The Munessa project: An Ethiopian perspective on functional ......C. lusitanica 2002-2003 2001-2002...
Transcript of The Munessa project: An Ethiopian perspective on functional ......C. lusitanica 2002-2003 2001-2002...
The Munessa project:
An Ethiopian perspective on functional ecology and
management of mountain forests
The Munessa GroupGeorg Guggenberger*, Erwin Beck, Achim Bräuning, Florian Fritzsche, Bruno Glaser, Hany El Kateb, Ingrid Kottke, Reinhard Mosandl, Klaus Müller-Hohenstein, Andreas
Nenninger, Daiel Rückamp, Simone Strobl, Wolfgang Zech
Alemu Gezahegne, Asferachew Abate, Aster Gebrekirstos, Demel Teketay, GetachewTesfaye, Girma Abebe, Masresha Fetene, Tesfaye Wubet
*Institute of Soil Science, Leibniz University Hannover
„Interdependencies between upland and lowland agriculture and resource management“University of Hohenheim, 1-4 April 2008
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Photos by Klaus Müller-Hohenstein
People arerelying on forest products fortheir ownutilisationand theirpersonal income
The problemNatural forests in Ethiopia
• High population growth rates(2.3% in 2006)
• Deforestation due to increasingdemands for agricultural landand timber
• Difficulty of regeneration due toheavy grazing
• Loss of biodiversity• Soil degradation and
environmental deterioration
⇒ Decreasing elasticity of ecosystemsand increasing vulnerabilityagainst environmental stress
The present-day responseForest Plantations
• Exotic tree monocultures, e.g.- Eucalyptus spp.- Cupressus lusitanica- Pinus patula
• Rotation time about25 to 35 years
• Consequences for- productivity- carbon storage and cycling- biodiversity- re-establishmentof native species
- potential utilizationof local people
⇒ Sustainability questionablePhoto by Klaus Müller-Hohenstein
Clear cut of Eucalyptusplantation
„Private cut“
of plantation
trees
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Goals
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Understanding of the functioning of mountain forests• Knowledge and integration of ecological key processes
- Water fluxes- Nutrient fluxes- Carbon fluxes- Diversity- Regeneration
• Needs and utilization of forest by local population
⇒ Interdisciplinary approach is necessary
Development of concepts for sustainable forest management⇒ Interaction with governmental institutions, forest
enterprises and local communities
Case studies in the Munessa forest
• Ecological gradient from semi-arid Zuway-Shalla Basin to subhumidArsi Highland
• Geological substrate is homogenous, intermediate volcanic rock
Kuke
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Ecological gradient of the study area
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Process studiesat Kuke
Podocarpusfalcatus
Photos by Klaus Müller-Hohenstein
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Comparative studies atindividual tree level
• water, nutrient andcarbon dynamics inthe soil-plant system
• regenerationecology
• structure and functionof mycorrhiza
⇒ implications forforest management
Soil-plant hydrology and nutrient dynamicsLiving fine roots and root architecture
C. lusitanica
LFR (g m-3)
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Soil
dept
h (c
m)
10
35
60
85
100
Dry season (1m distance)
Wet season (1m distance)
Dry season (2m distance)Wet season (2m distance)
a
Total LFR: 0.88 kg m-2
E. globulus
LFR (g m-3)
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Soil
dept
h (c
m)
10
35
60
85
100
c
Total LFR: 0.27 kg m-2
Cupressus
P. falcatus
LFR (g m-3)
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Soil
dept
h (c
m)
10
35
60
85
100
b
Total LFR: 1.34 kg m-2
Podocarpus Eucalyptus
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Soil-plant hydrology and nutrient dynamicsSap flow in three native tree species
Total daily transpiration(mm H2O day-1)
0 1 2 3 4
Cupressuslusitanica
Podocarpusfalcatus
Eucalyptusglobulus
Wet periodDry period
• C. lusitanica high transpiration during wet period• E. globulus high transpiration during dry period
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Soil-plant hydrology and nutrient dynamicsSap matrix potential under different trees
• Soil under C. lusitanica is much drier than under P. falcatus• Soil under E. globulus is moist taps from deeper ground
Mean difference in matric potential to P. falcatus (hPa)
-100 -50 0 50 100 150
0
50
100
150
200
250
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2002-2003 2001-2002
C. lusitanica2002-2003 2001-2002
E. globulus
Soil
dept
h(c
m)
2001-02wet year
2002-03dry year
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Soil-plant hydrology and nutrient dynamicsNitrogen leaching under different trees
• Pronounced nitrate losses under Cupressus lusitanica
