Ecological Outcomes and Biodiversity Conservation under Sustainable Forest Management in Ethiopia: A Global Perspective on Afromontane Forest Resilience: A Critical Review

• Synthesizes global and Ethiopian evidence on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) outcomes using a PRISMA-based systematic review. • Shows that participatory forest management and area enclosures enhance forest structure, biodiversity, carbon storage, and soil fertility in Ethiopian Afromontane forests. • Demonstrates that SFM improves ecosystem resilience globally, but outcomes depend on structural complexity and management intensity. • Identifies persistent regeneration failure and “hollow forest” dynamics, highlighting gaps between forest cover and biodiversity integrity. • Emphasizes the need for long-term monitoring, landscape-scale management, and assisted regeneration to ensure sustainable forest resilience. Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) aims to maintain forest ecosystem services while supporting livelihoods, yet evidence on ecological and biodiversity outcomes remains fragmented, particularly in Ethiopian Afromontane forests. This critical review synthesizes peer-reviewed studies from Ethiopia, other African regions, and global forest contexts to evaluate ecological outcomes, forest resilience, carbon storage, soil fertility, and biodiversity under SFM. A systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines identified numerous studies from Ethiopia, other African countries, and non-African regions, from which the most relevant studies cited in the references were selected. The review shows that participatory forest management (PFM) and enclosure practices in Ethiopia significantly enhance natural regeneration, structural diversity, and species richness, while improving carbon sequestration (120–250 Mg C/ha) and soil fertility indicators. Globally, sustainably managed forests demonstrate similar benefits, although drivers and pressures differ: Ethiopian forests are mainly impacted by smallholder-driven land-use changes, while global forests face large-scale industrial pressures. Key strategies for forest protection under SFM include participatory management, enforcement of logging regulations, grazing exclusion, fire control, protection of seed trees, habitat heterogeneity maintenance, and enrichment planting with native species. Knowledge gaps persist in quantifying the magnitude of ecosystem service improvements, resilience indicators, and long-term biodiversity outcomes. Addressing these gaps through standardized monitoring and evidence-based policies is critical for sustaining forest resilience and biodiversity in both Ethiopian and global contexts.