Challenges in conserving forest ecosystems through coffee certification: a case study from southwestern Ethiopia

Certification schemes, aimed at simultaneously promoting ecologically sustainable agriculture and improving livelihood, are being utilized at a global scale. Among such certification schemes, the Rainforest Alliance is known as one of the most widely used environmental certification programs throughout the world. Previous studies have compared the ecological impacts of certified and non-certified farmlands, or evaluated the economic outcomes of certification. However, few studies have assessed the long-term impacts of the certification scheme. This paper attempts to analyze the long-term outcomes of the Rainforest Alliance certification program through a case study of coffee farming practices in southwestern Ethiopia. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with key informants who were deeply involved in the certification program, together with field observations and secondary data collection. The results of the assessment indicated that some areas of the certified coffee forests have been deforested or ecologically degraded and that the Rainforest Alliance program requirements were not uniformly applied. The possible causes include rapid population increase, government policies promoting intensive coffee production, presence of members who did not participate in the certification program, a lack of conservation incentives, and loopholes in the auditing process. To determine the overall success of the Rainforest Alliance certification program would require: monitoring of population growth rates and providing alternative livelihood opportunities, promoting collaboration between environmental and agricultural government authorities, conducting a more stringent on-site inspection, and to provide direct incentives for environmental conservation to all farmers living in or near the certified areas

PRELIMINARY BASELINE SURVEY OF AVIFAUNAL DIVERSITY IN JIMMA ZONE, SOUTH-WESTERN ETHIOPIA

Multidimensional poverty, which is deeply-rooted within least-developed African countries like Ethiopia, is forcing local people to heavily rely on natural resources for their subsistent livelihoods. As a result, remaining wilderness areas in tropical Africa which support huge but little known biological diversity, are subject to extensive habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation in turn causing loss of plant and animal species and ecosystem services provided by them. Coffee forest fragment within the Jimma Zone of Ethiopia cannot be expected to be an exception to such scenario. Taking this persistent problem into consideration, we carried out a preliminary survey of bird biodiversity in selected areas of Jimma Zone during a short term bird ringing training held from Sept. 30 to Oct. 20, 2008. The main objective of the survey was to identify and document bird species of Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia, for further in-debth ornithological studies. Survey data were collected through exhaustive observations in and around 10 coffee forest fragments in Garuke, one fragment in Eladale, one urban area site in Jimma town and in scrubland vegetation around Gilgel Ghibe hydropower reservoir, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia. In addition, five mist-nets were employed to capture understory forest birds in two purposively selected coffee forest fragments. Mist nets were opened at 5:50 A.M. and checked every 30 minutes until they were closed at 12:00 A.M. Over 196 bird species were identified during this survey and of these, 41 individuals belonging to 20 species were captured in Garuke and 23 individuals of 9 bird species in Eladale. Montane white-eye (Zosterops poliogastrus) followed by Olive sunbird (Nectarinia olivacea), Abyssinian slaty-flycatcher (Melaenornis chocolatinus) and Rupell’s robinchat (Cossypha semirufa) were the most frequently captured bird species. Of the sites surveyed, Gilgel Ghibe hydropower reservoir had strikingly highest bird species diversity. We approached the reservoir almost in a constant site near Bulbul Kebele (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) and recorded over 115 bird species within about 300 meters distance! We learnt that this area was an important and most appropriate site to see a number of migrant and resident species as well as to undertake future bird ringing activities. We believe that the result of this survey will contribute much for the preparation of a comprehensive bird species checklist for Jimma Zone that could serve as important baseline information for more focused future ornithological investigations in the area so as to promote bird conservation through ecotourism activities and improve the livelihood of local people

Vegetation composition and structure of the Belete Forest, Jimma Zone, South Western Ethiopia

Woody species composition and structure of the Belete forest was studied from December 2005 to September 2006. Thirty two sampling plots, each having a size of 20 m X 20 m, were laid at every 50m altitudinal gradient. 74 woody species belonging to 68 genera and 38 families were recorded in the forest. Thirty two (40.5%) of the species were trees, 39 (49.4%) shrubs and the remaining 8 (10.1%) species were climbers. Podocarpus falcatus was the only Gymnosperm identified from the forest and all the rest were Angiosperms. Diameter and height was measured for all trees and shrubs with DBH greater than 2 cm. Tree density was 1482 individuals per hectare and the basal area was 90.6m2/ha. Most of the individuals were distributed in the lower DBH and height classes. Four general patterns of population structure were recognized. Keywords/phrases: Basal Area, Belete Forest, Diameter at Breast Height, Species Composition Ethiop. J. Biol. Sci., 7(1): 1-15, 200

Woody Species Diversity, Regeneration and Socioeconomic Benefits Under Natural Forest and Adjacent Coffee Agroforests at Belete Forest, Southwest Ethiopia

The southwest Ethiopian Afromontane moist forests are recognized as one of the biodiversity hotspots as they are the centres of origin and domestication of Arabica coffee. But they are under threat due to deforestation and conversion to coffee farms. Coffee agroforests are believed to buffer the natural forest from these threats. The study was conducted to investigate the importance of coffee agroforest adjacent to Belete forest southwest Ethiopia. Vegetation data were collected from 68 plots (34 each) and socioeconomic data were collected from 136 households (68 each). The results showed that statistically, there were no significant differences between the natural forest and adjacent coffee agroforests in the species composition, species richness and Shannon diversity index of the woody species(P > 0.05). The socioeconomic benefit result showed a number of forest products that are collected from the coffee agroforest. There were statistically significant differences between the natural forest and coffee agroforest in the forest income and the Simpson Diversification Index of the households (p < 0.05). Coffee agroforests contribute to the conservation of woody species through the retention of woody species and reducing pressure on the natural forest. Therefore, the socioeconomic benefits of coffee agroforests must take into account the conservation of woody species in linking the conservation and development arena

