Emiru Birhane

• Ph.D.
• PostDoc Position at Mekelle univesity & Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Tropical dry forests remain vital to rural communities but are often degraded and require restoration. Biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem functioning and resilience and in providing essential services in these ecosystems. In many cases, restoration involves planting monospecific plantations of robust exotic species; however,...

The genus Dracaena comprises 190 living species with only a few species reaching the arborescent form i.e., the dragon tree group. It is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions. However, most dragon tree species including Dracaena ombet are endangered, and often endemic with isolated and insular populations with low abundances. D...

Land degradation in Ethiopia is escalating due to high population density and the shift from tree-based agricultural systems, like agroforestry practices (AFP), to monoculture farming. These land use changes, compounded by climate change, threaten biodiversity and soil resources. Key soil health parameters, such as glomalin, soil aggregation, and a...

In Ethiopia, exclosures have been established over large areas to restore degraded lands. Many knowledge gaps exist on the restoration effects, and future management faces many challenges. The main objective of this study was to enrich the knowledge base for managing exclosures in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. We first presented results for forest par...

Smallholder farmers face significant challenges such as soil infertility, land degradation, food insecurity, and climate vulnerability. In response, many farmers in Northern Ethiopia have integrated Vachellia etbaica, a drought-resistant tree native to the horn of Africa, into their land-use systems. However, its potential to improve soil fertility...

Ecosystem service valuation is crucial for ensuring the sustainability of ecosystem functions. However, the ecosystem services provided by expanding dry Afromontane forests, which could show potential for conservation sustainability, have not been adequately quantified. This study aims to fill knowledge and methodological gaps by assessing the valu...

Globally, deforestation remains a major driver of land degradation, despite recent reductions in forest loss. In Ethiopia, exclosures are implemented as nature-based solutions to restore degraded landscapes and promote vegetation recovery. This study evaluates woody floristic composition, species diversity, and soil properties in 15-and 32-year-old...

Intercropping faba bean and wheat in semi‐arid areas is a promising agricultural practice that has the potential to enhance crop yields and economic benefits. Farmers commonly use this practice in semi‐arid regions of Ethiopia. Yet there is limited information on grain yield and economic advantages of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) and wheat (Triticum a...

Climate change has significantly impacted smallholder farmers in developing countries, where most livelihoods rely on rain-fed agricultural systems. The Northwestern Escarpment of the Ethiopian Rift Valley (NEERV) is among Ethiopia's most drought-vulnerable areas and is highly affected by land use and land cover change (LULCC). This study aimed to...

Climate change and variability pose substantial threats to rain-fed agriculture, critically impacting the livelihoods of rural communities in Ethiopia. The Gimbi District, recognized for its high agricultural potential within the West Wellega Zone, faces severe repercussions from recurrent droughts attributable to climate change. This study critica...

Tree heath (Erica arborea L.) is a rare and endangered native tree species that is facing an incessant population decline due to climatic and anthropogenic factors. The objective of this study was to analyse the impacts of future climate change on the potential distribution of the species in the alpine areas of Tigrai (Ethiopia). A species distribu...

Agroforestry systems enhance ecosystem services, which helps decrease food insecurity. There is limited evidence addressing its importance in improving food security and diversity despite the recognized benefits of agroforestry. This study was conducted to examine how coffee-based agroforestry systems improved food security through diversified crop...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form beneficial partnerships with most plant species, helping to improve crop resilience in tough environmental conditions. This paper analyzed how different genotypes responded to AMF inoculation, focusing on root colonization percentage (RCP) and the impact of AMF on above-ground agronomic traits. However, RCP a...

Intercropping is an important practice for controlling crop pests in Ethiopia. However, there is a limited studies on the maize–faba bean intercropping benefits for controlling stemborer (Busseola fusca) pests. This study was carried out at Wukro Agricultural College, Tigray, Ethiopia, to investigate the effects of maize intercrops with two faba be...

The land-use change from agroforestry (AF) to monoculture-based agriculture has the potential to change soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). The MBC has been used as an indicator of soil quality as well as to determine the microbial status of soil. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of soil MBC across different agroforestry pract...

Human activities and climate change pose a significant threat to the dry Afromontane forests in Ethiopia, which are essential for millions of people both economically and ecologically. In Ethiopia, trees are planted elsewhere even if they are not likely to be well suited to the area. This study aims to identify the suitable habitat for the most exp...

Faidherbia albida (Delile) A. Chev., hereafter F. albida is an important agroforestry tree species in the semi‐arid highlands of Tigray, northern Ethiopia. The paper analyses how different stand ages of the tree could influence nematodes' abundance, trophic composition and selected community index values. A total of 40 composite soil samples were c...

