Measures for the conservation of native tree species of the Ethiopian Highlands: Linking genetic conservation to reestablishment of species diverse forests (High Five)

The overall aim of this project is to provide practical guidance on the successful restoration of native forests in the Ethiopian highlands. To address this, we will use an approach that will strengthen the supply of native tree species, combined with investigations of establishment of this material in tree species diverse plantations. This will be realized by strengthening the national reproductive material supply by establishment of seedling seed orchards of the target species (Juniperus procera, Prunus africana, Podocarpus gracilior, Albizia gummifera, Olea europaea sub sp. cuspidata, Cordia africana, Millettia ferruginea), methods of vegetative propagation (primarily for Juniperus procera but also for other species), and investigation of the growth of the target species in the tree species diverse plots. In the plots, the mineral nutrient requirements tree species and plant protection methods to aid successful establishment will be addressed. The HIGH FIVE project will build on the experience and data gained in previous projects by the consortium, which is made up of two Austrian partners, the Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW) and the University of Natural Resources and Life Science (BOKU), and the Ethiopian Forest Development agency (EFD) and Bahir Dar University (BDU) from Ethiopia, and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) from Kenya.