Ethiopia Project

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These digital collection contains materials related to the NSF-funded project "CNH: Assessing Vulnerability of Provisioning Services in the Southern Highlands of Ethiopia," which highlighted the importance of biodiversity in providing ecosystem services that support traditional and non-traditional livelihoods for rural communities in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia.

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Open Access
Application of Landsat 8 imagery and statistical models for mapping critical headwater wetlands of Ethiopia
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2014) Chignell, Stephen, author; Anderson, Ryan, author; Wakie, Tewodros, author
The Bale Mountains of south-central Ethiopia comprise one of Africa's least-studied massifs, and are home to the world-renowned Bale Mountain National Park. A designated Biodiversity Hotspot, the area also serves as the headwaters for five major rivers that flow out of the mountains, supporting 12 million people in the arid lowlands to the east. In recent years, development in the surrounding area has forced many agro-pastoralists into the highlands, and approximately 40,000 people now live within the park boundaries. Mapping the location and extent of the region's water resources has been identified as a key research need for local park officials and conservation groups as they work to sustainably accommodate this massive influx of people and livestock. Of particular concern are the region's numerous alpine lakes and wetlands, as they are essential for wildlife habitat, water quality, and discharge timing for both upstream and downstream users throughout the dry season. This study used environmental indices derived from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared data, topographic variables, and species distribution models to map all perennial alpine lakes and wetlands in the Bale Mountains. Resulting models of wetlands and lakes had classification accuracies of 97% and 100%, respectively. These represent the first comprehensive maps of their kind in Bale, and will facilitate the targeting of conservation and research efforts in the region. Additionally, the methodology is applicable in other remote areas around the world where field data is sparse and regular monitoring is needed.
Open Access
Application of Landsat 8 imagery and statistical models for mapping critical headwater wetlands of Ethiopia
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2014) Chignell, Stephen, author; Anderson, Ryan, author; Wakie, Tewodros, author
The Bale Mountains of south-central Ethiopia comprise one of Africa's least-studied massifs, and are home to the world-renowned Bale Mountain National Park. A designated Biodiversity Hotspot, the area also serves as the headwaters for five major rivers that flow out of the mountains, supporting 12 million people in the arid lowlands to the east. In recent years, development in the surrounding area has forced many agro-pastoralists into the highlands, and approximately 40,000 people now live within the park boundaries. Mapping the location and extent of the region's water resources has been identified as a key research need for local park officials and conservation groups as they work to sustainably accommodate this massive influx of people and livestock. Of particular concern are the region's numerous alpine lakes and wetlands, as they are essential for wildlife habitat, water quality, and discharge timing for both upstream and downstream users throughout the dry season. This study used environmental indices derived from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared data, topographic variables, and species distribution models to map all perennial alpine lakes and wetlands in the Bale Mountains. Resulting models of wetlands and lakes had classification accuracies of 97% and 100%, respectively. These represent the first comprehensive maps of their kind in Bale, and will facilitate the targeting of conservation and research efforts in the region. Additionally, the methodology is applicable in other remote areas around the world where field data is sparse and regular monitoring is needed.
Open Access
Assessing habitat quality of the mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Evangelista, Paul H., author; Norman, John, III, author; Swartzinki, Paul, author; Young, Nicholas E., author; Current Zoology, publisher
Populations of the endangered mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni are significantly threatened by the loss of critical habitat. Population estimates are tentative, and information on the species' distribution and available habitat is required for formulating immediate management and conservation strategies. To support management decisions and conservation priorities, we integrated information from a number of small-scale observational studies, interviews and reports from multiple sources to define habitat parameters and create a habitat quality model for mountain nyala in the Bale Mountains. For our analysis, we used the FunConn model, an expertise-based model that considers spatial relationships (i.e., patch size, distance) between the species and vegetation type, topography and disturbance to create a habitat quality surface. The habitat quality model showed that approximately 18,610 km2 (82.7% of our study area) is unsuitable or poor habitat for the mountain nyala, while 2,857 km2 (12.7%) and 1,026 km2 (4.6%) was ranked as good or optimal habitat, respectively. Our results not only reflected human induced habitat degradation, but also revealed an extensive area of intact habitat on the remote slopes of the Bale Mountain's southern and southeastern escarpments. This study provides an example of the roles that expert knowledge can still play in modern geospatial modeling of wildlife habitat. New geospatial tools, such as the FunConn model, are readily available to wildlife managers and allow them to perform spatial analyses with minimal software, data and training requirements. This approach may be especially useful for species that are obscure to science or when field surveys are not practical.