In Africa, rangeland ecosystems have been exploited due to heavy and unsustainable grazing. Policy and institutional mechanisms such as integrating silvopastoral systems with sustainable grazing practices have been devised to mitigate the negative effects. In this study, we investigated whether the uptake of sustainable grazing management in the fo...

Background Dry Afromontane forests play a vital role in mitigating climate change by sequestering and storing carbon, as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Despite previous research highlighting the importance of carbon stocks in these ecosystems, the influence of canopy cover and environmental factors on carbon storage in dry Afromontane f...

Wood basic density (wbd) is one of the important predictors of aboveground biomass (AGB) of trees. It is subjected to great variability, and different factors explain this variation. Because of interest in the global carbon cycle, estimating forest biomass with sufficient accuracy has become increasingly important. Therefore, assigning accurate wbd...

Understanding a place's potential to attract tourists, reduce environmental degradation, and improve local livelihoods is critical for mapping the suitability of nature-based ecotourism sites. To map potential ecotourism sites, we conducted this research in the Hugumburda State Forest (HSF), Tigray-Northern Ethiopian Highlands. To achieve this, we...

The decline in agricultural productivity and income has been a major problem in developing countries, and smallholder farmers are practicing alternative land uses to improve their livelihoods. This study assesses the socio-ecological benefits and determinants of Rhamnus prinoides-based agroforestry practices by smallholder farmers in Tigray, Ethiop...

Background Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller is dominantly growing on degraded soils in arid and semi-arid areas. The plants might establish a strong association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to adapt to nutrient, drought, and herbivore insect stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of AMF inoculations and variab...

Faidherbia albida can enhance the bio-physicochemical fertility of inherently infertile Arenosols. Changes in the soil ammonium (NH4+)-to-nitrate (NO3−) ratio have agricultural, environmental, and ecological implications. Thus, the present study mainly examined the changes in Arenosol NH4+/NO3− ratios, as influenced by varying Faidherbia albida tre...

Biochars were produced at 350 °C and applied at varying rates (0, 52, 104, and 156 Mg ha⁻¹ and incubation times up to 120 days. Both biochars and limestone significantly improved soil properties like pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and nutrient availability. Limestone proved most effective, raising pH by 1.3 units on av...

Land degradation is one of the major challenges causing food insecurity and instability in Ethiopia. A comprehensive study on trends and drivers of land degradation and, socioeconomic and ecological impact of land degradation is necessary for an effective and sustainable mitigation measures. This study reviewed the drivers, trends and impacts of la...

Land degradation is one of the major challenges causing food insecurity and instability in Ethiopia. A comprehensive study on trends and drivers of land degradation and, socioeconomic and ecological impact of land degradation is necessary for an effective and sustainable mitigation measures. This study reviewed the drivers, trends and impacts of la...

Tropical dry forests remain vital to rural communities, but they often suffer from degradation and require restoration. In many cases, restoration involves planting monospecific plantations of robust exotic species; however, detailed ecological studies are required to understand how native species mixtures can become successful for restoration purp...

Sacred sites like monasteries harbour a higher diversity of flora and fauna than nearby unprotected areas and sometimes even higher than protected areas. However, anthropogenic disturbance puts woodlands in these monasteries and churches under significant threat. To study the floristic composition and forest degradation of Waldiba monastery woodlan...

Dracaena ombet, a flagship tree species in arid ecosystems, holds a significant ecological, economic, and socio-cultural value. However, its persistence is currently under threat from both anthropogenic and natural factors. Consequently, the species has been listed as an endangered tree species on the IUCN Red List, requiring urgent conservation ac...

Traditional gold mining (TGM) is among the off-farm income sources of smallholder communities in the highlands of Ethiopia. However, information on their impact on land degradation, taking soil loss as a key indicator, was scant. Hence, this study aimed at i) analyzing local communities’ attitudes toward TGM practice, ii) TGM impact on soil loss, a...

Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst is a flagship species of semi-arid areas of the East African region with substantial economic, ecological and cultural values. However, its persistence is currently threatened by both anthropogenic and natural pressures. This calls for an immediate conservation action. Planting seedlings of B. papyrifera in natura...

Ecosystems provide a wide range of services crucial for human well-being and decision-making processes at various levels. This study analyzed the major land cover types of north-central Ethiopia and their impact on total and per-capita ecosystem service value (ESV). The ESV was estimated using the benefit-transfer method along the established globa...

Continuous adoption of improved maize varieties in the last three decades has changed farm landscapes from heterogeneity to maize homogeneity in semiarid areas of Ethiopia. This has substantially decreased maize productivity. Recently, farmers have integrated faba bean into maize-based farming systems aimed at increasing productivity. Yet, there is...

Background: Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller is dominantly growing in arid and semi-arid areas with low nutrient contents. Plants that grow with low-nutrient conditions are more attacked by herbivore insects and develop a strong association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to adapt to nutrient, drought, and herbivore insect stress. The objec...

