Abstract
Ethiopia aims to restore 15 million ha degraded forests and woodlands, but effects on the potentially contrasting goals of long-term carbon storage, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods are unknown. To quantify the effects of grazing exclusion on vegetation and fire behaviour, we established six 30 × 30 m fenced exclosures with grazed controls, in a mesic wooded savanna. Experimental burns were done after 1.5 years. Tree seedlings were few but more common inside fences. Field layer cover and biomass increased inside fences, and grass species increased in numbers and cover. Fire intensity was higher inside fences, killing shrubs and saplings but not mature trees. Interviews confirmed that overgrazing has resulted in “cool fires”, causing shrub encroachment. High-intensity fires occurred in the 1980s after a zoonotic disease killed most livestock. Short-term increase in carbon storage through fire and grazing exclusion may lead to loss of pasture, and in the long-term increased wildfire risk.
Highlights
The UN programme for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD?) aims to increase carbon capture to mitigate climate change by reducing deforestation in developing countries
The park, established in 2009, is included in the national forest restoration targets, and parts of the park are included in Oromia REDD?
Livestock exclusion resulted in 45% increase in field layer cover (p = 0.020, Fig. 3c) and 115% increase in field layer height (p \ 0.001, Fig. 3d) in fenced compared to grazed plots (Table S1a)
Summary
The UN programme for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD?) aims to increase carbon capture to mitigate climate change by reducing deforestation in developing countries. Sequester carbon, and at the same time protect biodiversity and foster sustainable livelihoods (Lemenih and Kassa 2014). A sudden increase in tree canopy in savanna woodlands may threaten grassland species, groundwater recharge, and local livelihoods (Veldman et al 2019). It can cause fuel build-up and increased fire intensities, top-killing mature trees and jeopardizing long-term carbon storage (Russell-Smith et al 2015). In Africa, management of protected areas needs to balance the often contrasting goals of long-term carbon storage, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods (Leach and Scoones 2015). In East Africa, livestock herding has been widespread for at least 7000 years (Marshall and Hildebrand 2002), with traditional fire management as an integral part
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