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Ermias Aynekulu
World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, P.O. Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya

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Journal article
Published: 17 July 2021 in Basic and Applied Ecology
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Fire and overgrazing reduce aboveground biomass, leading to land degradation and potential impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) dynamics. However, empirical data are lacking on how prescribed burning and livestock exclusion impact SOC in the long-term. Here we analyse the effects of 19 years of prescribed annual burning and livestock exclusion on tree density, SOC and TN concentrations in the Sudanian savanna ecoregion at two sites (Tiogo and Laba) in Burkina Faso. Results revealed that neither livestock exclusion nor prescribed burning had significant impact on SOC and TN concentrations. The results at both sites indicate that 19 years of livestock and fire exclusion did not result in a significant increase in tree density compared to grazing and annual prescribed burning. The overall mean (± SEM) of SOC stocks in the 0-50 cm depth increment in the unburnt (53.5 ± 4.7 Mg C ha−1) and annually burnt (56.4 ± 4.3 Mg C ha−1) plots at Tiogo were not statistically different. Similarly, at Laba there was no significant difference between the corresponding figures in the unburnt (37.9 ± 2.6 Mg ha−1) and in the annually burnt plots (38.6 ± 1.9 Mg ha−1). Increases in belowground inputs from root turnover may have countered changes in aboveground biomass, resulting in no net change in SOC and TN. We conclude that, contrary to our expectation and current policy recommendations, restricting burning or grazing did not result in increase in SOC stocks in this dry savanna ecosystem.

ACS Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Gudeta W. Sileshi; Todd S. Rosenstock; Meine van Noordwijk; Diress Tsegaye; Jonas Koala; Louis Sawadogo; Eleanor Milne; Jan de Leeuw; Keith Shepherd. No changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen following long-term prescribed burning and livestock exclusion in the Sudan-savanna woodlands of Burkina Faso. Basic and Applied Ecology 2021, 56, 165 -175.

AMA Style

Ermias Aynekulu, Gudeta W. Sileshi, Todd S. Rosenstock, Meine van Noordwijk, Diress Tsegaye, Jonas Koala, Louis Sawadogo, Eleanor Milne, Jan de Leeuw, Keith Shepherd. No changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen following long-term prescribed burning and livestock exclusion in the Sudan-savanna woodlands of Burkina Faso. Basic and Applied Ecology. 2021; 56 ():165-175.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Gudeta W. Sileshi; Todd S. Rosenstock; Meine van Noordwijk; Diress Tsegaye; Jonas Koala; Louis Sawadogo; Eleanor Milne; Jan de Leeuw; Keith Shepherd. 2021. "No changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen following long-term prescribed burning and livestock exclusion in the Sudan-savanna woodlands of Burkina Faso." Basic and Applied Ecology 56, no. : 165-175.

Journal article
Published: 28 May 2021 in Land
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Forests and woodlands remain under threat in tropical Africa due to excessive exploitation and inadequate management interventions, and the isolated success stories of tree retention and tree cover transition on African agricultural land are less well documented. In this study, we characterize the status of tree cover in a landscape that contains forest patches, fallows, and farms in the southern part of Uluguru Mountains. We aimed to unveil the practices of traditional tree fallow system which is socially acceptable in local settings and how it provides a buffering effects to minimize forest disturbances and thus represents an important step towards tree cover transition. We assessed land cover dynamics for the period of 1995 to 2020 and compared tree stocking for forest patches, fallows, and farms. We found that tree biomass carbon stocks were 56 ± 5 t/ha in forest patches, 33 ± 7 t/ha in fallows, and 9 ± 2 t/ha on farms. In terms of land cover, farms shrank at intensifying rates over time for the entire assessment period of 1995–2020. Forest cover decreased from 1995–2014, with the reduction rate slowing from 2007–2014 and the trend reversing from 2014–2020, such that forest cover showed a net increase across the entire study period. Fallow consistently and progressively increased from 1995–2020. We conclude that traditional tree fallows in the study site remain a significant element of land management practice among communities, and there appears to be a trend towards intensified tree-based farming. The gains in fallowed land represent an embracing of a traditional land management system that supports rotational and alternate uses of cropping space as well as providing a buffering effect to limit over-exploitation of forests. In order to maximize tree cover and carbon stocks in the farm landscape, this well-known traditional tree fallow system can be further optimized through the incorporation of additional innovations.

