Information on species composition, structure, and diversity is essential to introduce and select different management activities to improve the forest productivity. Accordingly, species composition, structure, diversity, and regeneration status of trees were assessed in the Dindin natural forest. In this forest, trees or shrubs having 2.5cm diameter at breast height and height >1.5m were identified and measured in 35 quadrats of 20m×20m. Regeneration status was assessed in 5m×5m subplots that were laid within each main plot to sample seedling and sapling. Woody species diversity, density, basal area, and importance value index were calculated. To prioritize conservation efforts, the study utilized factors such as the importance value index, seedling and sapling densities, and population structure. A total of 42 woody tree species representing 30 families were recorded in the forest. The diversity and evenness of woody species in the Dindin forest were 2.66 and 0.70, respectively. Woody species density was 1403 individual ha⁻¹, and the total basal area was 35.54m²ha⁻¹. About 480 seedlings per hectare were recorded in the Dindin forest. The research yielded practical insights into the dominance, population structure, importance value, and regeneration status of tree species. The analysis of population structure indicates that certain dominant species are experiencing inadequate regeneration. In addition, multiple nondominant shrubs and tree species within the forest are also at risk of extinction due to insufficient regeneration. Therefore, these important findings play a crucial role in the formulation and implementation of effective strategies to restore and rehabilitate the studied forest.

Ethiopia’s forest coverage is decreasing from time to time due to agricultural expansion, settlements, misuse of existing forest resources, and a lack of awareness and sense of ownership among the local population. Not only forest coverage but also species composition and diversity are decreasing in the country. The current study aims to investigate the woody species composition, structure, regeneration, diversity, and distribution of the soil seed bank in a degraded part of the Gera moist Afromontane forest. A systematic random sampling technique was used to collect tree data. Twenty representative sample square plots, each measuring 400 m² for trees and shrubs, were established. Inside the main plots, five subplots measuring 9 m² were assigned for regeneration data collection. Another five subplots were also marked for soil seed bank data collection that are 9 cm deep and 15 cm wide. The forest had twenty‐one woody species that belonged to seventeen families. The Shannon–Wiener, Simpson’s indices, and evenness of the whole forest were recorded to be 2.17, 0.82, and 0.42, respectively. Syzygium guineense had the highest species‐specific value indices (68.49), accounting for 22.83 percent of the total. The first DBH and height class patterns encompass over 61.16 and 59.92 percent of the total individuals, respectively. There were two growth phases (seedling and saplings) missing in three tree species (Allophylus abyssinicus, Olea welwitschii, and Schefflera abyssinica). The soil seed bank in the forest contained 77 plant species belonging to 41 families. Compared to other moist Afromontane forests, the Gera forest has a smaller composition of woody species and medium diversity. The soil seed bank did not significantly contribute to the restoration of the forest.

A forest is a storehouse of carbon released from different sources when the activities of sustainable forest management, planting, and rehabilitation exist. However, few allometric equations are present to determine its contribution to carbon reduction. The target of the study was to develop species-specific allometric equations and establish a database for biomass expansion factor and wood density for five tree species grown in the dry Afromontane forest of Ethiopia. A direct or destructive sampling method was used on 62 trees from different diameter classes. The diameter at breast height and the total height of selected trees ranged from 7 to 48cm and 6.7 to 23.4m, respectively. Trees were felled and divided into various biomass sections. Stem and big branch discs were sampled to determine the wood density and volume of the trees. Sample wood and foliage were oven-dried for three days and two days at 105C and 70C, respectively, to get their dry weight. Total above-ground biomass was regressed using diameter at breast height, total height, wood density, and average crown diameter as independent variables. R software version 4.0.1 was used to fit the biomass equations. The best biomass models were determined to have lower AIC and RSE and highest adj. R². The biomass expansion factor and wood density of five tree species ranged from 1.19 to 1.40 and 0.53 to 0.74g/cm⁻³, respectively. Species-specific allometric equations were better than both mixed species and pan tropical models for the assessment of above-ground biomass in the Chilimo dry Afromontane forest of Ethiopia.

