1. AMBO UNIVERSITY
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
HHC.
DEP- ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING
COURSE- ECIOLOGICAL ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
BEKELE CHULUKE BRT/0010/10
GUTA WORKNEH BRT/0021/10
HABTAMU TSEGAYE BRT/1182/10
TSION ALEMAYEHU BRT/0036/10
WOYESSA AMALO BRT/0037/10
YOHANS EJIGU BRT/0041/10
GROUP MEMBERS
TITTLE- ECOSYSTEMS IN ETHIOPIA
2. ALL ECOSYSTEMS IN ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia is rich with diverse ecosystems in which diverse flora and
fauna as well as microbial resources are found.
The major ecosystems include:
Afroalpine and sub Afroalpine
Montane dry forest and scrubland forest
Montane moist forest
Acacia-Comiphora woodland
Combretum-Terminalia woodland
Lowland humid forest, Aquatic, wetland
Montane grassland
Desert and semidesert ecosystems.
3. 1. Afroalpine and Sub Afroalpine
Ecosystem
Afroalpine areas ranges between 3200- 3500 m.
These areas include chains of mountains, mountain
slopes and tops of highest mountains in the country.
The highest peak in Ethiopia is Ras Dashen (4533
m A.S.L), where an alpine climate near 0°C persists
all year round, sometimes even with a snow cover
lasting a couple of days (Hurni and Ludi, 1998).
However, dry lowland savannas and deserts surround
this moist highland area.
4. Cont’d…
Ethiopia has the largest extent of afro alpine habitats in
Africa (Yalden, 1983).
The highlands of Ethiopia were formed between 40 and 25
million years from the present by lava outpouring of the
trepipam series in the Miocene and Oligocene (Mohr, 1971).
Comparatively there are more floristic and faunal studies
from the afroalpine and subafroalpine ecosystems of Bale
and Simien Mountains than from the same ecosystems of
other regions such as Wello, Gemgofa, Arsi, etc.
5. Cont’d…
The climate of Afroalpine ecosystem is governed by two
fundamental geographical circumstances: the vicinity to the
equator, and the high altitude above sea level (Hedberg
The soils of upper alpine belts are comparatively porous with
low water-holding capacity, but offering good drainage.
The soil conditions in the lower part of the alpine belt are
different, where the closed vegetation has facilitated
accumulation and retention of more fine-textured material.
6. 2. Montane-Grassland Ecosystem
The montane grassland ecosystem is distinguished
from other types of ecosystems by its physiognomy,
floristic composition and ecology.
It consists of herbaceous stratum usually not higher
than 30 – 80 cm, very rich in perennial grasses and
species of Cyperaceae, but also with sub-shrubs and
perennial herbs, among which bulbous and
rhizomatous plants occur.
7. Cont’d…
This ecosystem occurs in the areas where human activity has been
largest and most intense, and found at altitudes between 1500 and
3000 m.a.s.l.
The montane grassland in most places derived from forest and other
woody vegetation types.
Characteristic species of the montane grassland ecosystem include
species of: Pennisetum shimperi, Pennisetum glabrum, Pennisetum
mezanu, Hyparrhenia rufa, Cynodon dactylon, Eragrostis tennifolia,
Eragrostis japonica, Pennisetum clandestinum, Panicum maximum,
Cymbopogon spp. Chloris spp., and Andropogon spp.
8. Cont’d…
The Ethiopian highlands contribute to more
than 50 % of the land area with
Afromontane vegetation, of which dry
montane forests form the largest part
(Yalden, 1983; Tamrat Bekele, 1994).
9. 3. Dry Evergreen Montane Forest
Dry Evergreen Montane Forest is a very complex vegetation type
occurring in an altitudinal range of 1500-2700 m, with average
annual temperature and rainfall of 14-25° C and 700-1100 mm,
respectively (Friis, 1992).
It is inhabited by the majority of the Ethiopian population and
represents a zone of sedentary cereal-based mixed agriculture for
centuries.
This type of forest develops in areas of relatively high humidity,
but not much rain, and where there is a prolonged dry season.
10. 4. Montane Moist Forest Ecosystem
The montane moist forest ecosystem comprises high
forests of the country mainly the southwest forests, which
are the wettest, and also the humid forest on the
southeastern plateau known as the Harenna forest.
The forest vegetation was stratified into four different
layers, namely, upper canopy, sub-canopy, shrub layer
and the ground layer.
11. 5. Acacia-Commiphora Woodland Ecosystem
The Acacia-Commiphora ecosystem is known for its varying soils,
topography, and diverse biotic and ecological elements.
These plant species are with either small deciduous leaves or leathery
persistent ones.
The density of trees varies from ‘high’, in which they form a closed
canopy to scattered individuals to none at all forming open
grasslands.
The grasses do not exceed more than one meter, thus, no true
savannah is formed.