ACS Style

Mathew Mpanda; Almas Kashindye; Ermias Aynekulu; Elvis Jonas; Todd Rosenstock; Richard Giliba. Forests, Farms, and Fallows: The Dynamics of Tree Cover Transition in the Southern Part of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Land 2021, 10, 571 .

AMA Style

Mathew Mpanda, Almas Kashindye, Ermias Aynekulu, Elvis Jonas, Todd Rosenstock, Richard Giliba. Forests, Farms, and Fallows: The Dynamics of Tree Cover Transition in the Southern Part of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania. Land. 2021; 10 (6):571.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Mathew Mpanda; Almas Kashindye; Ermias Aynekulu; Elvis Jonas; Todd Rosenstock; Richard Giliba. 2021. "Forests, Farms, and Fallows: The Dynamics of Tree Cover Transition in the Southern Part of the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania." Land 10, no. 6: 571.

Journal article
Published: 02 November 2020 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Forest vulnerability to drought is expected to increase under anthropogenic climate change, and drought-induced mortality and community dynamics following drought have major ecological and societal impacts. Here, we show that tree mortality concomitant with drought has led to short-term (mean 5 y, range 1 to 23 y after mortality) vegetation-type conversion in multiple biomes across the world (131 sites). Self-replacement of the dominant tree species was only prevalent in 21% of the examined cases and forests and woodlands shifted to nonwoody vegetation in 10% of them. The ultimate temporal persistence of such changes remains unknown but, given the key role of biological legacies in long-term ecological succession, this emerging picture of postdrought ecological trajectories highlights the potential for major ecosystem reorganization in the coming decades. Community changes were less pronounced under wetter postmortality conditions. Replacement was also influenced by management intensity, and postdrought shrub dominance was higher when pathogens acted as codrivers of tree mortality. Early change in community composition indicates that forests dominated by mesic species generally shifted toward more xeric communities, with replacing tree and shrub species exhibiting drier bioclimatic optima and distribution ranges. However, shifts toward more mesic communities also occurred and multiple pathways of forest replacement were observed for some species. Drought characteristics, species-specific environmental preferences, plant traits, and ecosystem legacies govern postdrought species turnover and subsequent ecological trajectories, with potential far-reaching implications for forest biodiversity and ecosystem services.

ACS Style

Enric Batllori; Francisco Lloret; Tuomas Aakala; William R. L. Anderegg; Ermias Aynekulu; Devin P. Bendixsen; Abdallah Bentouati; Christof Bigler; C. John Burk; J. Julio Camarero; Michele Colangelo; Jonathan D. Coop; Roderick Fensham; M. Lisa Floyd; Lucía Galiano; Joseph L. Ganey; Patrick Gonzalez; Anna L. Jacobsen; Jeffrey Michael Kane; Thomas Kitzberger; Juan C. Linares; Suzanne B. Marchetti; George Matusick; Michael Michaelian; Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo; Robert Brandon Pratt; Miranda D. Redmond; Andreas Rigling; Francesco Ripullone; Gabriel Sangüesa-Barreda; Yamila Sasal; Sandra Saura-Mas; Maria Laura Suarez; Thomas T. Veblen; Albert Vilà-Cabrera; Caroline Vincke; Ben Zeeman. Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought-related mortality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2020, 117, 29720 -29729.

