Addis Ababa University

Chapter 6
SOILS, NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE
RESOURCES OF ETHIOPIA AND THE HORN

By: Elias Shiferaw

January ,1,2025

2 January 2025 Elias Shiferaw 1

 Start up Questions

1. Discuss the major soil types of Ethiopia.

2. What are the three types of soil degradation?

3. What are the mechanisms of controlling soil erosion?

4. Discuss the five groups of natural vegetation in Ethiopia?

5. What are some of the techniques of wild life conservation?

 Introduction

The formation and spatial variabilities of soils in Ethiopia is largely

related to topography, climatic factors, parent material (rocks)
and land use
The distribution of wildlife and natural vegetation in Ethiopia and
the Horn is controlled by many factors important among which are
climate, soil types, drainage, etc
Ethiopia possess unique fauna and flora with a high level of
endemicity. However, manmade as well as natural problems are
threatening their availability and distribution.
 What is soil?
 Soil is a delicate but highly varied composite of mineral particles, organic matter
and living organisms. Soil formation is a long term process taking several time.
 Soil consists of weathered mineral materials (45%), organic matter (5%), air
(25%) and water (25%)
 Pedology : A science of soil
Factors of Soil formation
Parent Material: Original material from which the soil formed bedrock or
sediment.
Climate: plays crucial role to influences temperature and moisture levels.
Biota (Organisms): The presence of living organisms, including plants, animals,
Topography: slope and elevation, affect water drainage and sunlight exposure
Time: Soil formation is a gradual process that takes a significant amount of time
 Types of Weathering
There are three types of weathering involving in soil formation
 A. Mechanical (physical) weathering: Physical disintegration causes decrease
in size without appreciably altering composition
 B. Biological weathering: The process of biological weathering involves the
weakening and subsequent disintegration of rock by plants, animals and
microbes
 Chemical weathering: is the process by which rocks undergo changes in their
mineral composition and structure due to chemical reactions.
 Hydrolysis ( When water reacts with minerals often causing the transformation
of feldspar in granite into clay minerals. )
 Oxidation (The reaction of minerals with oxygen resulting in the rusting of iron-
bearing minerals.)
 Carbonation ( When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, forming carbonic acid
which can dissolve limestone and other carbonate minerals)
 Physical and Chemichal properties of soils

Physical properties: Soil physical properties are influenced by

composition and proportion of major soil components. Properties

such as texture, structure, profile, location, color, porosity etc

Chemical Properties: Soil chemistry is the interaction of various

chemical constituents that takes place among soil particles.

e.g Acidity ,Neutrality and Alkalinity

 Major Soil Types in Ethiopia
 FAO has identified 18 soil associations in Ethiopia
 Out of the major soils, 11 soil associations cover about 87.4 percent of the land
area
 The six major groups of soils in Ethiopia are discussed under the following
points:
 A. Environmental condition i.e. parent material, climatic conditions,
topography, the way they were formed.
 B. Characteristic i.e. significant chemical and physical properties.
 C. Agricultural suitability in relation to texture, structure, topography,
moisture-storage capacity, etc.
 D. Occurrence: general location of the soil types.
 The 6 Major soils in Ethiopia
1. Nitosols: develop on gently sloping ground associated with highlands with high
rainfall and more productive
2. Vertisols: are heavy clay soils with a high proportion of swelling clays when wet,
and cracks when dry
 Are extremely difficult to manage and easily degraded
 Vertisols are known for their high fertility if irrigated
3. Lithosols, Cambisols and Regosol
 These soils are mostly found in jugged topography and steep slopes
 Are young, shallow and coarse textured and have low water holding capacity
4. Xerosols, Yermosols (Are light colored or white to yellow. Dark-colored
(brown, dark brown,)
 These are soils of desert or dry steppe soils majorly available in arid and semiarid
areas and have salt content therefore not suitable for agricultural practice
 Fluvisols: Are fertile and their fertility is always renewed as a result of deposition
of new soil materials.
 Dominantly found along the river banks
 6. Luvisols

• Luvisols develop mainly in areas where pronounced wet and dry seasons occur
in alternation.
• Luvisols have good chemical nutrients and they are among the best agricultural
soils in the tropics.
Soil Degradation
 Is the destruction of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil due
to various agents
 Causes of soil degradation

 Soil degradation may result from natural and human-induced causes.

