This document provides guidelines for urban tree planting and silvicultural management in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was created by a project team led by Dr. Talemos Seta and advises on selecting suitable tree species, planting and post-planting care. The guideline includes 8 chapters that cover topics such as selecting trees based on site characteristics, describing 80 suitable species, and engaging local communities in tree planting and management. It aims to increase Addis Ababa's urban green cover and help stakeholders properly care for and monitor planted trees.

1. Urban Tree Planting and Silvicultural Management
Guideline for Addis Ababa
Project Team
Dr. Talemos Seta …………………………………………..……………..Project Coordinator
Prof. Sebsebe Demissew………………………….………………………Project Advisor
Dr. Sileshi Degefa ………………………………………………..…………..….Member
Mr. Fikadu Erenso………………………………………………………….…...Member
Mr. Debela Daba………………………………………………………………….Member
Gullele Botanic Garden: Eng. Gutama Moroda (Executive Director)
WRI Contact: Alemakef Tassew
7-8, Nov. 2023
Saron Hotel, Addis Ababa

2. Presentation
Outline Research Part
About the Guideline
Chapter One: Plant selection
Chapter Two: Characteristics of Trees and Urban Green Spaces
Chapter Three: Summary of the Guideline in table form
Chapter Four: Description of Selected Tree/shrub species
Chapter Five:Pre-planting and Silvicultural management for
Seedlings
Chapter Six: Post planting and Silvicultural Management
Chapter Seven: Community Engagement Advocacy and Awareness
Chapter Eight: Conclusions and Recommendations

3. 1. Research Part
1.1. Introduction
Cities
Occupy 3% of earth’s land
60-80% of energy consumption
75% of carbon emissions
60% of the world’s pop. would be living in cities by
2030
United Nations SDG 11, has stated the goal of making cities and human settlements
inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
Lack of affordable housing, safe and sustainable transport due to mass
migration (rural-urban), climate change and pollution effect, and weaker
infrastructure development

4. 1.1. Introduction
• Making cities more welcoming to nature
and human life is important. (Goal 11:
Sustainable Cities and Communities,
SDGs).
• To tackle urbanization-imposed
challenges in both the developed and
developing world, urban green
infrastructures (UGI) are becoming a
popular strategy.
• Green spaces in cities, play a positive
role in improving residents’ mental
health by stabilizing emotions and
releasing stress,
• WHO: cities to provide 9 m2 green space
for every inhabitant, live within 15 min.
walk

5. 1.1. Introduction
• Tree planting has become one of the important events in urban
greening and regulate the conditions of cities
• For every 10% increase in the Urban Green Spaces, the Land
Surface Temperature (LST) drops by 0.4 C◦,
• This indicates the significance of the UGS composition in providing
most important environmental benefits (Amani-Beni and Zhang,
2019]
• Addis Ababa: has a very low green space per person
• Urban green space per capita distribution differs in the districts of
Addis Ababa.
• The National Urban Green Infrastructure standard of Ethiopia
proposes 15 m2 per capita public green open spaces within city
boundaries

6. 1.2. Data Collection Procedures
Data
Collection
procedures
Key stakeholder
consultation
Field Survey &
Observation
Review of Policies,
strategies and Manuals
Semi-structured
Interview
Desk review and
document analyses

7. 1.3. Field Observation and sampling
Fig. The Map AA indicating the sampling points

8. 1.4. Research Findings,
The total of 79 woody species grouped in 65 genera and 42 families was
recorded. See the top ten species (Table)
Scientific names Family
Common
name
Habit N/E
Total
no
plots
Freq. percent
Grevillea robusta
A.Cunn.ex R.Br.
Proteaceae silver oak Tree E 300 295 98.33
Jacaranda mimosifolia
D. Don
Bignoniaceae
Yetemenja
zaf
Tree E 300 290 96.67
Acacia melanoxylon
R.Br.
Fabaceae Omedla Tree E 300 275 91.67
Callistemon citrinus
(Curtis) Seekls
Myrtaceae Bottle brush
Shrub/T
ree
E 300 245 81.67
Acacia saligna (Labill.)
Wendl.
Fabaceae Tree E 300 215 71.67
Duranta erecta L. Verbenaceae Durenta Shrub E 300 210 70.00
Ficus benjamina L. Moraceae weeping fig Tree E 300 208 69.33
Spathodea campanulata
P. Beauv.
Bignoniaceae
Yecheka
nebelbal
Tree E 300 205 68.33
Araucaria heterophylla
(Salisb.) Franco
Araucariaceae tree E 300 202 67.33
Nerium oleander L. Apocynaceae Oleander shrub E 300 200 66.67