Median NO3- concentrations [mg L-1]
0 5 10 15 20
Naturalforest
Eucalyptusglobulus
Cupressuslusitanica
20 cm50 cm100 cm
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Regeneration ecologyRegeneration of P. falcatus under the canopy of exotic tree species
• There is a higher germination success of the indigenous treespecies Podocarpus falcatus under the canopy of exotic treespecies than under the natural canopy
Regeneration of P. falcatusunder different forest types
Relative growth rates of P. falcatusunder different forest types
dens
ity [s
aplin
gs/h
a]
0
500
1000
1500
2000
605
1188
1545
NaturalForest
EucalyptusSite
PinusSite
NF ES PSR
GR
[mm
/mon
th c
m]
0
1
2
3
4
0.36
1.13
0.52
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
PinusSite
EucalyptusSite
NaturalForest
Regeneration ecologyGenerally good regeneration of native species in some plantations
• Advantageous light climate under E. globulus• Good water supply in surface soil under E. globulus
Regeneration in E.globulus plantation
Relative growth rates0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Crotonmacrostachyus
Prunusafricana
Podocarpusfalcatus
shadegapopen
Relative growth rates at different light conditions
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
• Mycorrhizal community is diverse and• Differs between nurse tree and regenerating tree species
Consensus network of mycorrhizal fungi of Cupressus lusitanica(nurse tree), Prunus africana and Podocarpus falcatus
Mycorrhiza in plantation forests
Regeneration ecology
The landscape dimension
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Agriculturein the lower
savanna
Forest borderat the lowersavanna
Photos by Klaus Müller-Hohenstein
Homesteadat the upper
forest border
Agriculturein the uppersavanna
Human impact (landscape level)Land use map developed from aerial view
• Clear border at the lower margin of the Munessa forest (forest plantations)• Fragmentation at the upper margin due to settlements
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
lower savanna upper savanna
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
N storage in soils (t ha-1 50 cm-1) along the altitudinal gradient
Exchangeable K in soils (kmolc ha-1 50 cm-1) along the altitudinal gradientlower savanna forest upper savanna
Major findings so far
Individual level• Water-use strategy differs strongly between the different
tree species• The same is true for nutrient cycling• Regeneration of indigenous tree species is possible• Eucalyptus and Pinus are promising nurse trees,
possibly due to favorable light climate and water supply
Landscape level• Human influence and elevation gradient are the two
master variables controlling distribution patterns• Agroforestry appears to be a promising option
Investigations at stand level and silvicultural experiments just started
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Science and education - making use of a field stationThe Munessa Project field station at Kuke(funded by DFG/BMBF and managed by Addis Ababa University)
• provides accomodation• enables easy access to field sites• offers basic working facilties
Opportunities forqualification
• BSc/MSc studies
Training activities• Summer schools• Joint Ethiopian-
German fieldcourses
• Training forprofessionals
Open for guests• Scientists
• Study/training
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
We are grateful to DFG for fundingthe Munessa project
Thank you
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Central objectives of the next phase
Identify key ecophysiological traits of important functional typesat the individual tree level
• Carbon, water, nutrient relations of different life forms
Assess ecosystem attributes with respect to process regulation andstability at the stand level
• Climate-growth relationships using dendrochronology
• Below-ground carbon cycling and soil organic matterquality and turnover
Identify options for sustainable management of forest resources• To evaluate appropriate silvicultural management options
(conversion, intensive promotion, enrichment plantings)
• Inventory and monitoring system for forest managementand conservation
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Overview of silvicultural experiments
Age classTree species Protection by Fencing (+)
ControlControl(0)(0)
ConverConver--sionsion (2)(2)
Intense proIntense pro--motion (1)motion (1)
No Protection (-)
ControlControl(0)(0)
ConverConver--sionsion (2)(2)
Intense proIntense pro--motion (1)motion (1)
(years)
Eucalyptus(C) III (17-24) C III + 0 C III + 2C III + 1 C III - 0 C III - 2C III - 1
Cupressus(A)
I ( 2- 8) A I + 0 A I + 1 A I - 0 A I - 1
II ( 9-16) A II + 0 A II + 1 A II - 0 A II - 1
III (17-24) A III + 0 A III + 2A III + 1 A III - 0 A III - 2A III - 1