 Natural factors :Topographic and climatic factors such as steep slopes,
frequent floods, storms and high-velocity wind, heavy rains and drought in
dry regions are among the natural causes.
 Human factors: Deforestation and overexploitation of vegetation,
overgrazing, indiscriminate use of agrochemicals and lack of soil
conservation practices . Mining and over extraction of ground water are
amongst anthropogenic causes of soil degradation.
 Soil conservation methods
 Rotation of crops: Changing crops year after year improves soil fertility.
 Contour ploughing: in areas where slopes are steep, ploughing should be done
following the contours
 Terracing: is an agricultural practice that involves creating flat, step-like
platforms on sloped land to facilitate farming helps s to slow down run off
 Strip cropping: involves the planting of two or more crops
 Check dams: are small dams to trap silt washed from hills.
 Shelter belts: are trees planted at the edge of farm lands to protect the soil from
wind
 Fallowing : Leaving the farm land uncultivated for some years till it regains its
fertility
 Mulching : is the practice of covering the soil surface with a protective layer of
materials or residues like grasses, leaves
 Natural Vegetation of Ethiopia
 Natural vegetation refers to a plant cover that develops with little or no
human interference
 The distribution of natural vegetation on earth is uneven majorly controlled by
factors such as climate, soil types, drainage
 The characteristics of Ethiopia's natural vegetation are largely determined by
elevation (and temperature) and rainfall
 Lowlands due to their low rainfall and high temperature have harsh environment
and are characterized by short , thorny bushes and small leafed
 Ethiopia possesses an estimated number of 6000 species of higher plants of
which 10% are endemic.
 Major Natural Vegetation Types of Ethiopia based on altitude

