Conservation of natural coffee forest in Ethiopia
Afromontane rainforest is predominantly found in the Southwest of Ethiopia. The area is part of the “Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot” and is characterized by a rich fauna and flora with many endemic species. This region experiences a rapid economic development with fast growing expansion of settlements and plantations of exotic timber, coffee and tea. The remnant forest patches are under increasing pressure from logging and disturbance.
In 2014 – 2015, BINCO worked for six months in the Belete-Gera forest, near Jimma, which is a national forest priority area. We assessed the diversity of butterflies, larger mammals (camera traps) and birds, and made an inventory of the species richness of amphibians and reptiles in the larger region. Prior to the expedition of BINCO, biodiversity knowledge was mainly limited to plants.
With this expedition we aimed to gain basic information on the diversity, occurrence and distribution of threatened and/or range-restricted species. We specifically look to identify areas of high biodiversity value and gain information on possible threats to these areas. Conversion to coffee agroforestry is one of the most imminent threats to natural forest in the region. In this project we compared the mammal diversity between natural forest and semi-intensified coffee forest to evaluate the impact in the landscape mosaic. A small guide for travelers who want to visit this area was developed.
Reports and Media
- Report: BES 3.2 Belete-Gera Forest. Biodiversity Express Survey. 2016.
Scientific publications
- Camera trap observation of crested rat (Lophiomys imhausi, Muroidea: Rodentia) in Belete-Gera montane rainforest, south-western Ethiopia. African Journal of Ecology. 2015.
- Newly discovered populations of the Ethiopian endemic and endangered Afrixalus clarkei Largen, implications for conservation. Zookeys. 2016.
- From natural forest to coffee agroforest: implications for communities of large mammals in the Ethiopian highlands. Oryx. 2018.
Other
Acraea serena
Hyperolius viridiflavus
Collaboration
Project leader