Southern Highlands Of Ethiopia Research Articles

Relationships and determinants of adoption of sustainable land management technologies in Eastern and Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

Degraded land is a major danger to agricultural productivity and food security in Ethiopia. Sustainable land management technologies (SLMTs), through targeted interventions, have been applied to address this problem. Notwithstanding some of the known agricultural and environmental benefits connected with the adoption of some SLMTs, the adoption rate remains below expectations. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationships and determinants of the adoption of SLMTs in eastern and southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from 384 sampled households selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Descriptive statistics and multivariate probit (MVP) model were used to analyze data. Estimated results of MVP revealed that the adoption of SLMTs is positively and significantly influenced by education level, livestock, membership in a social group, extension contacts, access to SLM information, training, credit, land tenure, and slope, while age, farm distance, and the number of active family members due to youth migration abroad had negative effects. The widely adopted SLMTs on farmlands were inorganic fertilizer (49.5%), soil bunds (48.4%), bench terraces (47.2%), intercropping (46.1%), and manure (38%). This study concluded that farmers invested a blend of SLMTs, some of which complemented and others substituted for one another. Therefore, policy-makers and planners should focus on fortifying human and local institutions’ capacity to implement SLM and consider SLM technology interdependencies before communicating with farmers.

Assessment of botanical composition, biomass yield, nutritional quality and methane production of forages in selected grasslands, southern highlands of Ethiopia

A study was conducted to assess botanical composition, biomass yield, nutritive value and methane production of forages in the grasslands of Kofele district in West Arsi Zone of Oromia National Regional State, southern Ethiopia. Three patches of the grassland including protected grassland, private grazing land used by smallholder farmers and ranch were selected for the study to represent three different grazing land management practices. Quadrats of 0.5 m × 0.5 m were used to determine biomass yield and collect samples of herbaceous forages from each site (12 quadrats from each site). For woody species four 10 m × 10 m plots were established along transect of 200 m with 20 m distance between plots to identify available species (in the ranch only). A total of 20 herbaceous species were identified, out of which 45% were grasses, 15% legumes, 10% sedges and 30% forbs. Out of 17 browse species identified in the ranch, 47.1% were trees while 52.9% were shrubs. The total biomass production from protected grassland (4.34 t/ha) was higher (P<0.05) than that of private grazing land (3.66 t/ha) and ranch (3.76 t/ha). Biomass production of sedge and forbs were the highest (P<0.05) in ranch. The ranges of chemical constituents for grasses were 8.44–10.74%, 52.8–72%, 27.7–37.4%, 3.1–5.6%, 58.2–76% for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), respectively. The CP and IVDMD for legumes varied from 15.64–20.33% and 80.1–85–1%, respectively. For browses the ranges of CP and IVDMD were 15.41–27.19% and 57.4–81.9%, respectively.. Among grass species, Eragrostis botryodes generated less methane. In general, legumes (5.5–6.5 mL/200 mg) and sedge (6 mL/200 mg) produced less amount of methane compared with grasses (7–10.5 mL/200 mg). Browses (9.5–13.5 mL/200 mg) produced more methane compared with herbaceous species (5.5–10.5 mL/200 mg). In conclusion protecting grassland and using cut and carry feeding system promoted more herbage production. The CP content of grass is generally good but supplementation with legumes and browses are required in practical feeding. The use of legumes with grasses and other browse species is recommended as a feeding strategy to reduce methane production However; further investigations on animal response trials are suggested to see the potential of these feed resources.

Phosphorous Adsorption and Its Requirements by Bread Wheat Varieties (Triticum aestivum L.), In Acidic Soils of Cheha and Dinsho Districts, Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

