Abstract
Tree species selection and seedlings lack of infective arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could potentially contribute to low forest restoration success in Ethiopia. Hence, we evaluated the comparative field performance of Cordia Africana (C. africana), Juniperus procera (J. procera), and Podocarpus falcatus (P. falcatus) seedlings and the effect of whole soil AMF inoculation. Seedlings prepared using the existing practice were planted on a field at Chancho, Central Ethiopia. Seedlings were inoculated with six types of whole soil AMF inoculums, no inoculation being the control. Seedlings survival was determined at the end of the 11th month; relative growth rate in collar diameter (RGR-CD) and height (RGR-H) was determined at the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th months. We found out that the plantation site was very fertile with available phosphorus (Av P) =103.16 mg/Kg; total nitrogen (TN) = 0.376%; organic carbon (OC) = 3.12%; AMF spore abundance = 6.91±2.00 g-1. None of the P. falcatus and C. africana seedlings survived while 25% of J. procera seedlings survived. AMF inoculation did not have statistically significant effect on RGR-CD and RGR-H but conspecific inoculum resulted in significantly lower RGR-H of C. africana at the 2nd month, indicating the probability of species specific effect of AMF inoculation. Key words: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Chancho, forest restoration, relative growth rate (RGR), seedlings survival.  
Highlights
Ethiopia has put a plan of restoring 15 million hectares of its degraded land by 2025 (UNDP, 2016)
The main objectives of this research were to determine the comparative suitability of the Ethiopian native trees; Cordia Africana (C. africana), Juniperus procera (J. procera), and Podocarpus falcatus (P. falcatus) for forest restoration in the Chancho environs, central highland of Ethiopia and investigate the possible effect of quality whole soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation in improving the field survival and growth of seedlings of these tree species that are raised through the existing nursery practices
The grass species; Pennisetum sp., Eragrostis sp., Eleusine floccifolia, Avena sp. and herbs namely Carduus schimperi, Conyza steudelli, Hellchrysum splendidum, Rumex abyssinicus, Trifolium quartinianum were among the observed plants that occupy the field as weeds at a time or in succession.total nitrogen (TN), organic carbon (OC), and most importantly available phosphorus (Ave P) of the experiment field site indicated that the site was very fertile (Table 1)
Summary
Ethiopia has put a plan of restoring 15 million hectares of its degraded land by 2025 (UNDP, 2016). Billions of tree seedlings, including native trees are being planted every year. An estimated 300 million $USD is being invested each year in seedlings’ preparation and labour. Reduced level of seedlings survival and establishment which is a reality in Ethiopia (Abebe et al, 2011; Muluneh, 2017), is a bottleneck to the realization of the national restoration target and translates to the loss of money in tens, if not hundreds of millions of US dollar annually.
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