were employed to collect relevant data. Results:The result of the study indicated that the influence of informal institutions on formal institutions or vice versa was insignificant, and unable to change the actions of water users in the CRV. Other limitations observed in water resources governance in the CRV include a lack of actors' clear roles and responsibilities, absence of meaningful decentralization, limited engagement of key actors in policy development, lack of synergy between the institutions, and absence of enforcement mechanisms. Conclusion:Considering the local contexts and community's traditional knowledge of water governance in water-related policy, rules, and regulations, and enhancing the capacity of local-level institutions, strong interplay among all institutions involved in water governance, and meaningful actors' engagement were recommended to advance the role of institutions in water resources governance in the CRV and in the country. Hence, a mechanism that enables to harmonize formal and informal institutions in water management system can enhance the governance of water resources in the study area and elsewhere in the country.

Plants provide multiple ecosystem services that can, directly and indirectly, benefit the local community and beyond. This study assessed the diversity of the multiple uses of medicinal plants (MPs) and wild edible plants (WEPs) as well as associated local knowledge in Bako Tibe District, Ethiopia. Based on the recommendation of local authorities, eight key informants were selected out of the general informants (48) at eight sites. Ethnobotanical data were quantitatively analyzed through the use of use values, pairwise comparisons, and reference and direct matrix rankings. In total, 74 species from 61 genera and 36 families were found to have multiple uses. The Fabaceae family had the highest number of species (11), followed by the Moraceae family (eight). Trees were represented by 31 species. Twenty species were used to treat 22 human and livestock ailments. The highest preference ranking was recorded for Ocimum lamiifolium for treating febrile illness. Leaves (55.2%) and fruits (13 species) were the most commonly used parts for MP and WEP species, respectively. The highest use value was recorded for Cordia africana, among the top 10 multipurpose species. The findings showed that the most preferred MP and WEP species need further phytochemical and food nutritional analysis, respectively.

Aim: We test the hypothesis that wind dispersal is more common among emergent tree species given that being tall increases the likelihood of effective seed dispersal. Location: Americas, Africa and the Asia-Pacific. Time period: 1970-2020. Major taxa studied: Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Methods: We used a dataset consisting of tree inventories from 2821 plots across three biogeographic regions (Americas, Africa and Asia- Pacific), including dry and wet forests, to determine the maximum height and dispersal strategy of 5314 tree species. A web search was used to determine whether species were wind-dispersed. We compared differences in tree species maximum height between biogeographic regions and examined the relationship between species maximum height and wind dispersal using logistic regression. We also tested whether emergent tree species, that is species with at least one individual taller than the 95% height percentile in one or more plots, were disproportionally wind dispersed in dry and wet forests within each biogeographic region. Results: Our dataset provides maximum height values for 5314 tree species, of which more than half (2914) had no record of this trait in existing global databases. We found that, on average, tree species in the Americas have lower maximum heights compared to those in Africa and the Asia Pacific. The probability of wind dispersal increased significantly with tree species maximum height and was significantly higher among emergent than non-emergent tree species in both dry and wet forests in all three biogeographic regions. Main conclusion: Wind dispersal is more prevalent in tall, emergent tree species than in non-emergent species and may thus be an important factor in the evolution of tree species maximum height. By providing the most comprehensive dataset so far of tree species maximum height and wind dispersal strategies, this study paves the way for advancing our understanding of the eco-evolutionary drivers of tree size.

Charcoal production is one of the main sources of households’ income in some part of rural Ethiopia. However, existing literature has rarely explored the presence of an entry barrier that might prevent the poorest from participating in this lucrative activity nor have they accounted for heterogeneity in the welfare effects of participation. To provide evidence for these issues, this study assesses the determinants of participation in charcoal production and its heterogeneous impact on household welfare using primary data from 390 households in selected rural villages of Awi zone, Ethiopia. This study uses a probit regression model to identify the determinants of participation and the quantile treatment effect (QTE) regression model to examine the welfare gap between participants and nonparticipants at different points of the welfare distribution and a decomposition technique to investigate whether the welfare gap is attributed to differences in characteristics or returns to these characteristics. Our probit model estimation result shows that poor households are less likely to participate in charcoal production, implying the existence of an entry barrier which may be attributed to the requirement of higher capital investment in the study area. Our QTE result suggests that participation affect welfare heterogeneously across the welfare distribution and the welfare gap is higher at the upper quantiles, suggesting that poor participants gain lower return from participation. Finally, our decomposition analysis reveals that the welfare gap exists due to coefficients effect. Although the results suggest the importance of policy to improve the participation of households in charcoal production for greater welfare, they also indicate the existence of uneven returns against poor participants.