Presented by Maria Johansson (Stockholm Uni.) on 28 August 2019 at "Fire Trends in Ethiopia in the Context of REDD+ and FLR Investments" Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
REDD+ in Ethiopian silvipastoral systems: effects on vegetation, livelihoods and wildfire risk
1. REDD+ in Ethiopian silvipastoral systems:
effects on vegetation, livelihoods and wildfire risk
Maria Johansson, Stockholm Uni.
Kristoffer Hylander, Stockholm Uni.
Sileshi Nemomissa, Addis Ababa Uni.
Habtemariam Kassa, CIFOR
Carl Frisk, Uni. of Worcester
Senait Dereje Senay, Uni. of Minnesota
Emma Creathorn, Stockholm Uni.
4. Take home Message 2:
- Livestock prevent fire
by consuming surface fuels
5. The Bale Mountains Eco-Region
REDD+ project (2013)
REDD+
= large-scale landuse change to increase carbon storage
→ Increased quantity/connectivity of surface fuels
→ Increased ignition due to conflicting goals?
At the same time increased frequency of drought
6. 5 yr (0.6m)
Heathland fire cycle
2 yr (0.2m)
11 yr (1.9m)
0 yr (0m)
Highly flammable vegetation
- fire exclusion not feasible
7. A 14 000-year
fire history of
the Bale Mountain
Ericaceous belt
Feedback
Fire
9. Fire exclusion >10 years:
→loss of fuel breaks
Bale Mountains NP:
- Increased fire problem
February 2008April 2008
March 2019
Photo: MELCA-EthiopiaPhoto: Ian Fulton
12. Deep humus smoldering kills Erica lignotubers
-Late ignition during drought (March-April) when the
humus is dry
13. - No tree regeneration (due to shade)
10-yr biomass acc. max +2kg(dw)/m2 grass/litter
max +6 cm (2kg/m2) humus
Never cured 2006-2016
(Burnt after 1890´s Rinderpest)
Hagenia abyssinica forest exclosures 3400m
14. Gibe Valley
1100–1600 m.a.s.l. savanna
- Burnt & grazed for long time
Increased grazing → reduced grass fuel
→ “cool fires” → bush encroachment
15. - 2 yr grazing exclusion →high-intensity fire killing shrubs
- 1976 tse-tse →high-intensity fires killed tall trees
16. Recommendations:
* Knowledge of local fire ecology/history
* Understanding of landusers´ incentives
* Joint fire management in savanna & heathland
* Grazing + cut&carry surface fuel mgt in grazed forests
* Rethink scale and speed of forestation
* Joint fire mgt workshop in Botswana