Ethiopia Geographic Base Map : Change in Forest Cover 2000-2015

Based on data presented by Hansen forest cover loss and gain was aggregated by a factor of 8 to enhance visibility of site specific trends (30 m source data pix els). Forest gain was defined as the invers of loss, or the establishment of tree canopy from a non forest state. Changes in forest cover affect the delivery of important ecosystem services, including biodiversity richness, climate regulation, carbon storage, and water supplies

Impacts of land use and land cover dynamics on ecosystem services in the Yayo coffee forest biosphere reserve, southwestern Ethiopia

Land management to increase food production while conserving the environment and associated ecosystem services (ESs) is one of the major development and research challenges of the 21st Century. Any land-use practice or change to obtain a particular ecosystem service affects the other ES positively or negatively. The dynamics of these changes is more marked in biodiversity hotspot areas like UNESCO registered Yayo coffee forest biosphere reserve in southwestern Ethiopia. We used a time series InVEST modeling framework to estimate six ESs and analyze their spatial and temporal dynamics due to land-use/cover change over the last 31 years. Pearson correlation coefficients and k-mean clustering were employed to analyze tradeoffs/synergies and to cluster ESs supply spatially. The analysis also considers land-use change impact in the three management zones (core, transition and buffer) of the Yayo biosphere area. The production efficient frontier is used to identify the optimal combination of ESs and to suggest where an increase of one ES is possible without decreasing the others. Mostly, the highest change is observed in the transition zone followed by buffer zones. Positive correlation (synergies) are observed between regulating ecosystem services. Negative correlations (tradeoffs) are observed between provision ecosystem services. The clustering analysis shows that the spatial ESs can be divided in two clusters (bundle): cluster 1 with “High regulating ESs” that can be characterized by core zone and some forest patches in the central part of the biosphere reserve, and cluster 2 with “High provisioning ESs areas'' that can be characterized by cultivated lands at transition and buffer zones. The result shows that the existing ES pairs are far from the Pareto efficient combination(s), confirming that landscape optimization for ES bundles are rarely possible on the ground due to many reasons and indicating the need for well thought land restoration strategies and land management practices that are forest type and context specific

Ethiopia Geographic Base Map: WLRC Land Use/Land Cover 2016 (Overview Map Series) Scale: 1:250,000

The main methodological approach implemented to map the complex landscapes of Ethiopia at the required scales for the MapServer series was the majority and minority concept of landscape segregation that translated into the HICU-based mapping (Homogenous Image Classification Units). The employ ment of such an ‘exclusion-based’ approach (e.g. sub-setting of the Landsat imagery and gradually reducing the minorities/majorities) can be considered as a breakthrough in deriving important land cover information in heterogeneous landscapes, such as the rainfed agricultural area of Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the final land cover was mapped using an approach that combined the automated HICU approach with expert knowledge and visual delimination of units. This approach made it possible to distinguish cultivated land from other land use or land cover classes. Unsurprisingly, the actual amount of cultivated land is considerably larger than that indicated by official statistics in use since the mid-1980s, when the rural population was half its current size. The team also mapped large-scale land use sy stems, inclusive of any foreign direct investments. Results of the study show there has been a considerable expansion and intensification of farming in the past three decades, unfortunately leading to more soil erosion

Ethiopia : social and political issues

The complete book of eleven chapters is presented in four sections, respectively covering issues related to governance, health, gender and land. This document encompasses Chapters 1 and 2, which contextualize issues through provision of background history and politics of Ethiopia (Chapter1); and ethnicity, language and education (Chapter2)

Model parameter transfer for streamflow and sediment loss prediction with SWAT in a tropical watershed

Distributed hydrological models are increasingly used to describe the spatiotemporal dynamics of water and sediment fluxes within basins. In data-scarce regions like Ethiopia, oftentimes, discharge or sediment load data are not readily available and therefore researchers have to rely on input data from global models with lower resolution and accuracy. In this study, we evaluated a model parameter transfer from a 100 hectare (ha) large subwatershed (Minchet) to a 4800 ha catchment in the highlands of Ethiopia using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The Minchet catchment has long-lasting time series on discharge and sediment load dating back to 1984, which were used to calibrate the subcatchment before (a) validating the Minchet subcatchment and (b) through parameter transfer validating the entire Gerda watershed without prior calibration. Uncertainty analysis was carried out with the Sequential Uncertainty Fitting-2 (SUFI-2) with SWAT-Cup and ArcSWAT2012. We used a similarity approach, where the complete set of model parameters is transposed from a donor catchment that is very similar regarding physiographic attributes (in terms of landuse, soils, geology and rainfall patterns). For calibration and validation, the Nash-Sutcliff model efficiency, the Root Mean Square Error-observations Standard Deviation Ratio (RSR) and the Percent Bias (PBIAS) indicator for model performance ratings during calibration and validation periods were applied. Goodness of fit and the degree to which the calibrated model accounted for the uncertainties were assessed with the P-factor and the R-factor of the SUFI-2 algorithm. Results show that calibration and vali- dation for streamflow performed very good for the sub-catchment as well as for the entire catchment using model parameter transfer. For sediment loads, calibration performed better than validation and parameter transfer yielded satisfactory results, which suggests that the SWAT model can be used to adequately simulate monthly streamflow and sediment load in the Gerda catchment through model parameter transfer only

Meta-Analysis of Long-Term Land Management Effect on Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in Ethiopia