AMA Style

Enric Batllori, Francisco Lloret, Tuomas Aakala, William R. L. Anderegg, Ermias Aynekulu, Devin P. Bendixsen, Abdallah Bentouati, Christof Bigler, C. John Burk, J. Julio Camarero, Michele Colangelo, Jonathan D. Coop, Roderick Fensham, M. Lisa Floyd, Lucía Galiano, Joseph L. Ganey, Patrick Gonzalez, Anna L. Jacobsen, Jeffrey Michael Kane, Thomas Kitzberger, Juan C. Linares, Suzanne B. Marchetti, George Matusick, Michael Michaelian, Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo, Robert Brandon Pratt, Miranda D. Redmond, Andreas Rigling, Francesco Ripullone, Gabriel Sangüesa-Barreda, Yamila Sasal, Sandra Saura-Mas, Maria Laura Suarez, Thomas T. Veblen, Albert Vilà-Cabrera, Caroline Vincke, Ben Zeeman. Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought-related mortality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020; 117 (47):29720-29729.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Enric Batllori; Francisco Lloret; Tuomas Aakala; William R. L. Anderegg; Ermias Aynekulu; Devin P. Bendixsen; Abdallah Bentouati; Christof Bigler; C. John Burk; J. Julio Camarero; Michele Colangelo; Jonathan D. Coop; Roderick Fensham; M. Lisa Floyd; Lucía Galiano; Joseph L. Ganey; Patrick Gonzalez; Anna L. Jacobsen; Jeffrey Michael Kane; Thomas Kitzberger; Juan C. Linares; Suzanne B. Marchetti; George Matusick; Michael Michaelian; Rafael M. Navarro-Cerrillo; Robert Brandon Pratt; Miranda D. Redmond; Andreas Rigling; Francesco Ripullone; Gabriel Sangüesa-Barreda; Yamila Sasal; Sandra Saura-Mas; Maria Laura Suarez; Thomas T. Veblen; Albert Vilà-Cabrera; Caroline Vincke; Ben Zeeman. 2020. "Forest and woodland replacement patterns following drought-related mortality." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 47: 29720-29729.

Review
Published: 19 October 2020 in Atmosphere
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Ethiopia has the largest livestock population in Africa with 35 million tropical livestock units. The livestock system relies on natural open grazing which is affected by frequent droughts. However, little research exists that studies the suitability of the biophysical environment for fodder production and the risks due to climate change. The main objectives of the study are to evaluate the potential effects of climate change on land suitability for alfalfa production in Ethiopia and to assess the extent of irrigation requirements for alfalfa growing under the adverse climate change projections. The impact of climate change on land suitability for alfalfa was evaluated using projected changes in rainfall and temperature based on three global circulation models (CCSM4, HadGEM2-AO, and MIROC5). A multi-criteria evaluation in GIS that uses biophysical, climatic and topography factors was applied to identify the suitable land. The highly suitable area under current climate scenarios covered ~472,000 km2, while moderately suitable and marginally suitable covered ~397,000 km2 and ~16,200 km2, respectively. The projected climate alters the suitable land for fodder production across Ethiopia. Expansion of suitable land occurred in the highlands where climate scenarios predict an increase in temperature and precipitation. Dryland regions showed a rainfall deficit for the three model projections. The research provides guidelines for growing alfalfa in Ethiopia considering ecological and climatic variability.

ACS Style

Sintayehu Alemayehu; Essayas Ayana; Yihun Dile; Teferi Demissie; Yohannes Yimam; Evan Girvetz; Ermias Aynekulu; Dawit Solomon; Abeyou Worqlul. Evaluating Land Suitability and Potential Climate Change Impacts on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Production in Ethiopia. Atmosphere 2020, 11, 1124 .

AMA Style

Sintayehu Alemayehu, Essayas Ayana, Yihun Dile, Teferi Demissie, Yohannes Yimam, Evan Girvetz, Ermias Aynekulu, Dawit Solomon, Abeyou Worqlul. Evaluating Land Suitability and Potential Climate Change Impacts on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Production in Ethiopia. Atmosphere. 2020; 11 (10):1124.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sintayehu Alemayehu; Essayas Ayana; Yihun Dile; Teferi Demissie; Yohannes Yimam; Evan Girvetz; Ermias Aynekulu; Dawit Solomon; Abeyou Worqlul. 2020. "Evaluating Land Suitability and Potential Climate Change Impacts on Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Production in Ethiopia." Atmosphere 11, no. 10: 1124.

