Evaluation of Trees and Shrubs for Degraded Land Restoration in the Central Rift Valley, Southern Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, population increase and the demand for more agricultural land and forest products have resulted in the destruction of natural vegetation and land degradation. Planting multipurpose trees and shrubs for the rehabilitation of severely degraded land has been suggested as a management option. A field experiment was conducted in Choroqo, one degraded land vegetation restoration site of Halaba zone in the Central Rift Valley, Ethiopia, to determine the suitability of 12 multipurpose trees and shrubs. The experiment was set in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), and data on plant survival and growth parameters were collected every 6‐month interval for 3 years. One‐way ANOVA and Tukey’s HSD test ( p < 0.05) were computed to determine the effect of species on the measured variable. SAS software was used for statistical analyses. The highest mean survival was recorded by Grevillea robusta R.Br (99.542 ± 1.05), followed by Senegalia polyacantha Willd (88.88 ± 1.05) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. (83.33 ± 1.05). The largest (20.67%) overall plant death was recorded within the first six months of field plantation. Acacia saligna (Labill.) Wendl (4.48 m ± 0.81), Eucalyptus camaldulensis (4.38 m ± 0.99), and Casuarina equisetifolia L. (3.14 m ± 0.49) exhibited better growth in height at the end of the experiment. Moreover, early management was found to be very important in reducing the mortality rate of planted species for rehabilitation programs. The higher use value was calculated for Eucalyptus camaldulensis , followed by Dodonaea angustifolia L.f. and Grevillea robusta. Therefore, Grevillea robusta, Eucalyptus camaldulensis , Dodonaea angustifolia , and Senegalia polyacantha are found to be ecologically suitable and socially acceptable species for the rehabilitation of degraded lands of Halaba and the Central Rift Valley. Further research is needed to know the impact of these species on the physicochemical properties of the soil and the undergrowth flora.