Gemgema is an exclosure located in the Dogu'a Tembien ''woreda'' of the

Tigray Region The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray; officially the Tigray National Regional State) is the northernmost Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob people, Irob and Kunama people. I ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

. The area has been protected since 1992 by the local community. Gemgema

Timeline

Source: * 1992: established as exclosure by the community * 2017: support by the EthioTrees project Gemgema 2

Environmental characteristics

Source: * Area: 92 ha * Average slope gradient: 59% * Aspect: the exclosure is oriented towards the west * Minimum altitude: 2124 metres * Maximum altitude: 2288 metres * Lithology: Antalo Limestone Gemgema 3

Management

As a general rule, cattle ranging and wood harvesting are not allowed. The grasses are harvested once yearly and taken to the homesteads of the village to feed livestock. Physical soil and water conservation has been implemented to enhance infiltration, and vegetation growth. There are five guards to protect the exclosure. Field observations showed that however some illegal grazing occurred in the exclosure in 2018.

Benefits for the community

Setting aside such areas fits with the long-term vision of the communities were ''hiza’iti'' lands are set aside for use by the future generations. It has also direct benefits for the community: * improved ground water availability *

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several species of bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of pl ...

production * climate ameliorator (temperature, moisture) * the sequestered carbon (in total 53 tonnes per ha, dominantly sequestered in the soil, and additionally in the woody vegetation) is certified using the Plan Vivo voluntary carbon standard,EthioTrees on Plan Vivo website
/ref> after which carbon credits are sold * the revenues are then reinvested in the villages, according to the priorities of the communities; it may be for an additional class in the village school, a water pond, or conservation in the exclosure.

Biodiversity

With vegetation growth, biodiversity in this exclosure hast strongly improved: there is more varied vegetation and

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...

References

External links

EthioTrees on Davines website

EthioTrees project website
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200215154255/https://ethiotrees.com/ , date=15 February 2020
EthioTrees on Plan Vivo website

Link For Forestry Projects
1992 establishments in Ethiopia Exclosures of Tigray Region Dogu'a Tembien Environment of Ethiopia