Anferara forests (6292)
Ethiopia, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2011

National site name: Anferara forests

Central coordinates: Latitude: 5.9750, Longitude: 38.8290

System: terrestrial

Elevation (m): 1400 to 2250

Area of KBA (km²): 4306.20975

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The Anferara forests are around Negele–Borena, 310 km south-east of Awassa and 470 km from Addis Ababa, in Borena Zone. This area encompasses the Anferara–Wadera forest and the adjacent Bore–Anferara forest which together represent the majority of the high-elevation forest in southern Ethiopia. These forests are on the highlands between two big river systems: the Genale to the east and the Awata (a major tributary of the Dawa river) on the west. The topography is rugged and broken, with many hills and ridges making it unsuitable for agriculture. However, the Kebre Mengist–Bogol Manyo (in the Genale river basin) road crosses the area. The forests are not uniform. In the north, towards Agere Selam and Kebre Mengist, the largest tree is Podocarpus falcatus, growing with a range of broadleaved species such as Croton macrostachyus, Hagenia abyssinica, Ilex mitis, Olea capensis, Schefflera abyssinica and Syzygium guineese afromontanum. Further south, where the rainfall is higher, Aningeria adolfi-friderici is found; this is the tallest and most important tree of these forests. The canopy below comprises Albizia gummifera and other Albizia spp., Celtis africana, Ekbergia capensis, Fagaropsis angolensis, Ocotea kenyensis, Olea capensis, Phoenix reclinata, Polyscias fulva and Prunus africana. There are also many smaller trees and shrubs making this wet forest floristically rich. Near Negele the vegetation is dry montane forest that used to be dominated by Juniperus procera, although this has nearly all been cut leaving scrub and a few trees of other species, primarily Barbeya oleoides, Catha edulis, Olea europaea cuspidata, Pistacia aethiopica, Pittosporum spp. and Schrebera alata. The forest here is very open, verging on woodland or scrub. All the forested areas are fringed with woodlands that are described under the Liben plains and Negele woodlands (site ET062).

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the process of compiling the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the East Afromontane Hotspot. Species taxonomy and threat category was based on IUCN Red List 2010-4.

Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. The northern distribution of Tauraco ruspolii encompasses parts of both Anferara–Wadera forest and the adjacent Bore–Anferara forest. Together, these forests are thought to hold the majority of the species’ population. Tauraco ruspolii appears to be a forest margin and woodland species typically occurring between 1,400 and 1,850 m. Most observations were close to 1,500 m, where its preferred habitats are forest margins and woodlands as well as Juniperus. Other species of note are Serinus xantholaema (very uncommon) and Emberiza affinis. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Delineation rationale: 2013-07-10 (BL Secretariat): following CEPF East Afromontane ecosystem profiling process, the reported IBA area of 106568 ha has been changed to 430000 ha (as measured in GIS from latest boundary polygon, rounded to nearest 10%).

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | forestry | nature conservation and research | water management

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Grassland	23
Artificial - Terrestrial	76

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The Anferara forests are both designated as National Forest Priority Areas (NFPA). However, this does not mean that the area is conserved. An NFPA is defined as an area from where local people and their animals should be excluded, and neither has been practical in this case. The Anferara forests are currently one of the main sources for timber of Aningeria adolfi-friderici and Podocarpus gracilior, which are being harvested with sawmills in the forest. Although some attempts to introduce sustainable harvesting methods have been made on paper, in practice the areas harvested are usually clear-felled, leaving insufficient cover for regeneration of tall forest trees, particularly Aningeria adolfi-friderici. The primary threat to the area is the rapidly increasing (8.3% per year) human population (16,900 people in 1,600 households during 1990) living within the forest. These people make a living from cutting trees for charcoal, timber or fuel. They also clear the forest for cropland and grazing. Honey production has also proved destructive: large areas of forest have been burnt when fires used to smoke the hives during honey collection burn out of control. Open-cast gold mining poses an additional threat to the ecosystem. A comprehensive land-use plan is urgently needed for both Anferara forests, accommodating the various interests of the local people and the government in the uses of the forest and associated woodlands. As the only protected areas in the country supporting these forest-types (and associated species), there may be significant ecotourism potential for the site, a proposition that may be attractive to the Regional and Zonal Governments.

Additional information