Journal article
Published: 02 September 2020 in Land
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Nine Latin American countries plan to use silvopastoral practices—incorporating trees into grazing lands—to mitigate climate change. However, the cumulative potential of scaling up silvopastoral systems at national levels is not well quantified. Here, we combined previously published tree cover data based on 250 m resolution MODIS satellite remote sensing imagery for 2000–2017 with ecofloristic zone carbon stock estimates to calculate historical and potential future tree biomass carbon storage in Colombian grasslands. Between 2000 and 2017, tree cover across all Colombian grasslands increased from 15% to 18%, with total biomass carbon (TBC) stocks increasing from 0.41 to 0.48 Pg. The range in 2017 carbon stock values in grasslands based on ecofloristic zones (5 to 122 Mg ha−1) suggests a potential for further increase. Increasing all carbon stocks to the current median and 75th percentile levels for the respective eco-floristic zone would increase TBC stocks by about 0.06 and 0.15 Pg, respectively. Incorporated into national C accounting, such Tier 2 estimates can set realistic targets for silvopastoral systems in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) implementation plans in Colombia and other Latin American countries with similar contexts.

ACS Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Marta Suber; Meine Van Noordwijk; Jacobo Arango; James M. Roshetko; Todd Rosenstock. Carbon Storage Potential of Silvopastoral Systems of Colombia. Land 2020, 9, 309 .

AMA Style

Ermias Aynekulu, Marta Suber, Meine Van Noordwijk, Jacobo Arango, James M. Roshetko, Todd Rosenstock. Carbon Storage Potential of Silvopastoral Systems of Colombia. Land. 2020; 9 (9):309.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Marta Suber; Meine Van Noordwijk; Jacobo Arango; James M. Roshetko; Todd Rosenstock. 2020. "Carbon Storage Potential of Silvopastoral Systems of Colombia." Land 9, no. 9: 309.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2020 in Regional Sustainability
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This study assessed the effects of Prosopis juliflora invasion on livelihood diversification and evaluated the determinants of livelihood diversification in two districts in the South Afar region of Northeast Ethiopia. Using random sampling method, 154 households and 2 focus groups composed of 10 individuals were selected from four sites in the two districts. The relationship between P. juliflora invasion and incomes obtained from P. juliflora varied across the study sites. In Awash Fentale District and Amibara District, 11% and 3% of households, respectively, earned income from P. juliflora charcoal production. In total, 14% of households were involved in charcoal production. In addition, 20% of households earned income from selling P. juliflora pods and wood materials in the two districts. With the exception of income from P. juliflora charcoal production, the sex of households did not affect incomes from other livelihood activities. Moreover, household educational attainment significantly affected income obtained from vegetables, fruits, and cereal crops. Male householders were engaged in more diverse livelihood activities than female householders. Reversing the severe invasion of P. juliflora on grazing and woodlands in the region is advisable through integrated natural resources, pastoralist participation, and multidisciplinary research strategies.

ACS Style

Wakshum Shiferaw; Sebsebe Demissew; Tamrat Bekele; Ermias Aynekulu. Relationship between Prosopis juliflora invasion and livelihood diversification in the South Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia. Regional Sustainability 2020, 1, 82 -92.

AMA Style

Wakshum Shiferaw, Sebsebe Demissew, Tamrat Bekele, Ermias Aynekulu. Relationship between Prosopis juliflora invasion and livelihood diversification in the South Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia. Regional Sustainability. 2020; 1 (1):82-92.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wakshum Shiferaw; Sebsebe Demissew; Tamrat Bekele; Ermias Aynekulu. 2020. "Relationship between Prosopis juliflora invasion and livelihood diversification in the South Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia." Regional Sustainability 1, no. 1: 82-92.