9. 1.4. Research findings
• The exotic plant species are highly dominant in all corners of the city
• Shortage of nursery facilities, lack of quality seed and seedling, and
their sources in the city are among the challenges of the urban
greenery
• Most of the street trees in the city are covered by G. robusta followed
by J. mimosifolia.
• Mismatches between legal provisions and the implementation on the
ground due to weak enforcement
• Plants with long and wider diameter have been planted in a very narrow road
median

10. 1.4. Research findings
• Tree root conflict with urban infrastructure particularly with
sidewalk
• Branches of some trees are broken on the main road, and
branches are hiding the opposite roads for pedestrians
• The trees dried along the sidewalk were not removed
• Branches obstructing power lines, telephone lines and other
urban infrastructure
• Undersized seedlings have been planted in the roadside, median
and urban parks, which were getting dried.
• Centrally developed guideline on tree planting and
silvicultural management at the city level is highly
recommended.

11. 2. Urban Tree Planting and Silvicultural
Management Guideline for Addis Ababa

12. a. About the Guideline
• is designed to be user-friendly and easy to understand for both
experts and non-experts
• provide all relevant stakeholders knowledge and skills in the
planning, implementation and monitoring of tree planting and
management processes.
• to fill the gaps in the capacity of experts working in the area of
green infrastructure development at all levels in the city.
• provides a list of tree/shrub species appropriate for specific urban
planting sites
• provides the platform for the active participation of all relevant
stakeholders throughout planning processes in the tree planting and
management initiative

13. b. How to use the guideline & Expected users
How
to
use
the
Guideline
Users should focus on the table 1 to
get shortened information
For more information, refer to
Chapter four
Expected
users
decision makers,
Practitioners
experts
Private sectors

14. c. Scope and Limitations of the Guideline
• The guideline focuses on street trees (both roadside and
road median), recreational parks, riversides, botanical
gardens, residents and institutions homesteads, and live
fences.
• We have recommended 80 potentially suitable tree/shrub
species for the urban green infrastructure of Addis Ababa
• It is open for further addition of right species for right
places in the city.

15. • Laboratory analysis of soil
parameters was not carried out.
• Species suitability index was not
conducted for each species for selection (as
it takes 3-5 years to determine suitability
from a weighted index for each species
based on the severity of damage (biotic,
abiotic and anthropogenic)
• Species based functional traits for
the selected trees and shrubs have not
been conducted.
• The species selections were made
by subjective experts’ decisions based
on an in-depth review of the
characteristics of each species in
addition to field observations in the
city.
d. Limitations
of the
Guideline
15

16. Chapter One
1.1. Plant species Selection
Cultural Constraints
 Utilities
 Structures
 Surface cover
 Pollution
Site
Factors
Environmental
Constraints
 Edaphic
 Climatic
 Physiographic
 Biological
Economic Factors
 Establishment costs
 Maintenance Cost
 Removal Costs
Social Factors
 Aesthetic
 Functional utility
 externalities
Species
selection
Species selection model (Miller, 1997)

17. 1.1. Plant Selection
Consider the following as a guide to selecting the right tree for the right place.
i/ choose the low maintenance plants suited to your site
ii/ eliminate plants of invasive nature
iii/ welcome wildlife
iv/ consider drought tolerance
iv/ think of maintenance requirements
v/ group high maintenance plants together for greater visual impact and
easier care
vi/ consider wind tolerance
ix/ avoid monocultures and plan for a mosaic of trees, shrubs, herbs,
grasses and groundcovers.

18. 1.2. Specific Objectives of the Guideline
 To provide a set of criteria for the selection of tree species for tree planting
programs in Addis Ababa City based on the environmental, cultural, social, and
economic factors.
 To categorize the suitability of species for various purposes and sites based on tree
characteristics.
 To provide a list and description of the potential tree and shrubby species and their
attributes suitable to major landscapes and ecological restoration settings in Addis
Ababa.
 To identify potential seed and seedlings sources.
 To recommend tree species suitable to different sites and urban infrastructural
facilities in the city
 To recommend planting maintenance and post planting management practices to
ensure greater survival and growth of planted trees for major potential tree species.