ABSTRACTPhosphorus deficiencies limit production of cereal crops including bread wheat in many acidic soils of Ethiopia. Although, considerable amount of work has been done on response of wheat to the applications of mineral nutrients, in view of precision agriculture, site and crop specific nutrient management are very pertinent. There is, however, a paucity of information, on which to base fertilizer P recommendations. The equilibration period and quantities of fertilizer required to obtain the desired equilibrium concentration was determined. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the external and internal P requirements of Damphe and Picaflor varieties. Maximum P adsorption and stable equilibrium P concentration were achieved at eight days incubation period. The Freundlich adsorption model was found capable to describe the adsorption of P and its requirement for the two varieties. The interaction of mineral P, soil type and variety has significantly affected some yield and yield components of both varieties. The external P requirements of 0.24 and 0.2 mg P L−1 for Damphe and 0.3 and 0.22 mg P L−1 for Picaflor in Goha1 and Doyomarufa2 soils were recorded, respectively. The two varieties were found to respond differently to the same soil solution P levels in soils. Evaluation of crop plants for genotype variation in their ability to access soil phosphorus is a means to determine the quantity of fertilizer required. It could be suggested that application of P fertilizers should consider the knowledge of internal and external P requirements of the wheat varieties.

Phosphorous status and adsorption characteristics of acid soils from Cheha and Dinsho districts, southern highlands of Ethiopia

BackgroundThough soils in the study areas are characterized by higher iron and aluminum oxides, and low available P contents, study on P adsorption characteristics is limited. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate adsorption properties of selected soils and determine the standard phosphorous requirements of the soils. In this experiment, separately weighed 2 g soil samples were equilibrated in 50 ml of 0.01 M CaCl2 solution containing KH2PO4 at rates of 0, 1, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16.0, 24.0, and 32.0 mg P L−1.ResultsThe Freundlich model was found to be the best model for the description of the P adsorption characteristics of the soils. The Freundlich coefficient Kf ranged from 123.32 to 315.31 mg P kg−1. The Goha-1 soil had the highest Kf (315.31 mg P kg−1) as Ketasire had lowest Kf (123.32 mg P kg−1) values. The value of SPRf was ranged from 50.50 to 154.02 mg P kg−1 for soils of the study area. Highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) correlation was observed between the Freundlich adsorption parameters and soil physicochemical properties.ConclusionThe standard P requirement of the studied soils was higher than the blanket P fertilizer rate recommendations in Ethiopia. Lack of inadequate knowledge about internal and external P requirement of each crop might have decreased yield in the study areas as it could have resulted in under-application of fertilizer P. The presence of high correlation between the adsorption parameters and the soil properties suggested the indices’ prominent role in explaining P adsorption characteristics of the soils. Since higher dose of P is required by soils in the study area because of fixation, alternative P management strategies is needed to reduce P adsorption and enhance P availability.

Chemical forms of phosphorous and physicochemical properties of acid soils of Cheha and Dinsho districts, southern highlands of Ethiopia

BackgroundSoil acidity and low availability of P are among the major problems limiting crop production in the highlands of Ethiopia. The current study was conducted to evaluate the distribution of chemical P forms and selected physical and chemical properties of soils in Cheha and Dinsho districts, southern highlands of Ethiopia. Twelve representative composite soil samples were collected from the surface layer (0–15 cm) and analyzed for selected soil properties. Analysis of available P and oxalate extractable P, Al and Fe, and P fractionation were done following standard procedures.ResultsThe pH of soils in the study area ranged from 4.65 to 5.45. In the study area the Mehlich-3 extractable P ranged from 8.90 to 25.75 mg kg−1, while the Bray-I extractable P varied from 8.54 to 22.81 mg kg−1. The studied soils had a total P content that ranged from medium to very high. Mehlich-3 P was positively and significantly correlated with pH, CEC and OM, while it was negatively and significantly (P ≤ 0.01) correlated with exAc and exAl. Oxyhydroxides of iron and aluminum were dominating the exchange sites of the studied soils. In terms of the relative abundance of P forms, Res-P and HCl-P followed by NaOH-Po and NaOH-Pi were the dominant P forms in Cheha and Dinsho districts respectively. The total sum of readily available P forms (NH4Cl-Pi, NaHCO3-Pi and NaHCO3-Po) did not exceed 4% of the total P.ConclusionSoils of the study area were acidic in reaction and found to have low available P. Given the presence of considerable amount of total P, low P availability and high soil acidity in the study areas, further research has to be done on adsorption characteristics to determine the P requirements of the soils for better P management.