Journal article
Published: 31 March 2020 in Diversity
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We investigated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore density and root colonization in three distinct dry Afromontane forest plant communities, representing differing levels of disturbance and soil properties. Soil and root samples were collected from sixty-five 50 × 50-m plots from four plant communities. We collected data for AMF spore density, AMF root colonization and soil organic carbon stocks in 0–25 and 25–50 cm soil depth ranges. AMF spore density, and root colonization differed significantly among plant communities. The least disturbed Juniperus procera–Maytenus senegalensis (Jupr-Mase) plant community, which contained high tree and shrub density, had the highest AMF spore density, root colonization and soil carbon stocks. The most disturbed Cadia purpurea–Opuntia ficus-indica (Capu-Opfi) community which contained the lowest tree and shrub density supported the lowest AMF spore density, root colonization and soil carbon stocks. There was no significant difference in spore density between the two soil depths, but AMF root colonization was significantly higher in the upper soil than in the subsoil (p < 0.001). The difference in soil properties was not uniform between plant communities. Conserving remnant dry Afromontane forests and restoring the degraded forests are critical to improve and maintain forest ecosystem functioning and sustain ecosystem services.

ACS Style

Emiru Birhane; Kbrom Fissiha Gebretsadik; Gebeyehu Taye; Ermias Aynekulu; Meley Mekonen Rannestad; Lindsey Norgrove. Effects of Forest Composition and Disturbance on Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Spore Density, Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Root Colonization and Soil Carbon Stocks in a Dry Afromontane Forest in Northern Ethiopia. Diversity 2020, 12, 133 .

AMA Style

Emiru Birhane, Kbrom Fissiha Gebretsadik, Gebeyehu Taye, Ermias Aynekulu, Meley Mekonen Rannestad, Lindsey Norgrove. Effects of Forest Composition and Disturbance on Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Spore Density, Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Root Colonization and Soil Carbon Stocks in a Dry Afromontane Forest in Northern Ethiopia. Diversity. 2020; 12 (4):133.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Emiru Birhane; Kbrom Fissiha Gebretsadik; Gebeyehu Taye; Ermias Aynekulu; Meley Mekonen Rannestad; Lindsey Norgrove. 2020. "Effects of Forest Composition and Disturbance on Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Spore Density, Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Root Colonization and Soil Carbon Stocks in a Dry Afromontane Forest in Northern Ethiopia." Diversity 12, no. 4: 133.

Journal article
Published: 01 December 2017 in Geoderma
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ACS Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Wolde Mekuria; Diress Tsegaye; Kenea Feyissa; Ayana Angassa; Jan de Leeuw; Keith Shepherd. Long-term livestock exclosure did not affect soil carbon in southern Ethiopian rangelands. Geoderma 2017, 307, 1 -7.

AMA Style

Ermias Aynekulu, Wolde Mekuria, Diress Tsegaye, Kenea Feyissa, Ayana Angassa, Jan de Leeuw, Keith Shepherd. Long-term livestock exclosure did not affect soil carbon in southern Ethiopian rangelands. Geoderma. 2017; 307 ():1-7.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Wolde Mekuria; Diress Tsegaye; Kenea Feyissa; Ayana Angassa; Jan de Leeuw; Keith Shepherd. 2017. "Long-term livestock exclosure did not affect soil carbon in southern Ethiopian rangelands." Geoderma 307, no. : 1-7.

