Belachew Gizachew Zeleke
Forsker
(+47) 902 48 909
belachew.gizachew@nibio.no
Sted
Ås - Bygg H8
Besøksadresse
Høgskoleveien 8, 1433 Ås
Forfattere
Dagnew Yebeyen Burru Jayaraman Durai Melaku Anteneh Chinke Gudeta W. Sileshi Yashwant S. Rawat Belachew Gizachew Zeleke Selim Reza Fikremariam Haile Desalegne Kassa Toshe WorassaSammendrag
Highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina) plays a vital role in supporting local livelihoods, fostering biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management. Despite these benefits, its significant potential for carbon sequestration remains underutilized withinEthiopia’s climate mitigation strategies. In this study, we developed site-specific allometric equations to assess the biomass and carbon storage potential of highland bamboo. Datawere collected from the Garamba natural bamboo forest and Hula homestead bamboo stands in the Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia. Data on stand density and structurewere gathered using systematically laid transects and sample plots, while plant samples were analyzed in the laboratory to determine the dry-to-fresh weight ratios. We developedallometric models to estimate the aboveground biomass (AGB) and carbon stock. The study results indicated that homestead bamboo stands exhibited higher biomass accumulationthan natural bamboo stands. The AGB was estimated at 92.3 Mg ha−1in the natural forest and 118.3 Mg ha−1in homestead bamboo stands, with total biomass carbon storage of 52.1 Mg ha−1 and 66.7 Mg ha−1, respectively. The findings highlight the significant potential of highland bamboo for carbon sequestration in both natural stands and homesteads.Sustainable management of natural highland bamboo stands and integrating bamboo into farms can contribute to climate change mitigation, support ecosystem restoration, andenhance the socio-economic development of communities.
Sammendrag
The background for this study is the limitations of the conventional approach of using deforestation area multiplied by biomass densities or emission factors. We demonstrated how TanDEM-X and GEDI data can be combined to estimate forest Above Ground Biomass (AGB) change at the national scale for Tanzania. The results can be further recalculated to estimate CO2 emissions and removals from the forest. We used repeated short wavelength, InSAR DEMs from TanDEM-X to derive changes in forest canopy height and combined this with GEDI data to convert such height changes to AGB changes. We estimated AGB change during 2012–2019 to be −2.96 ± 2.44 MT per year. This result cannot be validated, because the true value is unknown. However, we corroborated the results by comparing with other approaches, other datasets, and the results of other studies. In conclusion, TanDEM-X and GEDI can be combined to derive reliable temporal change in AGB at large scales such as a country. An important advantage of the method is that it is not required to have a representative field inventory plot network nor a full coverage DTM. A limitation for applying this method now is the lack of frequent and systematic InSAR elevation data.
Forfattere
Belachew Gizachew Zeleke Deo D. Shirima Jonathan Rizzi Collins B. Kukunda Eliakimu ZahabuSammendrag
Tanzania dedicates a substantial proportion (38%) of its territory to conservation, with a large number of Protected Areas (PAs) managed under various regimes. Nevertheless, the country still experiences high rates of deforestation, which threaten the ecological integrity and socio-economic benefits of its forests. We utilized the Global Forest Change Dataset (2012–2022) and implemented a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach followed by a series of binomial logit regression modeling. Our objectives were to evaluate (1) the likelihood of PAs in avoiding deforestation compared with unprotected forest landscapes, (2) the variability in effectiveness among the different PA management regimes in avoiding deforestation, (3) evidence of leakage, defined here as the displacement of deforestation beyond PA boundaries as a result of protection inside PAs. Our findings reveal that, despite ongoing deforestation within and outside of PAs, conservation efforts are, on average, three times more likely to avoid deforestation compared with unprotected landscapes. However, the effectiveness of avoiding deforestation significantly varies among the different management regimes. National Parks and Game Reserves are nearly ten times more successful in avoiding deforestation, likely because of the stringent set of regulations and availability of resources for implementation. Conversely, Nature Forest Reserves, Game Controlled Areas, and Forest Reserves are, on average, only twice as likely to avoid deforestation, indicating substantial room for improvement. We found little evidence of the overall leakage as a consequence of protection. These results highlight the mixed success of Tanzania’s conservation efforts, suggesting opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of many less protected PAs. We conclude by proposing potential strategic pathways to enhance further the climate and ecosystem benefits of conservation in Tanzania.