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ECOSYSTEMS CONSERVATION AND
RESEARCH
Background
Ecosystems play a
fundamental role in supporting life. They form life support system that
makes social and economic activities possible and are essential in global
material cycle, such as carbon and water cycles. They give ecological services
since they maintain genetic diversity, control floods, maintain air and
water quality, support food webs and nutrient cycling and control the climate.
They also provide raw materials for us to live on our planet, earth, for
recreational opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and microclimate control
for the entire living creatures.
 Ethiopia’s
boundaries encompass the major part of eastern African highland massif.
On the northern and western boundaries lie the foothills of the main massif.
The Great Rift Valley cuts diagonally across the country from Red Sea to
Kenya, creating a vast depression. The dry areas have isolated the highlands.
Thus, there is great variation of altitude from 116 meters below sea level
to 4620 meters above sea level. Rainfall also varies widely in amount and
distribution. These factors strongly influence Ethiopia’s extraordinary
range of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and contributed to the high
rate of endemism and genetic diversity.
The existence of diverse
ecosystems endowed Ethiopia with a diverse biological wealth of plants,
animals, and microbial species. Over the years this wealth has been exposed
to various biotic and abiotic factors that diminished its diversity and
attention given to its conservation and sustainable use has been inadequate.
Some of the major contributory factors to accelerated decline of our biological
heritages are; the size and pattern of the distribution of human and animal
population, the level of resource consumption, market factors and policies,
which were unable to monitor the depletion of biological resources. Under-valuation
of environmental resources due to low-level of awareness about the role
of ecosystems and the rate at which it is being deteriorated or lost and
poor regard to the conservation problems have also contributed to under-investment
in biological resources management.
Records on ecosystem
conservation efforts in Ethiopia dated back to the days of Emperor Zera-Yakob
(1434-1468) who brought juniper seedlings from Wof Washa of North Shewa
and planted in Managesha Suba area. Modern conservation began by Emperor
Menilik in 1908. This conservation initiative eventually evolved to the
formulation of protected areas in 1960s and lead to the establishment of
Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organization, although they are still oriented
to conserve game animals.
Although there are
some conservation efforts in the country, the attention given to ecosystem
conservation and management has been very low. There was also very low
level of awareness about the role of ecosystem conservation in securing
biological diversity. In recognition of the existing gaps and with present
worldwide need of ecosystem approach of biodiversity conservation Ecosystem
Conservation and Research Department is under establishment in IBCR. The
Institute is recruiting researchers for the department and soon the following
activities will be implemented.
Major Activities
of Ecosystem Conservation and Research Department
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Bioregional
planning for ecosystem conservation and management |
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Identification
of threatened and endangered ecosystems and their threatening processes
and activities |
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Management
of threatened and endangered ecosystems and their threatening processes
and activities |
• Ecosystem pollution by exotic species
• Ecosystem pollution by Chemicals
• Fire management and burning control
• Rehabilitation and restoration of degraded ecosystems
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Conservation
and research in protected areas |
Institutional Linkage
The planed activities
will be implemented though collaboration of various departments within
the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation and Research and with other
relevant institutions. Thus, strong linkage will be established with relevant
departments, Governmental and Non-Governmental institutions that are contributing
to ecosystem conservation and research. Linkage will be established also
with other countries and relevant international institutions, particularly
for Trans-boundary ecosystem conservation and research issues.
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