Adaptation and forage yield of Vetches (Vicia spp.) in the southern highlands of Ethiopia

Aim. To study the adaptation of vetch species and the level of their forage yield in the highlands of the region. Methods. Field and laboratory methods, statistical analysis. Results. The study was conducted in Bulle and Chencha districts of Southern region of Ethiopia with the objective to identify adaptable and high forage yield- ing vetch species for the high lands of the region. Five vetch species (Vicia sativa L., V. dasycarpa Ten., V. atropurpurea Desf., V. villosa Roth. and V. benghalensis L.) were tested at both locations for two years. The result showed that there was signifi cant variation in dry matter yield of the tested species in the two locations. Vetches planted at Bulle performed well when compared with Chencha area with mean DM yield of 5.3 and 1.2 t/ha, respectively. Among the vetch species, Vicia sativa, Vicia villosa, Vicia dasycarpa, and Vicia bengalensis adapted well at Bulle and produced on average 4 to 7 t/ha forage DM. In Chencha area, V. dasycarpa and V. villosa were the best performing species with forage DM yield of 1.6-1.8 t/ha. Conclusions. The vetch species tested in the current study could be used for conventional pasture and forage production, in livestock exclu- sion areas, in forage strips, as an under-sowing with food crops, or as a backyard forage crop in the southern highlands of Ethiopia.

Smallholders’ avocado production systems and tree productivity in the southern highlands of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is one of the top five avocado producers in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite increasing recognition for its nutritional value and economic importance, information on smallholder avocado production systems across agro-climatic zones and determinants for tree productivity are literally lacking. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the determinants for avocado tree holdings by smallholder farmers and investigate the effect of avocado production systems and management conditions on fruit yield by individual avocado trees in Southern Ethiopia. Data required for the study was collected through a combination of focus group discussions, household survey and field tree inventories. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, analyses of variance and linear regression methods using statistical software for social sciences (SPSS version 20). In the study region, avocado is mainly grown as an integral component of the coffee- and enset-based agroforestry systems. The number of avocado trees owned by smallholder producers was related to district, sex of household head, age of household head, educational status, land holding size, pest and disease damage and access to extension services. Productivity of avocado was significantly (p < 0.05) different between production systems. The highest avocado fruit yield was observed from trees grown in the coffee and enset-based agroforestry systems. However, the smallholder producers complain that the yields of coffee and enset grown under avocado trees could be very low. The total height of avocado trees was significantly (p < 0.05) different across the different production systems. The mean heights of matured (21–25 years old) avocado trees were 17.57 ± 0.86 m (±SE; N = 20) under coffee-based agroforestry system and 14.93 ± 1.24 m when grown as individual trees around homes. Proper extension support is needed to disseminate improved production techniques: encompassing proper tree spacing, tree training, pruning, soil amendments, growing optimum number of trees for successful pollination and improved harvesting.

Preferences for land sales legalization and land values in Ethiopia

This study investigates attitudes towards legalizing land sales and Willingness to Accept (WTA) sales prices and compensation prices for land among smallholder households in the southern highlands of Ethiopia. Household panel data from 2007 and 2012 are used. The large majority of the sample prefers land sales to remain illegal, and the resistance to legalizing land sales increased from 2007 to 2012. While resistance against land sales was strongest among the most land poor in 2007, the relatively more land rich had become more negative towards legalizing land sales in 2012. Younger age and more education were not associated with a more positive attitude towards legalizing land sales. In the same period, perceived median real land values increased sharply but also exhibit substantial local variation with higher land values in areas with better market access. Stated minimum land sales prices increased with farm size in 2012. The substantial increase in perceived land values, high economic growth and outmigration of youth have yet to persuade the rural population in southern Ethiopia to open the land sales market.

Soil Quality Variation under Enset based Conservation Tillage and Cereal based Conventional Tillage System in Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