IV (≥ 25) A IV + 0 A IV + 2A IV + 1 A IV - 0 A IV - 2A IV - 1
New plantation A 0 + 0 A 0 + 1 A 0 - 0 A 0 - 1
Pinus(A)
I ( 2- 8) A I + 0 A I + 1 A I - 0 A I - 1
II ( 9-16) A II + 0 A II + 1 A II - 0 A II - 1
III (17-24) A III + 0 A III + 2A III + 1 A III - 0 A III - 2A III - 1
IV (≥ 25) A IV + 0 A IV + 2A IV + 1 A IV - 0 A IV - 2A IV - 1
New plantation A 0 + 0 A 0 + 1 A 0 - 0 A 0 - 1
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Working in EthiopiaEthiopian partners• Addis Ababa University
(Prof. Dr. Masresha Fetene, Dr. Sileshi Nemomissa)• Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research
(Dr. Solomon Asefa, Dr. Alemu Gezahegne)• Wondo Genet College of Forestry
(Dr. Zebene Asfaw, Dr. Aster Gebrekirstos)• Forest Stewardship Council, Regional Office Africa
(Dr. Demel Teketay)
Ethiopian students• Ethiopian PhD and MSc students
Stakeholders• Governmental and non-governmental organizations
(e.g., Shashemene-Munessa Forest Enterprise)• Local population
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Regeneration ecologyBeneficial modulation of the light climate of young trees by shelter trees
The extent of the nurse tree-effect strongly depends on the structure of the nurse (shelter) tree canopy
• Natural forest: Closed canopy, low light intensity, few light flecks• Eucalyptus forest: Partly closed canopy, moderate light, many light flecks• Pinus forest: More open canopy, optimal light intensity, moderate light flecks
Mitigation of peaks oflight intensity
Achievement of light flecks(stimulation of photosynthesis)
time 00:00 04:00 08:00 12:00 16:00 20:00 00:00
Sola
r rad
iatio
n [W
/m²]
0
25
50
75
100
Sola
r rad
iatio
n [W
/m²]
0
500
1000
1500
2000Natural Forest bottomPinus Site bottomoutside
Daily course of solar radiation in the open site, inside the natural forest and the Pinus forest (height of sensor 1.5 m)
-1,0
0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
5,0
6,0
9:00 12:00 15:00 18:00time
Assi
mila
tion
[µm
ol m
-2 s
-1]
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
PAR
[µm
ol m
-2 s
-1]
Assimilation PAR top
Daily course of assimilation of a P. falcatus sapling (height 2.0 m) and PAR in the Pinus forest
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
„Natural“Ecosystem
ForestManagement
UncontrolledDisturbance
Ecosystemfunctions
and services
AnthropogenicEcosystem
Unsustainable
Sustainable
Water cyclingNutrient cyclingCarbon cyclingDiversityRegenerationProductivity
(Coexistenceof variousfunctional
types)
The conceptional framework
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Jointexperiments
Example ofexperimentaldesign at siteKuke
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Guggenberger / Fetene
Belowground Carbon Cycling
Glaser / Zech
Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Dynamics
Beck / Fetene / Demel
Ecophysiology ofIndigenous Trees
Bräuning / Gebrekirstos
Tree Growthand Climate
StructureScale
Regionallevel
Standlevel
61 m
61 m
Buffer zone
25 m
25 m
Inner plot
Individualtree level
Read, 2002
Central ProjectManagement,
Database,Integration
Mosandl / El Kateb
Management Options in Plan-tation and Natural Forests
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Tasks and collaborationof group Beck et al.(EcophysiologicalParameters):
1. Water relations:Uptake of soil water from several depths (soil matricpotential - δ18O of water -stem water transport)Diurnal storage of water inthe tree (sensitive dendro-
meters - leaf water potentialLeaf & whole-tree transpiration
2. Carbon relations:Carbon uptake (photosynth.)Leaf respiration in relation tophotosynthesisRoot respiration (auto andheterotrophic respiration)
3. Nutrient relations:Nutrients in soil and plant(Nutrient analysis in soil,soil water, leaves and roots)
4. Growth:Stemgrowth: Height & diameterFine root growth
Guggenberger / Fetene
Belowground Carbon Cycling
Glaser / Zech
Soil Organic Matter and Nutrient Dynamics
Beck / Fetene / Demel
Ecophysiology ofIndigenous Trees
Bräuning / Gebrekirstos
Tree Growthand Climate
Example of collaboration
Mosandl / El Kateb
Management Options in Plan-tation and Natural Forests
Growth & diurnal water storage
Nutrients in soil & plant
Water relations &
carbon cycling
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia
Organization
• Five individual German-Ethiopian projects addressingimportant aspects of the Munessa forest
... using synergistic effects of a project package ...
• Shared key hypotheses
• Implementation of joint experiments and data sharing
• Coordinating scientist- Project management- Integration (e.g., manual, publications)
• Mutual support in infrastructure maintenance
• Common database (will be based on that of FOR Ecuador)
The Munessa forest project, Ethiopia