The role of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) in mitigating climate change, indicating soil quality and ecosystem function has created research interested to know the nature of SOC at landscape level. The objective of this study was to examine variation and distribution of SOC in a long-term land management at a watershed and plot level. This study was based on meta-analysis of three case studies and 128 surface soil samples from Ethiopia. Three sites (Gununo, Anjeni and Maybar) were compared after considering two Land Management Categories (LMC) and three types of land uses (LUT) in quasi-experimental design. Shapiro-Wilk tests showed non-normal distribution (p = 0.002, a = 0.05) of the data. SOC median value showed the effect of long-term land management with values of 2.29 and 2.38 g kg-1 for less and better-managed watersheds, respectively. SOC values were 1.7, 2.8 and 2.6 g kg-1 for Crop (CLU), Grass (GLU) and Forest Land Use (FLU), respectively. The rank order for SOC variability was FLU>GLU>CLU. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference in the medians and distribution of SOC among the LUT, between soil profiles (p0.05) for LMC. The mean and sum rank of Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis test also showed the difference at watershed and plot level. Using SOC as a predictor, cross-validated correct classification with discriminant analysis showed 46 and 49% for LUT and LMC, respectively. The study showed how to categorize landscapes using SOC with respect to land management for decision-makers

Assessing the soil erosion control efficiency of land management practices implemented through free community labor mobilization in Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the influence of conservation practices (P) and cover management (C) on soil loss reduction by determining it at the scale of landscape units in 16 systematically selected watersheds. Focusing on major land management practices implemented through free community labor mobilization, the assessment combined remote sensing techniques, field observation, and expert as well as local knowledge. The results show an average net decrement of 39% ( ± 19%) in the P factor value and 8.9% ( ± 21%) in the C factor value after implementation of land management practices. P factor value reduction is linked to a high area coverage of level structures, while increases in the P factor value are associated with poor quality of structures, inappropriate practices, and wide spacing between structures on steep slopes. C factor value reduction is observed in non-arable shrub- and bushland with enriched area closure, whereas increased C factor values are associated with open access grasslands and untreated croplands. The overall change in P and C factor values resulted in a 42% ( ± 28%) relative soil loss reduction. The demonstrated approach makes it possible to assess spatial and temporal dynamics in the P and C erosion factors and to estimate spatially disaggregated changes in the P and C factor values. This can help to improve parameterization of inputs for erosion modelling and to assess their relative soil loss effect. The approach provides valuable feedback on watershed planning processes and supports informed decisions regarding the appropriate selection of land management practices. Keywords: Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), P and C factors, Soil loss reduction, Soil and water conservation (SWC), Land use and land cover chang

A synoptic land change assessment of Ethiopia's Rainfed Agricultural Area for evidence-based agricultural ecosystem management

This paper demonstrates synoptic ways of presenting and characterizing land change processes across Ethiopia's large, complex Rainfed Agricultural Area (RAA). We translated pixel-level detected changes into neighbourhood-level changes that are useful to decision-makers. First, we identified pixel-level changes without and with type/direction of change, based on land cover maps from the years 1986 and 2010. For type-/direction-based characterization, we sorted observed transitions into four categories of prominent land change processes (“forest degradation”, “deforestation”, “afforestation”, and “no change”). Adopting appropriate window sizes for identified ecoregions in the study area, we ran a focal statistics summation operator separately on the two change rasters (with/without consideration of direction of change). The results obtained by applying the approach can be described in relative terms as well as qualitative terms, using ranges of change values that can be further classified using qualitative terms, i.e. ranging from “no change” to “high/substantial change”. Our non-directional change assessment result showed that approximately 6% of the RAA is characterized by substantial change, whereas 40% appears stable (“no change”). Based on the directional-change assessment results, 3% of deforestation, 4% of forest degradation, and 3% of revegetation processes were found to constitute “high/substantial change”. The types and intensity of landscape transformations display distinct spatial patterns linked to agro-ecological belts and socio-economic dynamics. Minimal reverse changes were observed on some severely degraded lands in the highlands, but the overall per cent cover remains relatively small. Overall, vegetation degradation still exceeds regeneration by more than half a per cent. Relatively lower altitudes and middle altitudes exhibit higher transformation. The presented approach and resulting outputs can provide planners and decision-makers with a synoptic view of land change processes. It can support policy formulation of sustainable land management and rehabilitation activities of the agricultural ecosystem at national and regional scales

Enhanced Soil Moisture Retrieval through Integrating Satellite Data with Pedotransfer Functions in a Complex Landscape of Ethiopia

Remotely sensed soil moisture products potentially provide a valuable resource for monitoring agricultural drought and assessing food security. The agriculture dominated countries of Eastern Africa experience high inter-annual variability of rainfall, but the monitoring and assessment of the predominantly rainfed agriculture systems is hindered by an absence of ground-based observations. This study evaluates the accuracy of three soil moisture products: ASCAT SWI 12.5 km, SMAP soil moisture data 9 km (SPL3SMP_E), and enhanced surface soil moisture map derived through integrating ASCAT SWI and Pedotransfer Functions (PTFs) (ASCAT_PTF_SM), in Ethiopia, through comparison with in situ-observed soil moisture datasets. Additionally, a new water retention PTF, developed for Ethiopian soils, is integrated with a high-resolution soil property dataset to enhance the spatial resolution of the soil moisture product. The results show that the new integrated dataset performs better in terms of unbiased root mean square error (ubRMSE = 0.0398 m3/m3) and bias (0.0222 m3/m3) in comparison with ASCAT SWI 12.5 km (ubRMSE = 0.0.0771 m3/m3, bias = 0.1065 m3/m3). SMAP is found to have limitations during the wet season, overestimating soil moisture. The finer spatial resolution of the data allows for a better depiction of heterogeneity of soil moisture across the landscape and can be used to identify water-related issues and improve hydrological models for agricultural water management