With the objectives of assessing the variation of soil quality indicators; two land use types: Enset based conservation tillage system (EBCSTS) and Cereal based conventional tillage system (CBCVTS) were selected in Gedeo zone, Bule woreda, Southern Ethiopia. A total of 48 composite and undisturbed (for bulk density determination) soil samples (2 land use types_4 blocks_3 replication_2 soil depth: 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm) were collected for laboratory analysis. The result showed that soil textural fractions (sand, p<0.001; silt, p = 0.003 and clay = p = 0.001) and soil pH (p<0.001) significantly varied with land use types. Moreover, soil moisture content (p<0.001), bulk density (p = 0.016, p = 0.002), SOC (p<0.001), TN (p<0.001) and CEC (p<0.001, p = 0.001) have shown significant variation with land use types and soil depth respectively. Sand and clay were higher in EBCSTS and CBCVTS, respectively. Higher amount of sand fraction was observed under 0-15 cm on EBCSTS and 15-30 cm on CBCVTS land use types. Lower soil bulk density (g cm -3 ) and higher amount of SOC (%), TN (%), soil pH, CEC (meq/100g soil) and SMC (%) were observed at 0–15 cm soil layer under the EBCSTS. Soil bulk density (g cm -3 ), soil pH and SMC (%) increased while SOC (%), CEC (meq/100g soil) and TN (%) decreased with soil depth in both land use types. Improvement in the soil quality under EBCSTS was due to the presence of less soil disturbance coupled with higher addition of organic matter (SOM) in the soil. Thus, through implementing EBCSTS, it is possible to protect and maintain soil qualities for sustainable soil management and cropping practices in the area.

Registration of ‘AMBERICHO’ a Newly Released Field Pea (Pisum sativum L) Variety for the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

Ambericho (IG-51664) with a large and white seeded field pea variety was selected and developed by Areka Agricultural Research Center, southern Ethiopia. This variety was selected from the regional variety trial tested together 15 other test genotypes including local and standard checks at 8 environments. Finally the variety was officially released for wider production in the southern highlands of Ethiopia.

Fertilizer adoption, credit access, and safety nets in rural Ethiopia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of access to credit and safety nets on fertilizer adoption in rural Ethiopia. Design/methodology/approach – A panel data set collected in 2005 and 2007 on 278 households and over 5,700 plots from the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia is examined. The authors developed a theoretical model relating input use and credit contract under third-party credit collateral agreement. The estimation is based on instrumental variables regressions to account for the endogeneity of credit access, and safety nets in fertilizer demand equation. Findings – Despite increasing trends in fertilizer and improved varieties adoption since mid-2003, only 22 percent of the plots in the sample is actually received fertilizer. Households with more assets measured by livestock wealth are more likely to adopt fertilizer but less likely to participate in the local credit market as they have better savings that could be used to buy fertilizer/improved seeds without credit contract. This suggests poorer farmers heavily depend on credit than wealthier. Participation in safety nets programs did not contribute for increased use of fertilizer suggesting that the program either competes with agricultural labor or the low wage income was not enough to pay for farm inputs. Practical implications – The findings show that with a heavier reliance on credit by poorer farmers it appears that much might be gained by targeting policies toward increasing credit access to this group. Originality/value – Studies that utilize repeated plot- and household-level observations are limited. To the knowledge, this is the first study showing the relationship between credit accesses, public work program and fertilizer adoption over time in rural Ethiopia.

The Dorze Weavers of Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a country with an ancient history and a rich tradition of crafts, still to be discovered by mainstream tourism. Whilst traveling here, I was impressed by the beautiful artisan work and the truly original craftsmanship I found, untouched by mass markets and fashion trends. These ranged from the unique leather clad baskets of the north and beautiful silver jewelry of Tigray to the highly skilled basketwork of the women of Harar and the extraordinary skills of the South Omo Valley tribespeople. However, it is the weaving tradition, which particularly interested me. Whether in the capital, Addis Ababa, or walking in the remote Simien mountains, simple textiles made with the most basic equipment are worn and used everywhere; unlike in many other parts of Africa, traditional handwoven fabrics have remained a part of everyday life. It is the Dorze people who are renowned throughout Ethiopia for their weaving tradition and skills, and I went back to find out more about them, their history and craft, traveling to their homeland in the southern highlands of Ethiopia.

