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.

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.

2. Bale Mountains
2700–3900 masl.
subalpine forests
and heathlands
Ethiopia
Addis Ababa
Gibe Valley
1100–1600
masl.
savanna
10°
40°

3. Take home Message 1:
- Prevent Wildfire
with Prescribed Fire

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

8. Patch-burning creates fuel-breaks in the landscape

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

10. February 2008
inside BMNP – few large burns
outside - many small burns

11. Fires have become -larger inside BMNP
- smaller outside

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