Impacts of Forest Landscape Restoration with Area Exclosures in Three Selected Districts of North Wollo and Waghemira Zones, Northeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Dry forests have crucial ecosystem goods and services. However, these forests are under heavy pressure from over utilization and they are shrinking overtime. As a counter measure, there are many forest restoration practices with area exclosures. However, these restoration interventions are not yet scientifically evaluated. Thus, the objective of this study is to evaluate forest restoration with area exclosures. The method followed concept of forest restoration based on selected indicators and comparing against best practices. Besides, institutional factors affecting indicators were evaluated. For this purpose, three districts Lasta, sekota and Abergele in three agro-ecologies (highland, mid-altitude and lowland) respectively were selected in Amhara region. In each district one exclosure, adjacent church forest and adjacent grazing land were selected. Totally 21 quadrates used for vegetation and soil data collection. Questionnaire survey was administered on 133 respondents, which selected randomly. The vegetation data analyzed by using diversity indices. The soil data compared with critical values. Biomass was calculated by using allometric equation. Some selected social, economic and institutional indicators analyzed by comparing against Ostrom’s’ design principles (ODP). Data was analyzed by using ANOVA. There was significant difference in soil attributes and vegetation composition across land uses and agro-ecologies (p < 0.03). Exclosures showed intermediate values between Church forest and grazing land in soil and vegetation indicators. Local community have good trust and participation in highland areas (63%) and mid-altitude areas (70%), but in lowland areas the local community show low trust and participation (85%) in restoration activities. In the highland and mid-altitude areas, local community have the right to use exclosures for cut and carry grass, honey production, seasonal cropping, fattening. In the highland areas, landless youths have no right to use and became a member of area exclosure, user group. While, in midd altitude areas, the users and members are landless youths. In lowland areas the use right is very restricted for local communities. Exclosures in the highland is at medium compliance with the ODP, strong and very good compliance with the ODP was observed in the mid-altitude areas. The governance structure in the lowlands showed very poor compliance with the ODP. This was triangulated when 79% of the respondents in highland, 82% in mid-altitude argued area exclosure is successful, compared to the lowland where 82% of respondent argued that area exclosure is not successful. Therefore, forest restoration with area exclosures is the better tool for degraded forest restoration with the strong intuitional, economic and social setup. Generally, for successful and sustainable forest restoration practice with area exclosure, the approach should started at the bottom that the activity should require full participation of local community in all stages