We argue that while community forest management is effective in protecting forest resources, as argued by Ostrom, such management may fail to provide the proper incentives to nurture such resources because the benefits of forest management are collectively shared. This study proposes a mixed private and community management system characterized by...

Aim Despite mounting empirical evidence regarding the positive effects of forest structural diversity (STR DIV ) on forest functioning, the underlying biotic mechanisms and controlling abiotic factors remain poorly understood. This study provides the first assessment of the interactive effects of STR DIV and diversity in species and functional trai...

Proposed agroforestry options should begin with the species that farmers are most familiar with, which would be the native multipurpose trees that have evolved under smallholder farms and socioeconomic conditions. The African birch (Anogeissus leiocarpa (DC.) Guill. & Perr.) and pink jacaranda (Stereospermum kunthianum Cham.) trees are the dominant...

Herbivore insects affect the performance of plants. The cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus (C.) is among the herbivores insects of cactus plants that severely destruct Opuntia ficus-indica plants. Host-plant fitness performance against herbivorous insects is controlled through symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and has been reporte...

Background Teff is a prominent cereal crop grown in various parts of Ethiopia, exhibiting considerable genetic diversity for the most essential above-ground morphological traits. It forms a symbiotic relationship with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to adapt to resource-limited conditions in dryland areas. Currently, AMF is becoming an essential...

Smallholder farmers in Tigray have been growing Rhamnus prinoides trees/shrubs with annual crops in rain-fed farmlands. Although this agroforestry system is widely practiced, there are no sufficient scientific reports on its profitability and financial returns. The objective of this research was to analyze the financial profitability and relative f...

Acacia saligna, originating from Australia, is a naturalized multipurpose tree species widely grown to restore degraded lands of Africa. The contribution of A. saligna in biomass restoration can be quantified using a precise estimation of tree biomass carbon. This study developed species-specific allometric models and evaluated the spatial variatio...

The conversion of an agroforestry based agricultural system to a monocropping farming system influences the distribution and composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The aim of this paper was to analyze AMF species diversity, spore density, and root colonization across different agroforestry practices (AFP) in southern Ethiopia. Soil and...

In recent years, armed conflicts are globally on the rise, causing drastic human and environmental harm. The Tigray war in Ethiopia is one of the recent violent conflicts that has abruptly reversed decades of ecosystem restoration efforts. This paper analyzes changes in woody vegetation cover during the period of armed conflict (2020–2022) using re...

The conversion of natural lands to agricultural uses is a significant threat to soil biodiversity. Within agriculture, monoculture based systems are the most common which often result in low biodiversity because they impact the abundance, diversity, and composition of soil macrofauna (SMF). The objective of this paper was to analyze SMF abundance a...

The frankincense from Boswellia papyrifera plays important roles in rural livelihoods and the national economy. On the other hand, Boswellia papyrifera is under threat of extinction. Nevertheless, little is known about the sustainability and fair-trade relationship of the current production system of the frankincense commodity. The current paper pr...

Post planting seedling management activities are important factors that determinegrowth and survivalof tree species. A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of management regimes on growth and survival of Cordia africana, Croton macrostachyus, Vachelliaabyssinica , and Grevillea robusta tree species. The management regimes (treatments)were wit...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and herbivore insects are essential elements of ecosystems. They can influence each other on their common host plant. AMF support the plant growth by protecting against herbivore insect stresses. Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) miller is a multipurpose species which is under serious threat by cochineal insect (Dactylopi...

The reason for the low productivity of the northern part of Ethiopia. A field experiment was conducted to examine the impact of planting method and nitrogen fertilizer rates on the yield and protein content of irrigated Tef. The experiment consisted of four planting me planting, and transplanting) and six N fertilizer rate (0, 23, 46, 69,92 and 115...

Nature offers meaningful solutions to the climate crisis as we look to a world of greater risk and uncertainty with climate change. But while we know that nature is vital, we also know that we are losing nature at a rate unprecedented in human history. Global forest area is projected to decline gradually, which may affect existing ecosystem service...

Ethiopia’s forest fires are causing biodiversity loss and ecosystem destruction, highlighting the need for preventative measures. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the future impact of climate on forest fires in Ethiopia. Hence, this study primarily examines the past and future climate patterns and their potential impact on occurrence o...

Water availability is the main challenge for the growth and development of woody species in drylands. Application of biochar under deficit irrigation can enhance seedling growth in arid regions. The growth of commercial woody species seedlings was monitored for approximately two years using the combined effect of biochar and deficit irrigation trea...

Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Miller is a CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) plant with an extraordinary capacity to adapt to drought stress by its ability to fix atmospheric CO2 at nighttime, store a significant amount of water in cladodes, and reduce root growth. Plants that grow in moisture-stress conditions with thick and less fine root hairs have...

