Journal de la biodiversité et des espèces menacées

Effect of Land Use Change on Wood Species Diversity, Carbon Stock and Implication for Sustainable Conservation of Biodiversity in Ethiopia

Abstract

Tahir Abdela

 Land use-cover change (LULCC) is one of the anthropogenic activities that contributes to biodiversity loss and is the major source of greenhouse gas emissions (12-20%) in the tropics and around the world, affecting human well-being and disrupting ecosystem functionality. The goal of this review study is to evaluate the causes of LULCC in Ethiopia, as well as trends on forest land, effects on plant species diversity and carbon stock, and implications for sustainable landscape management. LULCC was primarily impacted by population growth, agricultural development, settlement, institutional factors, insufficient regulatory enforcement, and an undervalued ecology. At the regional, national and regional scales, these changes have profound influence plant species diversity and carbon stock potential for alterations of normal ecosystem function, particularly loss of plant biodiversity at genetic and species levels and rise of CO2 in atmosphere .the result of all these have direct impacts on livelihoods of local communities and sustainable development. When land is converted from a relatively undisturbed state to more intensive use, plant species diversity is reduced. Farming, cattle grazing, selective tree harvesting, and other practices deplete carbon stocks, while unsustainable agricultural land practices, conversion of native forest to agricultural land, and poorly managed degraded land further deplete carbon stocks. Implementing sustainable forest management and agriculture practises such as agro-forestry are offered as ways to revere this synergic conservation strategy.

Keywords: Conservation; Carbon stock; Land use; Land cover; Sustainable; Wood diversity

INTRODUCTION

Tropical forest, which include massive which called home to around half of terrestrial plant and animal species and provide several ecosystem services. Such as climate regulation, water supply and regulation, maintaining biodiversity, carbon storage, pollination and cultural values. However, today become shrinking mainly land  conversion was caused the 15% of the global GHG . Similarly, according to due to Land use changes the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions 12-20% in tropics and threat the world Biodiversity that serve the human wellbeing loss of Lehman and Tilman .According to FAO finding indicated, in Africa the dramatically loss of  forest twice world rate of deforestation held four million hectare per year and poor agricultural practices caused to 65% emissions.  Line with this, in tropic deforestation lead CO2 emissions in the 1990s, which accounted from 0.5 up to 2.7 Giga tone of carbon (GtC) per year. This concerns led to extensive international discussions and negotiations to seek solution .

In Ethiopia, too, the previously observed abundance of biological resources is now declining at an alarming rate as a result of anthropogenic activities such as changing land use and land cover, which has resulted in fast fragmentation. It's partly because of Africa's rapid population increase, which has resulted in massive LULC from natural vegetation to farming and habitation, which has resulted in biodiversity loss.

In Ethiopia's highlands, this outcome is vulnerable to land degradation. Inappropriate agricultural practices and high human and livestock population pressure were the main reason lead to biodiversity loss, deforestation, soil  erosion and soil quality in the highlands. Besides, it becomes series effect CO2 of emission and the currently rate could rise more carbon emission into the atmosphere and enhancing the climate change and loss of biodiversity

Understanding the effects of diverse land uses on species diversity and carbon stock is vital for policymakers and effective land use management in order to respond and address the aforementioned problem. As well as being necessary for ecosystem functioning and stability, it also necessitates worldwide attention and ongoing monitoring of changes. Furthermore, there have been few comprehensive studies of biodiversity and carbon stocks in Ethiopia, particularly in relation to land use, ecosystem management, and climate mitigation. Hence, this review subject to analysis the different paper and to seek compressive idea that helps implication to ensure sustainable development and understand the dynamics of the changing environment. To examine the relevant effect of LULC change on plant diversity and carbon stock across various land use types and to highlight effective land use practices, as well as to find the best current state of knowledge reported by the scientific community to help suggest holistic sustainable conservation biodiversity and carbon at land escape and to formulate improved policy and ensure.