Open Access
Bale Mountains forest tree demography data
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013-2014) Young, Nicholas E.; Romme, William H.; Evangelista, Paul; Mengistu, Tefera; Worede, Aserat
Prism sampling data across the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. These data are collected from four different forests: Adelle, Rira, Odo-Bulu and Demaro.
Open Access
Bale Mountains vegetation classification
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Evangelista, Paul
Vegetation cover for the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Field data and spatial environmental data were used with a classification and regression tree model to develop the map. The map is at 30 meter resolution and includes 12 different vegetation classes.
Open Access
Demographic observations of mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni in a controlled hunting area, Ethiopia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Evangelista, Paul, author; Young, Nicholas, author; Swift, David, author; Wolde, Asrat, author; OMICS International, publisher
The highlands of Ethiopia are inhabited by the culturally and economically significant mountain nyala Tragelaphus buxtoni, an endemic spiral horned antelope. The natural range of this species has become highly fragmented with increasing anthropogenic pressures; driving land conversion in areas previously considered critical mountain nyala habitat. Therefore, baseline demographic data on this species throughout its existing range are needed. Previous studies on mountain nyala demographics have primarily focused on a confined portion of its known range where trophy hunting is not practiced. Our objectives were to estimate group size, proportion of females, age class proportions, and calf and juvenile productivity for a sub-population of mountain nyala where trophy hunting is permitted and compare our results to recent and historical observations. We collected four years of demographic data using direct point counts in a controlled hunting area and summarized the data using the R statistical software. Our results show that estimated proportion of females (0.63; 0.56-0.69) was similar to recent studies of non-hunted populations, but group size (3.74; 3.34-4.13), juvenile productivity (0.47; 0.35-0.62) and age class proportions (calves: 0.17 juveniles: 0.19 adults: 0.64) were considerably different. Our results are more similar to historical accounts than those in a national park. We demonstrate that the mountain nyala's population structure and health varies across its range and may relate to the different management strategies and policies. We recommend using similar methods for remaining under surveyed sub-populations of mountain nyala to inform conservation actions at the landscape scale.
Open Access
Intensive modified Whittaker plot locations in the Bale Mountains
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Evangelista, Paul
Spatial locations of Intensive Modified Whittaker plot locations in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Each location represents the center of a 20 meter x 50 meter plot where vegetation and wildlife data were collected.
Open Access
List of plant species found in the Bale Mountains
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2009-2015) Evangelista, Paul
A list of plant species found during multiple field sampling campaigns across and number of locations in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. Information includes scientific name, growth type, common name, local name and if the species is endemic or not.
Open Access
Local knowledge of plants and their uses among women in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) Luizza, Matthew W., author; Young, Heather, author; Kuroiwa, Christina, author; Evangelista, Paul, author; Worede, Aserat, author; Bussmann, Rainer W., author; Weimer, Amber, author; Botanical Research Institute of Texas, publisher
Women's local ecological knowledge (LEK) is noted by many scholars to be unique and important for local conservation and development planning. Although LEK integration is inherent to ethnobotanical research, in Ethiopia, the knowledge-gender link has not been fully explored, and few studies focus on women's distinct plant knowledge. We catalogued rural women's knowledge of a wide range of plant uses in south-central Ethiopia, conducted through picture identification of 337 local plants. Fifty-seven plant species were identified, constituting 38 families, with the top five families being Lamiaceae, Solanaceae, Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Pteridaceae. An array of uses were identified ranging from food, livestock and wildlife forage, to honey production and cosmetics. The most prevalent use noted (nearly 70%) was human medicine. This study reveals the important contribution of rural women's plant knowledge in the Bale Mountains, and the potential benefits of including this gender-distinct understanding of local flora in community-based conservation planning.