The large-scale commercial agriculture, mining, expansion of sedentary agricultural settlements, and overgrazing in Ethiopian pastoral areas have become a major cause of land degradation. Such activities reduce grazing capacities and impoverish already fragile living conditions of the pastoralists. Such an increase in land degradations necessitates urgent calls for interventions. The main objectives of this study were to select the best performing soil and water conservation technologies and native tree species to restore degraded lands of arid and semiarid conditions in Liben District of Guji Zone, Oromia Reginal State, Ethiopia. Four locally grown and locally preferred tree species, namely, Cordia africana, Acacia tortilis, Acacia goetzei, and Combretum molle, were planted in five soil and moisture conservation structures (control, half-moon, spot hoeing, mowing, and trench). The survival rate and height and root collar diameter (RCD) growth of planted tree species were collected two years after planting. A significantly higher survival rate, RCD, and height growth of planted seedlings were recorded from half-moon (52.4412.48; 1.660.31cm; 51.572.79cm) and trench (64.0011.49; 1.920.27; 69.672.62cm) moisture conservation structures, respectively. Acacia tortilis (58.2212.38) and Acacia goetzei (42.998.81) had better survival rate than Cordia africana (4.001.91) and Combretum molle (24.227.34). Cordia africana attained the largest RCD (2.500.34cm) and height (95.8317.25cm) growth, followed by Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei. It is concluded that Acacia tortilis and Acacia goetzei are better species to grow in degraded lands. The half-moon and trench moisture conservation structures have a great potential for degraded areas of the arid and semiarid conditions of Ethiopia for better tree establishment, survival, and enhanced growth thereby rehabilitation of degraded lands.

The application of biomass models for quantifying forests’ above-ground biomass is essential for sustainable forest management. However, lack of knowledge in modelig biomass of individual tree growth hinders the sustainable management of Dry Afromontane forests. In this study, models to estimate above-ground biomass were developed for Rhus ruspolii, Ekebergia capensis, and Nuxia congesta. To develop the models, a total of 45 trees from different diameter classes were selected, felled, and divided into different biomass compartments. For the model’s development, diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (TH), diameter at stump height (DSH), and wood density (WD) were used as independent variables. Models’ performances were evaluated using RSE, adjusted coefficient of determination, and AIC. Also, model validations were done by using rRMSE, mean absolute deviation, bias, and coefficient of variation. Models 5 (Adj-R² = 0.92), 6 (Adj-R² = 0.97), and 8 (Adj-R₂² = 0.82) were the best fitted models for Nuxia congesta, Ekebergia capensis, and Rhus ruspolii, respectively. The average wood densities of Ekebergia capensis, Nuxia congesta, and Rhus ruspolii were 0.59, 0.50, and 0.69, respectively. The variation between observed biomass and estimated biomass using new models was statistically not significant ( ). Thus, the biomass models developed here can be important tools to accurately estimate above-ground biomass in the Menagesha Suba forest and can be integrated into decision support tools.

Soil is the centre of plant growth and, in turn, plants are important elements in soil creation. This points to a strong positive correlation between forest growth dynamics and soil qualities. However, the decline in the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of forest soils alters this link. Therefore, the objective of the study was to determine the physical and chemical properties of soils in the Afromontane rainforest of Gera as inputs for vegetation and land management. A systematic random sampling design was used to collect a soil sample. Twenty main plots with a size of 20 m by 20 m pits measuring (0.5) m by (0.5) m, one in the centre and four in the corners, were dug for the collection of soil samples. Soil samples were collected to a depth of 0 - 20 cm using an auger because the soil has a similar profile and is mixed to form a soil composite. From the composite sample, twenty samples were randomly selected as a working sam-ple. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were carried out to analyze the data using SAS software. The sampled soil contains an average of 56.93 % sand, 26.22 % silt and 16.36 % clay. The average bulk density of the forest is 1.49 g cm-3. The forest contains 3.91 and 6.74 % organic carbon and matter, re-spectively. The analysis revealed that sandy loam accounts for 70 % of the texture classes in the Gera forest. Total nitrogen was highly correlated with organic carbon and matter, and magnesium and calcium were highly correlated with cation exchange capacity, while sodium was highly correlated with electrical conductivity. Further study on other soil physico-chemical properties will be required for rapid rehabilita-tion of the Gera forest for site species that match and sustain the forest.