Abstract
Rehabilitation of degraded lands through plantations is at the frontline of natural resource management in Ethiopia. However, plantations have been faced with various challenges mainly attributed to poor survival rate of tree seedlings. Hence, this research was conducted in Tanqua ‘Abergelle and Weri Leke Wereda’s with the objective of screening tree seedlings for their survival rates under field conditions. Tree seedlings that were mostly produced in nurseries of the Woredas were first identified and analyzed. One watershed from Tanqua Abergelle and two watersheds from Weri Leke were selected to undertake further plantation trials. Pits were prepared one month ahead of plantation. The collected data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Accordingly, almost all seedlings reduced their number at each sequence of inventory periods. The growth of Moringa stenopetala and Eucalyptus camaldulensis were better than the others in Weri-Leke. Eucalyptus camaldulensis recorded the highest growth performance (60.4 cm) followed by Acacia lehay (46.3 cm) in Weri Leke. The seedlings of Moringa stenopetala, Leucaena leucocephala and Faidherbia albida revealed relatively lower survival rates in Abergelle. However, Ziziphus spina Christ (L.) Desf., Acacia tortilis and Parkinsonia aculeata showed higher survival rates (>80%). Moringa stenopetala and Casuarina equisitifolia showed the lowest survival rates ( 50% should be considered for plantations in the study areas, and improved post-planting attention and management. Key words: Natural selection, rehabilitation, species, survival rate.
Highlights
Today reforestation and afforestation are a national issue and an international one
The planted seedlings are indigenous except Leucaena leucocephala, parkinsonia acculata, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Gravillea robusta and Casuarina equisitifolia
While at Were-leke E. camaldulensis, Acacia lehay, Gravillea robusta survived at promising performance
Summary
Today reforestation and afforestation are a national issue and an international one. This is because existing forest stock cannot satisfy the demand for the direct services made by human populations, such as fuel wood, agricultural tools, food, etc. In past centuries human intervention of forests were thought to be of negligible consequence. As the number of people rapidly increased and changed forest into agricultural land (FAO, 2017; Cunningham and Beazley, 2018). The flux of peoples to communal forests to collect fire wood and materials for agricultural tools created high pressure on natural stands. As the forest cover continued to decline, the processes operated with the heightening demand for animal forage and crop returns.
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