Approaches of Agroforestry Management in the Central Ethiopia

3 Abstract: Life of the people in the central rift valley areas of Ethiopia depends on mixed agriculture with main focus of livestock followed by crop production. Overexploitation such as overgrazing and deforestation for fuel wood harvesting and crop production resulted in significant degradation of natural resources in the region. A farmer research group (FRG) has initiated to disseminate the agroforestry in the region for conservation and remediation of the natural resources. As the first step to establish an appropriate management system of the agroforestry suitable for the regional climate and social condition, it is required to collect practical information concerning selection of tree species and determination of planting density. In the current study, a trial site of the agroforestry was set up in the region, survival rate of trees integrated was examined, and the effect of agroforestry on micro meteorology was observed. Acacia salicina showed the highest survival rate, and it is revealed that the agroforestry at the trial site had a potential to mitigate evaporation and extreme increasing of temperature. The FRG organized in the current study has enhanced the farmers' capacity to utilize their inherent experience for innovative actions in the agroforestry management. Through those participatory approaches of farmers, strategies for sustainable production system of the agroforestry will be developed. Central rift valley areas in Ethiopia is classified as semi-arid with annual rainfall ranging from 500 to 700 mm, high temperature, high wind speed, and less biodiversity, while the life of the people depends on mixed agriculture with main focus of livestock followed by crop production. Natural resource in the area is scarce and fragile. Therefore, overexploitation such as overgrazing, deforestation, and subsequent soil erosion is a major cause for the deprived condition resulting in the livelihood of rural people being significantly affected (IIRR, 2002). In Ethiopia, wood harvesting exceeds the replanting which leads to the decline of forest resource (Ethiopia Forestry Strategy, 2001). The forest coverage in Ethiopia was 40 % in 1900's, dropped down to 16 % in 1950's and only 2 - 3 % in 1990's. In Oromia state, one of the states of Ethiopia which dominantly covers the central rift valley area, 60 to 100 thousand ha of forest are depleted every year for fire wood, charcoal and land clearance for crop production thus affecting the soil surface vegetation and the whole ecosystem in the area (EFAP, 1994). Therefore, it is suggested that combining crop production with tree planting (i.e. agroforestry) would result in an effective measure for conservation and remediation of the natural resources. In order to solve these problems we have organized a farmer research group (FRG) and initiated to disseminate the agroforestry in the region. However, appropriate management system of the agroforestry suitable for the regional climate and social condition has not been established due to lack of practical information. In the current study our approaches in the agroforestry management, particularly addressing to planting trees, are discussed based on physical environment observation. 2. Material and Method The study site is located in the central rift valley of the Oromia state (7˚49'N and 38˚42'E). The mean annual rainfall, mean annual maximum temperature, and mean annual minimum temperature in the area over the past 20 years were 704 mm, 27.8 ˚C, and 13.4 ˚C, respectively. Soil type of the site is loamy