Open Access
Mapping four decades of fire history for targeted conservation in the south-central highlands of Ethiopia
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2015) Chignell, Stephen, author; Fowler, Chandra, author; Hopping, Kelly, author; Schulte, Darin, author
The Bale Mountains of south-central Ethiopia comprise one of the largest and least studied mountain systems in Africa. An internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot, the region is home to Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanetti Plateau, which provide critical alpine habitat for numerous endemic and endangered species, such as the mountain nyala. Ethiopian agro-pastoralists in the region practice intentional burning to clear land for grazing and planting; however, pressures related to climate change and increasing populations have made understanding the frequency and extent of burning a top priority for conservationists and land managers seeking to balance conservation goals with the needs of local communities. To address this need, we mapped historical fire extent and frequency in the unique, high-altitude Ericaceous shrublands of Bale, using all available dry-season scenes from 42 years (1973-2015) of the Landsat record. We spatially and spectrally linked imagery within the LandsatLinkr R package to visualize landscape disturbances with a tasseled cap time series. A quantitative assessment of burned areas derived from the normalized burn ratio found that nearly all Ericaceous vegetation in the study area has burned since 1995, but with few repeated fires in the same location. Our results were not only in agreement with two MODIS Burned Area products and fire records compiled from the literature, but also improved upon their spatial resolution and augmented their temporal record. Maps and spatial data of fire date, extent, and frequency were disseminated to partners working in Ethiopia. These will support detailed studies of fire ecology in Bale and inform management approaches that ensure the preservation of the region's natural resources and the social-ecological systems they support.
Open Access
Mapping four decades of fire history for targeted conservation in the south-central highlands of Ethiopia
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2015) Chignell, Stephen, author; Fowler, Chandra, author; Hopping, Kelly, author; Schulte, Darin, author
The Bale Mountains of south-central Ethiopia comprise one of the largest and least studied mountain systems in Africa. An internationally recognized biodiversity hotspot, the region is home to Bale Mountains National Park and the Sanetti Plateau, which provide critical alpine habitat for numerous endemic and endangered species, such as the mountain nyala. Ethiopian agro-pastoralists in the region practice intentional burning to clear land for grazing and planting; however, pressures related to climate change and increasing populations have made understanding the frequency and extent of burning a top priority for conservationists and land managers seeking to balance conservation goals with the needs of local communities. To address this need, we mapped historical fire extent and frequency in the unique, high-altitude Ericaceous shrublands of Bale, using all available dry-season scenes from 42 years (1973-2015) of the Landsat record. We spatially and spectrally linked imagery within the LandsatLinkr R package to visualize landscape disturbances with a tasseled cap time series. A quantitative assessment of burned areas derived from the normalized burn ratio found that nearly all Ericaceous vegetation in the study area has burned since 1995, but with few repeated fires in the same location. Our results were not only in agreement with two MODIS Burned Area products and fire records compiled from the literature, but also improved upon their spatial resolution and augmented their temporal record. Maps and spatial data of fire date, extent, and frequency were disseminated to partners working in Ethiopia. These will support detailed studies of fire ecology in Bale and inform management approaches that ensure the preservation of the region's natural resources and the social-ecological systems they support.
Open Access
Measuring and interpreting the ecosystem service of forest biodiversity
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2015-03) Romme, William, author
Biodiversity provides a supporting service to millions of people in the world and for those living in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. Collecting data, analyzing data and interpreting results on forest biodiversity is challenging and this presentation provides a description of the terms, methods and analysis associated with this task.