Farmer Seed Exchange and Crop Diversity in a Changing Agricultural Landscape in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia

The southern highlands of Ethiopia are home to some of the planet’s oldest agricultural systems, dating back 10,000 years (Brandt et al. 1997), and are considered a global center of crop diversity (Vavilov and Chester 1951). The highland landscape is made up of a patchwork of small, diverse subsistence farms, grasslands, and forests where the lines between ‘human’ and ‘natural’ are indistinct, and the actions of farmers are a driving force in the distribution of biodiversity. Crop diversity serves both to buffer the global food supply against environmental change and pest and disease outbreaks, and to maintain the sustainability of traditional small-scale agricultural systems (Gepts 2006). These diverse crops and varieties are created and maintained through seed exchange among farmers, and the scales and strengths of these pathways have enormous influence on agricultural biodiversity. In order to understand patterns of diversity, it is therefore useful to explore the patterns of farmer seed exchange that influence farmers’ use of and access to agricultural biodiversity, and the ways in which cultural, demographic, and agricultural changes have the potential to enhance or erode that diversity. Our research focuses on four related questions: 1) How the scales and mechanisms of seed exchange affect diversity; 2) How those practices differ among locations, agroecological zones, and individual farms; 3) How and why those practices are changing; and 4) What the effects of those changes on diversity in this agroecosystem may be.

The restricted range of the Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni is a consequence of high reliance on modified habitats within narrow climatic limits

We attempt to describe and explain the pecu- liarly restricted distribution of the globally threatened Ethiopian Bush-crow Zavattariornis stresemanni .A t a regional scale, models containing only correlates of land cover suggested a far wider distribution of suitable habitat in north-east Africa than the area actually occupied. However, models including only climate variables pre- dicted the known distribution almost perfectly, and sug- gested that the species' area of occupancy is delimited by a pocket of climate that is cooler, dryer and more seasonal than surrounding areas. The predicted probability of occurrence was low outside a narrow range of mean annual temperatures of 17.5-20C. Within the area predicted to be climatically most suitable, records of Bush-crows were concentrated in 1-km cells of marginally but significantly lower normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), indicating a preference for areas of lower photosynthetic activity. At a finer spatial scale within a 10-km 2 intensive study site in the core of the species' range, nests were located in 30-m cells of higher NDVI but always close to areas of lower NDVI. These areas of lower NDVI comprise open grassland, which standardised observations of indi- vidual birds showed to be the main foraging habitat. However, taller vegetation is also necessary for nesting and roosting; the average height of nests from the ground was nearly 5 m. Therefore, the species' range appears to be defined primarily by a unique climate pocket within which it shows a preference for park-like habitats of grassland interspersed with taller vegetation, largely the result of clearance of vegetation by people and their associated grazers. The diet appeared unspecialised and a wide range of feeding methods was observed. Models estimate the species' optimal climatic range to cover around 6,000 km 2 , of which perhaps 4,500 km 2 has suitable land cover. We tentatively estimate the global population to be at least 9,000 breeding pairs, with a potentially larger additional population of non-breeding birds, particularly nest-helpers. Several climate models predict increases in both tempera- ture and precipitation in the southern highlands of Ethiopia. The species' narrow climatic range suggests that global climate change may therefore pose a serious threat to its long-term survival.

Effect of prior land use on the recolonization of native woody species under plantation forests in the highlands of Ethiopia

Effect of prior land use on the recolonization of native woody species in plantation forests was investigated by assessing naturally regenerating flora (NRF) and soil seed banks (SSB) in plantation forests established on abandoned farmland and cleared natural forest sites in southern highlands of Ethiopia. Eucalyptus saligna and Cupressus lusitanica, two of the most widely planted tree species in the highlands of Ethiopia, were considered in the plantation treatments. About 66 plant species were recorded in the NRF and 55 plant species germinated from the soil samples collected for SSB analysis. Seedlings from the SSB were dominantly herbs, which accounted for 75% of the identified species germinated from the SSB, and native woody species accounted only for 10%. On the contrary, in the NRF native woody species were slightly more dominant (49%) than the herbs (45%). There was high species similarity between the NRF beneath the plantations and the standing vegetation in the adjacent natural forest. On the contrary there was very low similarity between the seedlings emerged from the SSB and the standing vegetation in the adjacent natural forest. Effect of prior land use was apparently stronger on the species composition of the SSB than the species richness of NRF under the plantations. The results also showed that overstory plantation species had stronger influence on the species richness of NRF rather than the pre-plantation land use history. As the SSB of the plantation sites lacked viable seed reserves for most of the naturally regenerating woody plants recorded underneath the plantations of both sites, it was assumed that seed dispersal from the adjacent natural forest has played major role in the recolonization process. From these results it could be shown that establishment of plantation forests either on abandoned farmland or directly on degraded natural forest sites can create comparable enabling environment for the recovery of the native forest flora, even if SSB are devoid of viable seeds of woody species, provided that there is a natural forest in the vicinity to donate seeds.