Planting Fruits and Vegetables in Homegarden as a Way to Improve Livelihoods and Conserve Plant Biodiversity

Multi-story cropping systems are used to grow fruits and vegetables in rural homegardens, and it has been argued that they are crucial for the food and nutrition safety of rural populations. They also are considered as refuges for a number of plant species, and as one way to reduce pressure on the surrounding ecosystem by providing resources such as food, fiber, and firewood to farmers on their own farmland. This study was conducted to assess the contribution of fruits and vegetables in homegardens to household livelihoods and biodiversity conservation in the Yayo biosphere reserve in southwestern Ethiopia. The role of fruits and vegetables was evaluated for 96 households that were selected randomly from both fruit and vegetable users and only vegetable-user strata. To collect socioeconomic data, semi-structured interviews, direct observation, and focus group discussions were employed. A complete enumeration of plant species was done for diversity assessment in 48 homegardens from four kebeles (the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopia) in the Yayo and Hurumu districts and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The results indicated the highest plant diversity, with a total of 76 species identified from 38 families. Fruit and vegetable users were found to harbor more diversity in their homegardens compared to only vegetable-user homegardens. Homegarden size correlated significantly with species richness. Fruits and vegetables in homegardens were found to considerably contribute to household food consumption and total annual income independent of wealth categories. We also found a significant negative relationship between fruit and vegetable use and forest product harvesting, indicating the reduction of pressures on nearby forest ecosystems. This study supports the idea that fruits and vegetables contribute to biodiversity conservation directly as the entity of homegarden agrobiodiversity and indirectly through minimizing households&#8217; demand for forest harvesting by providing food and generating income. Nevertheless, fruits and vegetables were not contributing at their full potential, which was mainly due to disease problems, pests, and a lack of better market access. Therefore, further research and interventions are needed to help farmers confront these challenges affecting fruit and vegetable production and productivity

Past and future land-use/land-cover change trends and its potential drivers in Koore’s agricultural landscape, Southern Ethiopia

Wise-use of land resources determines sustainability of environment and human welfare. But, the ongoing land-use change constrains environmental sustainability. Thus, this study aims to quantify past and future land-use change trend with its associated drivers in Koore’s agricultural landscape of Southern Ethiopia. To quantify the change trends, geospatial tools were applied. A CA–Markov model was used to predict land-use changes. Relative Importance Index was used to identify major drivers of the change. The result of the study showed agroforestry, built-up and cultivation rise by 192%, 152% and 18% at the expense of natural environment. Population growth and agricultural expansion are among the leading land-use change drivers. CA–Markov model revealed a continued increment of anthropogenically modified land-use classes which adversely affect the sustainability of the landscape. Information on spatiotemporal dynamics has been confirmed as effectual measure for nature conservation, agriculture, urban planners, and policymakers to plan sustainable development actions

Management intensification in Ethiopian coffee forests is associated with crown habitat contraction and loss of specialized epiphytic orchid species

© 2015 Gesellschaft für Ökologie. The moist evergreen Afromontane forest of SW Ethiopia has become extremely fragmented and most remnants are intensively managed for cultivation of coffee (Coffea arabica). We investigated the distributions of epiphytic orchids in shade trees and their understory in forests with contrasting management intensity to determine biodiversity losses associated with coffee cultivation and to determine the capacity of coffee shrubs to act as refugia for orchid species. We studied epiphytic orchids in managed forests and natural forests and recorded orchid diversity and abundance in different tree zones of 339 trees and in the understory. Coffee management was associated with a downward shift of orchid species as orchid species were occurring in significantly lower tree zones in managed forest. The number of shrubs in the understory of managed forest was not higher than in natural forests, yet orchid abundance was higher in the understory of managed forests. Local extinctions of epiphytic orchids and species losses in the outer tree zones (a contraction of habitat) in managed forests are most likely driven by losses of large, complex-structured climax trees, and changes in microclimate, respectively. Coffee shrubs and their shade trees in managed forests are shown here to be a suitable habitat for only a limited set of orchid species. As farmers continue to convert natural forest into managed forest for coffee cultivation, further losses of habitat quality and collateral declines in regional epiphytic orchid diversity can be expected. Therefore, the conservation of epiphytic orchid diversity, as well as other components of diversity of the coffee forests, must primarily rely on avoiding coffee management intensification in the remaining natural forest. Convincing farmers to keep forest-climax trees in their coffee forest and to tolerate orchids on their coffee shrubs may also contribute to a more favorable conservation status of orchids in Ethiopian coffee agroecosystems.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Management intensification in Ethiopian coffee forests is associated with crown habitat contraction and loss of specialized epiphytic orchid species journaltitle: Basic and Applied Ecology articlelink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2015.06.006 content_type: article copyright: Copyright © 2015 Gesellschaft für Ökologie. Published by Elsevier GmbH All rights reserved.status: publishe