Open Access
Plant use in Odo-Bulu and Demaro, Bale region, Ethiopia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2011) Bussmann, Rainer W., author; Swartzinsky, Paul, author; Worede, Aserat, author; Evangelista, Paul, author; BioMed Central, publisher
This paper reports on the plant use of laypeople of the Oromo in Southern Ethiopia. The Oromo in Bale had names/uses for 294 species in comparison to 230 species documented in the lower reaches of the Bale area. Only 13 species was used for veterinary purposes, or as human medicine (46). Plant medicine served mostly to treat common everyday ailments such as stomach problems and diarrhea, for wound treatment and as toothbrush-sticks, as anthelmintic, for skin infections and to treat sore muscles and. Interestingly, 9 species were used to treat spiritual ailments and to expel demons. In most cases of medicinal applications the leaves or roots were employed. Traditional plant knowledge has clearly declined in a large part of the research area. Western style health care services as provided by governments and NGOs, in particular in rural areas, seem to have contributed to a decline in traditional knowledge, in part because the local population simply regards western medicine as more effective and safer.
Open Access
Range distribution of the mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni) in Ethiopia
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2008) Evangelista, Paul
The use of statistical models to predict species distributions and suitable habitat has become an essential tool for wildlife management and conservation planning. Models have been especially useful with rare and endangered wildlife species. One such species is the mountain nyala (Tragelaphus buxtoni), a spiral-horned antelope endemic to the Ethiopian highlands. The full range of the species has never been adequately defined and recent discoveries of new populations suggest that others may exist undetected. To identify potential mountain nyala occurrences, we used classification tree analysis to predict suitable habitat using 76 climatic, topographical and vegetative variables. Three model evaluation methods showed a strong performance of the final model with an overall accuracy of 90%, Cohen's maximised κ of 0.80 and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) value of 0.89. Minimum temperature and maximum precipitation generally had the greatest predictive contributions to suitable mountain nyala habitat. The predicted habitat covered an area of 39378 km2, with the majority occurring in remote forests on the southern escarpment of the Bale Mountains. Other areas within the predicted range may be too impacted by human and livestock populations to support mountain nyala; however, the model will be useful in directing future surveys for new populations while offering clues to the species historical range.
Open Access
Tree species demographics and dynamics in the native forest at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, central Ethiopia
(Colorado State Univesity. Libraries, 2014) Romme, William, author; Sturtevant, Bob, author; Mengistu, Tefera, author
The extent and ecological integrity of native forests in Ethiopia have been greatly diminished during the past century. Native forests continue to be threatened by conversion to agricultural fields or plantations of non-native tree species, by excessive harvesting and wood collection, and by climate change. Due to a paucity of research, we know little about the ecology of most native forest species, about the overall dynamics of native forest communities, or about the capacity of individual native tree species to respond to current and future threats. A group of students and faculty at Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resource Management in central Ethiopia examined the demography of two common tree species in a 8-ha tract of native forest located on the College campus. Numbers and diameters of Podocarpus falcatus and Croton macrostachus were tallied in six 200-600 m2 plots. The size class distribution of Podocarpus resembled an inverse J form, with a preponderance of smaller stems but some large individuals up to 226 cm dbh--indicative of a relatively stable population capable of regenerating beneath the established forest canopy. In contrast, most Croton were 20-50 cm dbh, with only a few larger or smaller individuals--reflecting a discrete pulse of regeneration, probably following a local disturbance that created gaps in the forest canopy. These results suggest that the shade-intolerant Croton is more resilient to clearing or harvesting than is the shade-tolerant Podocarpus. However, key questions remain, notably the date and nature of the disturbance that produced this documented pulse of Croton regeneration, the optimal and maximum size of opening can be colonized by Croton, and whether Podocarpus regeneration is restricted to intact canopy settings (as suggested by these findings) or if this species can regenerate in openings as well.

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