In Tigray, northern Ethiopia, land degradation has generally undermined the environmental goods and services (EGS) those local communities depend on for their livelihoods. Massive sustainable land management programs (SLMP) to restore degraded land have temporarily ceased to be accessible free of charge to communities because human and animal inter...

Article history: The Suluh river basin is subjected to soil erosion due to land use and land cover change. Yet, the impact of land use/land cover change soil erosion has not been applied in the study area. Thus, the current study focused on the modeling of the impact of land use/land cover changes on soil erosion in the Suluh river basin, the north...

Abstract The Suluh river basin is subjected to soil erosion due to land use and land cover change. Yet, the impact of land use/land cover change on soil erosion has not been applied in the study area. Thus, the current study focuses on the modeling of the impact of land use/land cover changes on soil erosion in the Suluh river basin, the northern h...

Land rehabilitation through exclosures has been recognized as a promising practice in the restoration of degraded drylands. This study evaluated woody species density, diversity, cover, and biomass production from three regeneration approaches (EMTs): (1) Naturally Regenerated (ENR) exclosures, (2) exclosures with Soil and Water Conservation Struct...

One of the most detrimental concerns brought on by a changing climate that annually affects many people's lives is drought. Proactive and reactive drought coping and adapting mechanisms enable farmers to be resilient against climate-induced drought and improve the drylands' current disaster preparedness and early warning systems. The aim of this st...

The conversion of natural lands to agricultural uses is a significant threat to soil biodiversity. Within agriculture, monoculture based systems are the most common which often result in low biodiversity because they impact the abundance, diversity, and composition of soil macrofauna (SMF). The objective of this paper was to analyze SMF abundance a...

Land use and land cover change are among the drivers of environmental change. The Suluh River Basin’s land use and land cover are modeled in this study using a land change modeler. To accomplish the goals of this study, Landsat images and ancillary data sources were utilized. In eCognition Developer 9.2 software, nearest neighbor fuzzy classificati...

Land use and land cover change are among the drivers of environmental change. The Suluh River Basin’s land use and land cover are modeled in this study using a land change modeler. To accomplish the goals of this study, Landsat images and ancillary data sources were utilized. In eCognition Developer 9.2 software, nearest neighbor fuzzy classificati...

Global forest area is projected to decline gradually, which may affect the existing ecosystem services (ESs) and the ecological and economic benefits of these services. We analyzed the ESs provision value of the Hugumburda State Forest (HSF) and the Southern Tigray–northern Ethiopian highlands, which was based on optical remote sensing, Ecosystem S...

The globally endangered Dracaena ombet is one of the ten dragon multipurpose tree species in arid ecosystems. Anthropogenic and natural factors are now impacting the sustainability of the species. This study was conducted to prioritize criteria and alternative strategies for conservation of the species using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) m...

Drought is one of the most damaging climate–induced threats impacting the lives of many people every year. Proactive and reactive drought coping and adapting mechanisms enable farmers to be resilient against climate induced drought and improve the current disaster preparedness and early warning systems in the drylands. The aim of this study was to...

Urban and peri-urban areas have been growing rapidly globally due to population increase and other factors. However, poor urban land use planning caused remarkable impacts on the loss of potentially arable land. This study aimed to analyze the spatio-temporal patterns of urban and peri-urban expansion and its impact on arable land in the Shire Inda...

The conversion of an agroforestry based agricultural system to monocropping farming system influences the distribution and composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The objective of this paper was to analyze AMF species diversity, spore density and root colonization across different agroforestry practices (AFP) in southern Ethiopia. Soil a...

The Suluh river basin is subjected to land use and land cover change due to population pressure, improper farming practices, lack of alternative non-farm activities, and rugged topography. Yet, land use/land cover change detection and its driving factors have not been applied in the study area. Thus, the current study detected land use and land use...

Land use and land cover change (LULCC) is the result of both natural and socio-economic determinants. The aim of this study was to model the determinant factors of land cover changes in Raya Valley, Southern Tigray, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling was used to collect data from 246 households sampled from lowlands (47), midlands (104), highlands (93),...

Range exclosures have been used as a tool to restore degraded communal grazing lands in Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia. Although there seems to be ecological evidence of success in rehabilitation of degraded rangelands in Tigray, there is unclear translation of these achievements into socio-economic benefits. It was hypothesized that this could...

In dryland ecosystems, tree and shrub seedling establishment, growth and survival are limited by access to water and nutrients. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increase seedling establishment and survival by enhancing nutrient and water acquisition. We executed a fully-factorial greenhouse experiment to determine the interactive effect of AMF (w...

Humans worldwide depend on ecosystems and the services they provide. Land use and land cover change increasingly, influencing ecosystem values to the extent that the rate and direction of change occurred. The objective of this study was to review the link between changes in Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) and Ecosystem Service Value (ESV), with emph...