Broadly classified in to five vegetating belts

1. Afro-alpine and sub-afro alpine Region
2. Forest Region
3. Woodland Savannah Region
4. Steppe Region
5. Semi-desert Region
 1. Afro-alpine and Sub-afro alpine Region
 Ethiopia has the largest extent of Afro-alpine and sub afro-alpine habitats in
Africa
 These ecosystems are found on mountains having an elevation ranging between
3,200 and 4,620 meters above sea level
 The Afro-alpine region is found at very high altitudes (4,000 – 4,620 m)
 The annul precipitation which ranges between 800 and 1,500 mm, is mostly in
the form of sleet or snow.
 The Bale and Semein mountains are typical examples of afro-alpine vegetation.
 Lobelia (giberra) and Erica arborea (Asta) are some of the dominant species
 Temperature records of 0oC and below plus poor soil condition
 2. Forest Region
 Forest is a complex ecosystem consisting predominantly of trees that shield earth
and support numerous life forms
 In any geographical region, environmental factors such as climate, soil types,
topography and elevation determine the types of forests
 In Ethiopia, forests are found at different elevations, 450 to 3,500m
 Forests are characterized by variation in mean annual rainfall that range between
200 and 2,200mm
 Forests can be highland and Lowland forests. Highland forests eg Kosso and Tid
and lowland forests e.g zigba and Weyra
 Highland Forests: 1,800 to 3,000 meters
 Lowland Forests: 450 to 1,400 meters
 3. Woodland Savannah Region
 The woodland savannahs are also found in areas of wide altitudinal ranges (250
to 2,300 m)
 The plants in the woodland savannah are known for shading of leaves during the
dry season
 Characterized by a mix of open grasslands and scattered trees
 Largely in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
 Are crucial for biodiversity, providing habitat for numerous species of wildlife,
 Dominated by herbivores and carnivores wildlife
 This biome covers the widest geographical area accounting for 40 %
 4. Steppe and Semi Desert Regions
 These are regions in the arid and semiarid parts of the country where the
temperature is very high and the rainfall is very low
 Both are found at low elevations, the steppe at elevations of 100 to 1,400 m
above sea level and the semi-deserts at 130 meters below sea level to 600 meters
above sea level.
 Xerophytes plants such as short shrubs, scattered grass species and acacias are
common trees
 Diverse plants and animals species
 Acacia is the most common tree
 5. Steppe Regions
 Climate: The mean annual rainfall in the steppe region of Ethiopia typically
ranges from 200 mm to 600 mm
 The temperature can vary significantly, with cold winters and hot, dry summers.
 Vegetation: The landscape is predominantly covered with grasses and shrubs,
with few trees due to the limited moisture.
 Common plants : ( Acacia and grasses that thrive in these environments.
 Soil: The soils in the steppe region are often fertile, supporting grazing and some
agricultural activities. However, they can also be prone to erosion if not managed
properly
 Wildlife: The steppe region is home to a variety of wildlife, including herbivores
such as antelopes and various bird species.
 Human Activity: The steppe areas are often dominated by pastoralism
 Natural vegetation Degradation
 Vegetation degradation refers to the over exploitation and destruction of the
existing forest cover by human and natural induced factors
 Major causes of the natural vegetation in Ethiopia are:
 Clearing of forests for cultivation
 Timber exploitation practices
 Charcoal burning and cutting for fuel
 Extensions of coffee and tea production areas
 Overgrazing
 Expansion of settlements both rural and urban, and clearing for construction
 Natural Vegetation Conservation
 Conservation of natural vegetation: is simply described the wise management

and utilization of the existing natural vegetation

 Protection: Protected areas include sanctuaries, national parks, and community

conservation areas.

 Sustainable forest management: involving sustainable harvesting of forest

products to provide a source of financial income

 Restoration or rehabilitation: is the process of assisting the recovery of a forest

ecosystem that has been degraded or damaged

 Afforestation and Reforestation Practices : Planting as more trees as possible

to help maintaining carbon sequestration

 Wild Life/wild animals in Ethiopia
 Ethiopia is one of the few countries in the world, which possess unique and
characteristic fauna with a high level of endemicity
 Ethiopia has about 279 species of mammals (31 endemic species , 201 species
of reptiles (14 endemic species), 23 species of amphibians (23 endemic
species), and 150 freshwater fish (6 endemic species)
The wild animals in Ethiopia can be classified into five major groups based on their
habitat, behavior, and ecological roles
1. Common wild animals (those animals that are found in many parts of the
country (e.g. hyenas, jackals)
2. Game (lowland) animal, (which include many herbivores like giraffes, wild
asses, zebras
3. Tree animals or arboreal (which include monkeys, baboons)
4. A variety of birds in the Rift Valley lakes
5. Rare animals (gelada baboon, Semien fox and Nyala
 Wildlife Conservation and its significance
 Wild animals can be used for:
 Scientific and educational researches (valuable information for medical purposes
and environmental studies

 physical and mental recreation (aesthetic value

 promotion of tourism economic value

 Potential for domestication

 Maintaining ecological balance

 Ethiopian Wildlife reserves

 21 major national parks

 2 major wildlife sanctuaries,

 3 wildlife reserves,

 6 community conservation areas,

 2 wildlife rescue center

 22 controlled hunting areas

 2 botanical gardens
 Ethiopian wildlife challenges

 Expansion of human settlement in protected areas

 Conflict over resource
 Overgrazing (fodder and wood)
 Illegal wildlife trade
 Excessive hunting/ Poaching
 Tourism and recreational pressure
 Mining and construction material extraction
 Forest fire
 I wish you all the best!!!

2 January 2025 EliaS Shiferaw

SA 25