Soil organic matter dynamics after deforestation along a farm field chronosequence in southern highlands of Ethiopia

Abstract Depletion of soil organic matter (SOM) is a major component of soil degradation that threatens the sustainability of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopia. In this study, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (N) dynamics following deforestation and subsequent cultivation were evaluated using natural abundance of 13C and 15N along a farm field chronosequence cleared from tropical dry Afromontane forest in south central Ethiopia. Soil samples were collected from five closely located farm fields cultivated for 7, 10, 26, 34 and 53 years after clearance and from an adjacent natural forest soil. All the soils in the study were Mollic Andosols/Humic Haplustands. The δ13C values of the SOC of the farm fields in the 0–10 and 10–20 cm layers were significantly elevated compared to the natural forest soil. In the 0–10 cm layer, the lowest δ13C value of −23.17‰±0.36 was recorded from the natural forest soil and the highest value of −15.7‰±1.50 from the 53-year-old farm field. Fractionation of the SOC of the bulk soil based on the δ13C values showed that in the 0–10 cm layer the SOC of the forest origin declined by 74.6%, which is equivalent to 54.1 Mg C ha−1 or 740 kg ha−1 year−1, where as SOC input from the agricultural crops was low (240 kg ha−1 year−1). However, part of the SOC of the forest origin lost from the surface 0–10 cm soil layer was translocated to the 10–20 cm layer. The SOC derived natural forest approached steady state around 30 years after cultivation while the SOC derived from agricultural crops reached steady state already after 10 years. The results show that the remaining forest derived SOC is recalcitrant while the SOC derived from agricultural crops has a relatively short mean residence time. The soils of the farm fields also showed increasing δ15N values indicating a loss of N from the system. The increasing δ15N values were consistent with the loss of total N along the chronosequence. A continued loss of N combined with insufficient input of fertilizer will result in a decreased productivity of the studied farming systems.

Soil carbon stocks and turnovers in various vegetation types and arable lands along an elevation gradient in southern Ethiopia

Soil carbon (C) and total N stocks and turnovers were investigated in five vegetation types and following deforestation and conversion of each vegetation types into arable lands along a 37-km elevation transect in southern highlands of Ethiopia. The elevation transect spanned five different eco-climatic zones from semiarid to cool sub-Afroalpine range, each with different vegetation type. Soil C and total N stocks in the upper 0.60 m mineral soil under the natural vegetations varied from 40.3 Mg C ha −1 and 5.3 Mg N ha −1 at the semiarid Acacia woodland (AWL) eco-climatic zone to 234.6 Mg C ha −1 and 20.2 Mg N ha −1 at the humid Podocarpus falcatus forest (PFF) eco-climatic zone, respectively. This trend was directly proportional to the mean annual precipitation and inversely proportional to the mean annual temperature prevailing along the elevation gradient. The soils of the farmlands had significantly lower soil C and total N stocks than the soils under the natural vegetations. Losses of soil C and total N from the upper 0–10 cm soil depth following conversion of the natural vegetations to farmlands were highest at the humid PFF eco-climatic zone and lowest at the semiarid AWL eco-climatic zone. The average rates of soil C losses ranged between 2.0% and 3.0% per annum in the sub-humid to humid eco-climatic zones and 0.5–1.0% per annum in the semiarid lowland or the cool sub-Afroalpine eco-climatic zones. The results revealed the existence of considerable differences, as large as 191.7 Mg C ha −1, in soil C stocks along the elevation gradient, and wide range of differences in the rate and amount of soil C and total N losses following conversion of natural vegetations into arable lands.

Maytenus eritreana sp. nov. and M. addat (Loes.) comb. nov. (Celastraceae) from northern Ethiopia

The new species Maytenus eritreana Sebsebe is described from northern Ethiopia. The new combination M. addat (Loes.) Sebsebe is made; this species occurs in the central and southern highlands of Ethiopia. The distribution of the two species is mapped.