Ethiopia’s Reforestation Program Boosts Carbon Capture

Researchers at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia quantified the impact of the country’s Green Legacy Initiative (GLI) on carbon capture across diverse landscapes. They measured over 8,000 plants from 90 species in 21 districts, assessing biomass accumulation and carbon storage.

The study found agroforestry systems store the most carbon, 133.74 Mg per hectare, and sequester 490.81 Mg of carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare. The species Afrocarpus falcatus demonstrated the highest potential for carbon sequestration, storing roughly 308 Mg of carbon and 1,131 Mg of carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare.

Vegetation structure, specifically tree diameter, strongly correlated with carbon storage. Native species consistently outperformed non-native ones in their ability to store carbon.

These results confirm the GLI is actively contributing to climate change mitigation. The team notes species composition is a primary driver of carbon storage, suggesting targeted planting of high-biomass native trees within diversified systems will maximize long-term carbon sequestration and ecosystem health.