19. 1.3. Map of Addis Ababa

20. 1.4. Classification of the City

21. Chapter Two
2.1. Characteristics of Trees and urban green spaces
Size and spacing: size of a tree and spacing
between trees before planting
Form, texture, color, and seasonal interest:
match tree characteristics to nearby architectural
styles and keeping the natural harmony

22.  Tree shapes:
Trees form various shapes during
its growth and development.
• Round /oval shaped
• Spreading/open shaped
• Columnar shaped
• Pyramidal/Conical
• Weeping:
• Irregular shapes:
• Vase
• Root structure
 Tap root,
 Fibrous,
 Buttress roots
• Pest and disease free

23. 2.2. Urban Green space categories & purpose of tree
planting
Categories
• Urban Parks,
• parking lots,
• road sides and medians
• Homesteads/Residents/
• condominium compounds
• riversides, and upper
catchment area.
Purpose of trees
 Shade, soil conservation
 Ornamental, Economical
values
 Noise pollution barrier,
windbreak
 Pollution resistant, fast
growing.. etc

24. 2.3. Urban parks
Consider the following for
tree arrangement in the
Urban Parks:
 for maximum aesthetic
effect and naturalness
to the eye, parks
should be planted with
a variety of tree
species with irregular
spacing, and
 Integrate tree and grass
planting with
walkways and other
structures considering
the shading effects and
damages of roots on
the structures
Common
criteria,
Urban
Parks
Adaptability to AA condition
Trees with multiple economic and
ecological uses (e.g., fruit),
Maximum ameliorating effect on the
microclimate
Trees with High aesthetic value
Trees compatible with grass and other
trees,
Trees with high cultural values
Trees with evergreen characteristics

25. 2.4. Road medians, Roadsides, and parking lots,
• When selecting tree
for placement on
streets (both roadsides
and road median),
parking lots, and
shopping centers,
better to know future
use of the plant.
• A number of
checkpoints required
Check
procedures
Underground services
Do not plant if not in excess of 3m
deep or 5m for main water lines
Aerial services
Shading effects
Root infrastructure conflict
Long term risks if any

26. 2.4.1. Criteria for selecting Trees in roadsides
and medians
In the tree species selection, the aspects such as
• space distance (3m road shoulder, 3m apart, sth 4m),
• maintenance costs,
• tree health
• adaptability to our climate,
• attractiveness,
• the range of size, and
• suitability to growing along the streets.
Plant 5m away from intersection and streetlight, 4m from stop sign and 2m from
property line.

27. Criteria/ characteristics-Roadsides/median
Criteria/characteristics
for selection
Evergreen, long
lived, aesthetic value
High Co2 seq. ability
Ease of
establishment or
transplanting
Cultural context,
suitability to AA
Admit traffic
visibility

28. 2.5.Homesteads/Residents/condominium compounds
• Homesteads have the highest impact in transforming city’s
environment
• The number, type, and shape of the plant will be determined
depending on the site condition, interest of the owner
• Planting should follow the recommendation of the recent
master plan.
• Shade might be an important function of trees in residential
areas.
• The ideal shade tree has fairy dense, round crown with limbs
broad enough to partially shade the roof.

29. 2.5. Homesteads/Residents/condominium compounds
• a large tree will provide more building shade than a small tree.
• Columnar or upright trees are good in narrow side yards.
• keep trees at least 1.5-3 m from the building/houses
• Keep trees away from overhead power lines and do not plant
in underground water and sewer lines and septic tanks.
• Shade, fruit and ornamental trees are very common

30. Chapter Three
Table 1. Description of Selected Tree/shrub species in Table format

33. Chapter Five
Pre-planting and Silvicultural management for
Seedlings
PPSM
Pests and
Disease
Control
Composting
Weeding:
Watering

34. A hole and soil prepared for tree planting
A hole of up to 40 cm deep and equally wide
should be dug for smaller seedlings with a
height of 50-1.0 m.

35. How to plant a tree?
Tree planting procedures in the field

36. Chapter Six
Post planting & Silvicultural Management
PPM
Watering
Pest and
diseases
control
Mulching
Pollarding
Tree
Pruning
Training
Weeding

37. Watering
Watering
1-3 months,
water if the
top 10 cm
soil is dry
Each tree
requires 70 L
water/week
After 1 year:
water every
3 to 4 weeks
After 6-12
months,
water
twice/month
After 3-6
months:
water twice
a week.