Functional traits in agroecology
Published: 09 November 2017 in Journal of Applied Ecology
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Functional ecology provides a framework that can link vegetation characteristics of various land uses with ecosystem function. However, this application has been mostly limited to [semi‐]natural systems and small spatial scales. Here, we apply functional ecology to five agricultural landscapes in Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, and ask to what extent vegetation characteristics contribute to soil functions that are key to farmers’ livelihoods. We used the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF), a multi‐scale assessment of land health. Each LDSF site is a 10 × 10 km landscape in which vegetation cover and erosion prevalence were measured, a tree inventory was carried out, and topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were collected for organic carbon (SOC) analysis in approximately 160 × 1,000 m2 plots. Land degradation is a recurring phenomenon across the five landscapes, indicated by high erosion prevalence (67%–99% of the plots were severely eroded). We used mixed models to assess if vegetation cover, above‐ground woody biomass and the functional properties of woody vegetation (weighted‐mean trait values, functional diversity [FD]) explain variation in SOC and erosion prevalence. We found that the vegetation cover and above‐ground biomass had strong positive effects on soil health by increasing SOC and reducing soil erosion. After controlling for cover and biomass, we found additional marginal effects of functional properties where FD was positively associated with SOC and the abundance of invasive species was associated with higher soil erosion. Synthesis and applications. This work illustrates how functional ecology can provide much‐needed evidence for designing strategies to restore degraded agricultural land and the ecosystem services on which farmers depend. We show that to ensure soil health, it is vital to avoid exposed soil, maintain or promote tree cover, while ensuring functional diversity of tree species, and to eradicate invasive species.

ACS Style

Madelon Lohbeck; Leigh Winowiecki; Ermias Aynekulu; Clement Okia; Tor-Gunnar Vågen. Trait-based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africa. Journal of Applied Ecology 2017, 55, 59 -68.

AMA Style

Madelon Lohbeck, Leigh Winowiecki, Ermias Aynekulu, Clement Okia, Tor-Gunnar Vågen. Trait-based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africa. Journal of Applied Ecology. 2017; 55 (1):59-68.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Madelon Lohbeck; Leigh Winowiecki; Ermias Aynekulu; Clement Okia; Tor-Gunnar Vågen. 2017. "Trait-based approaches for guiding the restoration of degraded agricultural landscapes in East Africa." Journal of Applied Ecology 55, no. 1: 59-68.

Journal article
Published: 28 April 2016 in Remote Sensing
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With the increasing temporal resolution of medium spatial resolution data, seasonal features are becoming more readily available for land cover characterization. However, in the tropical regions, images can be severely contaminated by clouds during the rainy season and fires during the dry season, with possible effects to seasonal features. In this study, we evaluated the performance of seasonal features based on an annual Landsat time series (LTS) of 35 images for land cover characterization in West Sudanian savanna woodlands. First, the burnt areas were detected and removed. Second, the reflectance seasonality was modelled using a harmonic model, and model parameters were used as inputs for land cover classification and tree crown cover prediction using the random forest algorithm. Furthermore, to study the sensitivity of the approach to the burnt areas, we repeated the analyses without the first step. Our results showed that seasonal features improved classification accuracy significantly from 68.7% and 66.1% to 76.2%, and decreased root mean square error (RMSE) of tree crown cover predictions from 11.7% and 11.4% to 10.4%, in comparison to the dry and rainy season single date images, respectively. The burnt areas biased the seasonal parameters in near-infrared and shortwave infrared bands, and decreased the accuracy of classification and tree crown cover prediction, suggesting that burnt areas should be removed before fitting the harmonic model. We conclude that seasonal features from annual LTS improved land cover characterization performance, and the harmonic model, provided a simple method for computing annual seasonal features with burnt area removal.

ACS Style

Jinxiu Liu; Janne Heiskanen; Ermias Aynekulu; Eduardo Eiji Maeda; Petri K. E. Pellikka. Land Cover Characterization in West Sudanian Savannas Using Seasonal Features from Annual Landsat Time Series. Remote Sensing 2016, 8, 365 .

AMA Style

Jinxiu Liu, Janne Heiskanen, Ermias Aynekulu, Eduardo Eiji Maeda, Petri K. E. Pellikka. Land Cover Characterization in West Sudanian Savannas Using Seasonal Features from Annual Landsat Time Series. Remote Sensing. 2016; 8 (5):365.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jinxiu Liu; Janne Heiskanen; Ermias Aynekulu; Eduardo Eiji Maeda; Petri K. E. Pellikka. 2016. "Land Cover Characterization in West Sudanian Savannas Using Seasonal Features from Annual Landsat Time Series." Remote Sensing 8, no. 5: 365.

