2.1. Phytogeography of the country
2.2. Utilization patterns of forest species
2.3. Threats
Owing to the extreme variations in climate, terrain, etc. and comprising most ecological systems, Ethiopia possesses one of the largest and most diverse plant genetic and wildlife resources in the world. The size of the Ethiopian flora is estimated to range from 6500 to 7000 species of higher plants -flowering plants, conifers and ferns of which 12% is considered endemic. The country has also over 300 tree species of which a few are used for construction and industrial purpose.
Historical sources indicate that, on the basis of potential climatic climax, high forests might once have covered some 35% of Ethiopia's land area. If the savanna woodland is included, two-thirds of the country was probably forest or woodland.
The results of 1992 estimates of the forest resources are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. Estimate of the area of forest resources
|
Forest resources |
Area in million (ha) |
Percentage (%) |
|
|
Natural high forest |
2.3 |
8.36 |
|
|
|
- Slightly disturbed |
0.7 |
|
|
- Heavily disturbed |
1.6 |
|
|
|
Woodland |
5.0 |
18.20 |
|
|
Bush land |
20.0 |
72.72 |
|
|
Plantations |
0.2 |
0.73 |
|
|
Farm forestry |
- |
0 |
|
|
Total |
27. 5 |
100% |
|
The major forest products that can be derived from trees and forests include industrial wood, construction wood (pales and posts), charcoal and fuelwood. The minor forest products cover a wide range of products such as honey and wax from beekeeping, gums and incense, resins, and spices.
Industrial wood
The principal types of primary industrial wood products are sawnwood, wood-based panels (including plywood, fiberboard, and particle board) and paper.
In Ethiopia industrial wood production (and consumption) per capita is one of the lowest in the world. The low level of consumption of sawnwood and other industrial wood products reflects the fact that the country's limited forest resources base has been and continues to be primarily exploited for fuelwood.
Construction wood
State enterprises, small urban and rural enterprises and households use construction wood, including poles, posts and lumber. The wood comes from different forest resources, ranging from trees grown on farm and plantations to natural high forests and woodlands; some of it is harvested "illegally".
Especially during the last century, Ethiopia's forests and woodlands declined both in size and quality. By the early 1950's, high forests areas were reduced to 16% of the total land area. It has been estimated that by the early 1980's that the land area covered by forest has declined to 3.6%, and by 1989 to about 2.7%.
Although there was no record of the loss of forest genetic resource in the past, and there is very little knowledge of genetic variations between and within species, to date it is likely that some species could have been extinct.
Savannah woodlands occur mainly in the pastoral and agro-pastoral zones. These lands are an important source of fuelwood and construction material for the local communities
Agriculture and livestock (grazing) impact on forest lands
The woody biomass of the woodlands and bushland is being rapidly depleted by the spread of sedentary farming, the growth of pastoralist populations and attendant increases in livestock, and urban demand for fuelwood and charcoal.
Forest exploitation for industrial wood
It is estimated that the current demand for industrial wood is at 400,000 m3 per annum, of which sawnwood accounts for 85 %. At the same time, the annual incremental yield from industrial plantations available as saw logs is estimated to be between 150,000 to 200,000 m3. The volume harvested and, thus actual consumption lies probably above 200,000 m3, but below 400,000 m3 annually. Consumption in excess of 200,000 m3 would result in over-cutting. Indeed, some of the commercially important species are over-exploited to the extent of being endangered. The demand for industrial wood is projected to reach over 1.6 million m3 by the year 2014.
Forest exploitation for construction wood
Based on assessed requirements for different construction purposes, the annual demand for construction wood is estimated to be 2.1 million m3. Demand is projected to increase with population growth and therefore, doubles to 4.3 million m3 by year 2014. The proportion of the current annual incremental yield from all forestry resources available for construction wood is estimated to be in the order of 1.2 million m3. Current consumption is expected to be somewhere between 1.2 and 2.1 million m3 annually. To the extent that consumption exceeds 1.2 million m3, it results in over-cutting of existing plantations, natural forests and woodlands, and or reduced supplies of other wood products.
Fuelwood and the Demand for Energy
Fuelwood is the most important forest product in Ethiopia. For example, annual demand for fuelwood (45 million m3) is close to twenty times the demand for other forest products combined. In addition, woody biomass is the country's single largest source of energy supply.
The current annual incremental yield of woody biomass resources is estimated to be 14.4 million m3. If harvesting were limited to this volume (sustainable supply) and managed according to prudent practice, some 1.2 million m3 would be used for construction wood, about 0.2 million m3 for industrial wood, and 0.6 million m3 for fodder. This would leave about 12.5 millions m3 for fuelwood. The estimated demand for fuelwood of 45 million m3 is almost three and a half times greater than sustainable supply, demonstrating the imbalance between the energy required and the capacity of the forest resources to produce.