38. Chapter Seven
7.1.Community Engagement, Monitoring and Evaluation
• Community engagement (CE) is the process of inviting community
members into the decision-making strategy to assess, plan, implement, and
evaluate solutions to issues that affect their daily lives and environments.
CE
Objectives of
the program
Transparency
of the
program
Capacity of
stakeholders in
CE
Representation
s of institutions
Developing
trust in
communities
CE: builds community
spirit and unity so as to
develop trusts among
each other for the urban
tree planting and
management program

39. Process of community Engagement
The following should be considered as principle of urban tree planting initiatives;
i/ Connect urban tree planting initiatives with long-term management
ii/ Connect urban communities to the tree planting and management initiatives;
iii/ Focus on tree canopy targets rather than on the number of trees planted;
iv/ Give attention on post-planting care and encourage retention of existing trees;
v/ Monitor tree losses and gains to determine the specified targets are being met;
vi/ Increase species diversity by careful species selection as well as age and size
diversity to enhance urban resilience;
vii/ Focus on the distribution of tree canopy,

40. 7.2. Establish Advisory Technical Group (ATG)
AA Plan and
development
Bureau
AA Beautification
and Green
Development Bureau
AA Construction
Bureau
FDRE
Environment
Protection
Authority
AA-GLI
AA-EPA
Gullele Botanic
Garden Civic Societies
Ethiopian Forestry
Development

41. 7.3. Monitoring and Evaluation
S.N Condition to monitor Metrics Descriptions
1 Tree survivorship Number or % of trees surviving after
1 year and after 3-5 years
Tree mortality is often highest in the first few
years. Monitoring tree survival can allow people
to modify their management strategies and
replant dead trees
2 Tree replanting Number of trees replanted after
1 and after 3-5 years
This metric indicates how well the trees are
growing and if trees are being regularly cared for
3 Tree health status Number of ‘healthy’ trees
after 1 and 3-5 years, based on
how people perceive
tree health
Recording tree health ensures that monitoring
programs are in place, allows people to intervene
if trees are dying, and
can be used to gather information about how tree
species perform in urban plantations
4 Tree maintenance Frequency of maintenance activities These metrics ensure that funding and plans are
in place for caring of trees after planting.
Before planting, there should be a maintenance
plan in place suitable to the local environment,
and that can be adapted according to how trees
perform in urban greening

42. 7.3. Monitoring and Evaluation
5 Community
Participation and
Volunteers involvement
Percentage of households
/Number of civic societies, NGOs,
volunteers, etc. who participate
over time
Monitoring the percent of households who
participate during planting, after first year,
and after 3-5 years in the maintenance and
to what extent people are adopting the
program. If number of participants does
not increase, additional support or
interventions might be needed.
6 Value of
planted trees
Number of species and
trees planted with local use
value, or other cultural
significance
This measures if local values and preferences
are being taken into account, as well as the
potential utility of trees.
7 Environmental
value of planted
forests
Number of Indigenous tree
species planted
Number of Indigenous tree
species surviving after 1 and
3-5 years
Planting local tree species increases the
environmental benefits. Certain local species
are also often best adapted to persist in local
conditions.

43. 7.4. Funding and Resource Mobilization
Private sector
and foundations
World Resources
Institute
UN administered
funds
Bilateral funds
at city level
Global forest
fund
One Tree
Planted Inc.
Tree planting
+Mgt program
International
finance
institutions
Global Funds
(GEF

44. 8. Conclusion and Recommendations
8.1. Conclusion
• A total of 79 woody species of which 55.7% (44 species) were
indigenous and remaining 44.3% were exotic species
(Research data)
• The city is highly dominated by the top 10 exotic species,
particularly the inner sub-cities.
• 80 potential tree and shrub species for urban green
infrastructure development.
• Of 80 tree and shrub species selected, 74% (59 species) are
indigenous and the remaining (26%) are non-indigenous plant
species.

45. 8.2. Recommendations
• Gradual replacement of exotic species by other Indigenous
species for the continuity of urban resilience
• Sufficient funding should be allocated for the planting of new
urban trees and its management through mobilizing the
community, NGO and governmental organizations.
• Establishing an advisory technical group at the city level for
tree planting and silvicultural management issues
• To support the national and city wide tree planting efforts and
create strong awareness in the community participation, it is
important to launch National Tree Planting Day in Ethiopia.

46. 8.2. Recommendations
• Provide a mechanism for open consultation on urban trees issues
between local community groups, interested professional bodies and
several other stakeholders from city to woreda level
• City government should establish a formal and practical approach to
link the responsible city offices with the public at large on the issues
from planning to implementation of tree planting and management.
• Create greater understanding and awareness of the values of amenity
trees and stay up-to-date with current thinking, policy and research
activities.
• Establish the small holder cooperatives in the surroundings of Addis
Ababa and build their technical capacities to collect variety of seeds
from the mother trees in the fruiting season and purchase it to the
city at the time of propagation (Source of Seeds).

47. Thank You for your Attention!!!