Journal article
Published: 16 October 2014 in BioEnergy Research
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Biofuel plants such as Jatropha curcas L. have potential to support the livelihoods of rural communities and contribute to sustainable rural development in Africa, if risks and uncertainties are minimized. Yet, recent papers have warned of the risk of biological invasions in such tropical regions as a consequence of the introduction of exotic biofuel crops. We investigated the seed dispersal risk and invasiveness potential of both J. curcas monoculture plantations and live fences into adjacent cultivated and uncultivated land use systems in Sissili province, Burkina Faso. Invasiveness potential was assessed through (i) detecting evidence of natural regeneration in perimeters around J. curcas plantations and live fences, (ii) assessing seed dispersal mechanisms, and (iii) assessing seedling establishment potential through in situ direct seed sowing. Spontaneous regeneration around the plantation perimeters of the three sites was very low. Individual seedling density around J. curcas live fences was less than 0.01 m−2 in all sites. Seventy percent of the seedlings were found close to the live fence and most of them derived from the same year (96 %), which indicates low seed-bank longevity and seedling survival. J. curcas can be dispersed by small mammals and arthropods, particularly rodents and ants. In some sites, such as in Onliassan, high secondary seed dispersal by animals (up to 98 %) was recorded. There were highly significant differences in germination rates between seeds at the soil surface (11 %) and those buried artificially at 1–2-cm depth (64 %). In conclusion, we failed to find convincing evidence of the spreading of J. curcas or any significant impact on the surrounding environment.

ACS Style

Aklilu Negussie; Souleymane Nacro; Wouter M. J. Achten; Lindsey Norgrove; Marc Kenis; Kiros Hadgu; Ermias Aynekulu; Martin Hermy; Bart Muys. Insufficient Evidence of Jatropha curcas L. Invasiveness: Experimental Observations in Burkina Faso, West Africa. BioEnergy Research 2014, 8, 570 -580.

AMA Style

Aklilu Negussie, Souleymane Nacro, Wouter M. J. Achten, Lindsey Norgrove, Marc Kenis, Kiros Hadgu, Ermias Aynekulu, Martin Hermy, Bart Muys. Insufficient Evidence of Jatropha curcas L. Invasiveness: Experimental Observations in Burkina Faso, West Africa. BioEnergy Research. 2014; 8 (2):570-580.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Aklilu Negussie; Souleymane Nacro; Wouter M. J. Achten; Lindsey Norgrove; Marc Kenis; Kiros Hadgu; Ermias Aynekulu; Martin Hermy; Bart Muys. 2014. "Insufficient Evidence of Jatropha curcas L. Invasiveness: Experimental Observations in Burkina Faso, West Africa." BioEnergy Research 8, no. 2: 570-580.

Journal article
Published: 27 July 2012 in Biodiversity and Conservation
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Understanding plant species distribution patterns along environmental gradients is fundamental to managing ecosystems, particularly when habitats are fragmented due to intensive human land-use pressure. To assist management of the remaining vegetation of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot, plant species richness and diversity patterns were analyzed along the main elevation gradient (1,000–2,760 m) of the Great Rift Valley escarpment in northern Ethiopia, using 29 plots established at 100-m elevation intervals. A total of 129 vascular plant species belonging to 59 families was recorded. Species richness and diversity showed a hump-shaped relationship with elevation, peaking at mid-elevation (1,900–2,200 m). Beta diversity values indicated medium species turnover along the elevation gradient and were lowest at mid-elevation. Elevation strongly partitioned the plant communities (r = 0.98; P < 0.001). Four plant communities were identified along the elevation gradient: Juniperus procera–Clutia lanceolata community (2,400–2,760 m), Abutilon longicuspe–Calpurnia aurea community (1,900–2,300 m), Dracaena ombet–Acacia etbaica community (1,400–1,800 m), and Acacia mellifera–Dobera glabra community (1,000–1,300 m). To optimize conservation of species and plant communities, it is recommended that a conservation corridor be established along the elevation gradient that includes all four plant communities. This strategy—in contrast to creating single isolated reserves in zones with high species richness—is necessary for the habitat protection of species with narrow elevational ranges, in particular the globally endangered Nubian dragon tree (Dracaena ombet).

