Background:The expandingAcacia decurrenswoodlots in Northwestern Ethiopia is recognized for carbon storageviaroot biomass and soil organic carbon (SOC) enhancement but its planting densities have varied considerably. This study evaluated the effect of planting density on the root biomass, SOC stock, and vertical distributions in the stands. Methods:Five planting densities (0.5 m x 0.5 m, 0.75 m x 0.75 m, 1 m x 1 m, 1.25 m x 1.25 m, and 1.5 m x 1.5 m) were replicated four times with randomized complete block design. Soil core (6.67 cm diameter) and pit (900 cm2area) methods were used to collect fine and coarse root samples within 0–50 cm soil depth (having five soil layers in 10 cm intervals), respectively. Fine root biomass samples were classified as live and dead (necromass) and further as tree and herbaceous root. All root biomass samples were washed, oven-dried, weighed, and standardized into gram per meter square (g m-2) for root biomass comparisons for each planting density and soil depth, then summed up for 0–50 cm depth as a total root biomass. The vertical distributions of fine and coarse root biomass at each depth were expressed as a percentage (in decimal) of the total root biomass (0–50 cm). Conclusions:Planting density had significant effects on root biomass, SOC stock, and root distributions (P < 0.05) but inconsistent for the percentage of SOC stock at all soil layers except at 40-50 cm. PlantingA. decurrenswith high density is recommended to increase root biomass, SOC, and percentage of roots in deep soil layers. Further study is suggested for the effects of stand age on root biomass dynamics and SOC stock with large scale.

Soil microorganisms are central to ecosystem functioning, yet how habitat degradation affects their community structure and functional potential in dry Afromontane forests (DAFs) remains poorly understood. This study investigated soil prokaryotic communities across five habitats representing a disturbance gradient in Ethiopian DAFs: Church forest, State forest, Community-managed forest, Shrubland, and Cropland. Using next-generation sequencing, we examined prokaryotic community composition, diversity, assembly processes, and predicted functional profiles. Actinobacteriota and Crenarchaeota were more abundant in less disturbed forests, whereas disturbed habitats showed shifts toward taxa associated with stressed conditions. Alpha diversity was lower in Church and State forests than in shrubland and cropland, indicating environmental filtering and dominance of habitat specialists. Community composition differed significantly among habitats and was associated with soil properties, stand attributes, and indicator trees. Deterministic processes explained most community turnover (81%), indicating strong environmental structuring, with homogeneous selection more evident in forests and mixed deterministic–stochastic processes in disturbed habitats. Predicted functional profiles suggest shifts in nitrogen-related processes, particularly ammonia oxidation and nitrification, although not directly measure microbial activity. Overall, habitat degradation is associated with changes in prokaryotic community structure and assembly, highlighting the importance of conserving intact forests and supporting restoration efforts in dryland ecosystems.

Ethiopian farmers have long practised coppicing to maximise the yield of Eucalyptus globulus Labill., yet the response of different coppicing cycles on productivity and sprouting of new shoots has ...