12. Cont’d…
It is a dry ecosystem; at times, the dry season lasts as long as 10
months in a year.
In moisture zone classification, the ecosystem extends from dry
sub-humid to arid zones. Accordingly, a harsh and hot
temperature with a low and uneven rainfall distribution
generally characterizes the ecosystem.
In the ecosystem, there is a substantive amount of water
resources. There are seven major lakes located in the
ecosystem, namely, Ziway, Langano, Abijata, Shalla, Awasa,
Abijata and Chamo.
These lakes are used for commercial fisheries, irrigation,
recreation and for industrial purposes. In the lakes region of the
ecosystem, most streams are perennial and the depth to ground
water is 0- 150 m.
13. 6. Combretum-Terminalia Woodland
Ecosystem
The geology of the Combretum-Terminalia ecosystem is characterized by
extensive Late Tertiary that covers the pre-cambrian rocks that underlie
all the other rocks in Ethiopia.
The topography/terrain is rugged; the upper limits about 1900 meters
above sea level and the lower about 500 meters above sea level. The soil
erosion rate is very high especially at the onset of rains.
This ecosystem generally occurs on rockier sandy soils
14. 7. Lowland Tropical Forest Ecosystem
This ecosystem is characterized by unimodal rainfall brought
by tropical monsoon blowing from south Atlantic and Indian
Ocean. It is also characterized by heavy rainfall during the
wet season.
This forest occurs on well-drained sandy soils, with
altitudinal range of 450 to 800 m, mean annual maximum
temperature of 35 to 38° C, mean annual minimum
temperature of 18 to 20° C, mean annual temperature of 28
to 30° C and annual rainfall range of 1300-1800 mm.
15. 8. Desert and Semi-Desert Scrubland
Ecosystem
It is a very dry zone vulnerable to wind and water erosion even with little or no pressure on the
vegetation from grazing.
The vegetation consists of deciduous shrubs, dominated by Acacia sp. interspersed with less
frequent evergreen shrubs and succulents. It has very variable grass vegetation.
The people of the area are pastoral and agro-pastoral. Large scale irrigated agriculture is gaining
importance in some areas of the ecosystem. This ecosystem is the extreme lowland region of the
country. The flora has developed an advanced xeromorphic adaptation.
16. Cont’d…
This ecosystem is the extreme lowland region of the
country. The flora has developed an advanced
xeromorphic adaptation. Shrubs and trees have
developed dwarf growth and have small or pubescent
leaves.
The depth of the ground water is 0-270 m. Those areas
covering the southeastern parts (the Ogaden) are
characterized by localized and limited quantity of
ground water with a depth of 0-300 m. The quality is
fair-to-poor chemically.
17. 9. Wetland Ecosystem
Ethiopia possesses a great diversity of wetland ecosystem (swamps, marshes, flood plains,
natural or artificial ponds, high mountains lake and micro-dams) as a result of formation of
diverse landscape subjected to various tectonic movements, a continuous process of erosion,
and human activities.
The different geological formation and climatic conditions have endowed Ethiopia with a
vast water resources and wetland ecosystem including 12 river basins, 8 major lakes and
many swamps, floodplains, and man made reservoirs with a total annual surface runoff
about 110 billion cubic meter (EFAP, 1989).
According to Hillman (1993), there are 77 wetlands in Ethiopia and Eritrea with a total
coverage of 13,699 km2 or 1.14% of the total landmasses of the country.
19. Cont’d…
In the Ethiopian context marshy areas, swamp lands,
flood plains, natural and artificial ponds, volcanic
crater lakes, high mountain lakes and upland bogs are
treated collectively as wetland ecosystems.
In wetland ecosystem water is the primary factor
controlling both the plant and animal life. It favors
particular type of trees, shrubby species and associated
herbs and grasses.
wetland ecosystem include those of aquatic
macrophytes such as Cyperus, Eleocharis, Scirpus,
Echinochloa, Panicum, Alisma plantago-aquatica,
Nymphaea, Typha, Paspalidium, Potamogoton,
Wolffia, Aeschynomene, Phragmites, Urochloa,
Veronica, Hydrocotyle, Polygonium, kyllinga etc.
20. 10. Aquatic Ecosystem
Aquatic in literal meaning refers to water. As an ecosystem, widely taken, it includes
freshwater (rivers, reservoirs and lakes), marine (oceans and seas) and estuarine (coastal,
bays, tidal) ecosystems.
The Ethiopian aquatic ecosystem has high diversity areas such as major rivers and lakes
that are of great national and international importance.
The country is well known for its richness in water potential. There are about 30 major
lakes that are located in different ecological zones.
21. Cont’d…
These lakes are situated at altitudes ranging from about
150 m below sea level high up to 4000 m.
The surface area of the lakes vary considerably from less
than 1 km² to over 3600 km² and mean depths range from
few meters to over 260 meters. However, the major lakes
that are of economic importance are concentrated in the
Rift Valley