ACS Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Raf Aerts; Pieter Moonen; Manfred Denich; Kindeya Gebrehiwot; Tor-Gunnar Vågen; Wolde Mekuria; Juergen Boehmer. Altitudinal variation and conservation priorities of vegetation along the Great Rift Valley escarpment, northern Ethiopia. Biodiversity and Conservation 2012, 21, 2691 -2707.

AMA Style

Ermias Aynekulu, Raf Aerts, Pieter Moonen, Manfred Denich, Kindeya Gebrehiwot, Tor-Gunnar Vågen, Wolde Mekuria, Juergen Boehmer. Altitudinal variation and conservation priorities of vegetation along the Great Rift Valley escarpment, northern Ethiopia. Biodiversity and Conservation. 2012; 21 (10):2691-2707.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ermias Aynekulu; Raf Aerts; Pieter Moonen; Manfred Denich; Kindeya Gebrehiwot; Tor-Gunnar Vågen; Wolde Mekuria; Juergen Boehmer. 2012. "Altitudinal variation and conservation priorities of vegetation along the Great Rift Valley escarpment, northern Ethiopia." Biodiversity and Conservation 21, no. 10: 2691-2707.

Journal article
Published: 20 September 2011 in Land Degradation & Development
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In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, establishment of exclosures to restore degraded communal grazing lands has been practiced for the past three decades. However, empirical data on the effectiveness of exclosures in restoring degraded soils are lacking. We investigated the influence of exclosure age on degree of restoration of degraded soil and identified easily measurable biophysical and management‐related factors that can be used to predict soil nutrient restoration. We selected replicated (n = 3) 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, and 20‐year‐old exclosures and paired each exclosure with samples from adjacent communal grazing lands. All exclosures showed higher total soil nitrogen (N), available phosphorus (P), and cation exchange capacity than the communal grazing lands. The differences varied between 2·4 (±0·61) and 6·9 (±1·85) Mg ha−1 for the total N stock and from 17 (±3) to 39 (±7) kg ha−1 for the available P stock. The differences in N and P increased with exclosure age. In exclosures, much of the variability in soil N (R2 = 0·64) and P (R2 = 0·71) stocks were explained by a combination of annual average precipitation, woody biomass, and exclosure age. Precipitation and vegetation canopy cover also explained much of the variability in soil N (R2 = 0·74) and P (R2 = 0·52) stocks in communal grazing lands. Converting degraded communal grazing lands into exclosures is a viable option to restore degraded soils. Our results also confirm that the possibility to predict the changes in soil nutrient content after exclosure establishment using regression models is based on field measurements. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ACS Style

Wolde M. Mekuria; Ermias Aynekulu. EXCLOSURE LAND MANAGEMENT FOR RESTORATION OF THE SOILS IN DEGRADED COMMUNAL GRAZING LANDS IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA. Land Degradation & Development 2011, 24, 528 -538.

AMA Style

Wolde M. Mekuria, Ermias Aynekulu. EXCLOSURE LAND MANAGEMENT FOR RESTORATION OF THE SOILS IN DEGRADED COMMUNAL GRAZING LANDS IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA. Land Degradation & Development. 2011; 24 (6):528-538.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wolde M. Mekuria; Ermias Aynekulu. 2011. "EXCLOSURE LAND MANAGEMENT FOR RESTORATION OF THE SOILS IN DEGRADED COMMUNAL GRAZING LANDS IN NORTHERN ETHIOPIA." Land Degradation & Development 24, no. 6: 528-538.