Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

Table 5. Description of patchiness of different land cover for each year
Discussion
No. of
Land cover classesPatches
1973 2000 2005
Average
Area per
patch (km 2 )
No. of
Patches
Average
Area per
patch (km 2 )
No. of
Patches
Average
Area per
patch (km 2 )
EF 5320 4.99 56566 0.42 75736 0.28
ESH 2688 9.89 24000 0.99 42941 0.48
GLA 8158 0.29 19327 0.24 10127 0.68
HEL 4277 3.15 24649 0.89 48794 0.43
MF 1288 77.38 20631 4.62 35491 2.47
OWL 7129 1.37 16987 0.32 26277 0.18
PAS 1776 6.77 19745 0.68 37218 0.74
SHR-GL-
PAS 8270 4 52237 0.68 77066 0.44
The study of land cover and land use changes and patterns can provide important information
particularly in the field of conservation management, by helping to identify areas in need of attention
and their underlying threats (Nagandera et al. 2004; Niemie et al. 2004). The BMNP is an area of
biological and hydrological importance and is undergoing significant land transformation mainly
due to human encroachment (OARDB 2007). However, prior to this study there was no quantitative
study of this change and there was little or no information on historical and current land cover. This
study aimed to identify and quantify historical and current land cover change and patterns across
the study area spanning from 1973 to 2005 using GIS and remote sensing technologies. Our study
confirms that the BMNP is undergoing major land transformation which appears to be accelerated
during recent times, suggesting that increasing human population induced pressures may be the
underlying causes (Lambin and Geist 2001).
Our results show that generally forest cover (montane forest, Erica forest, woodland) is
decreasing while grassy classes such as pasture and glades are increasing (see Chiodi and Pinard this
edition). In the Afroalpine plateau, the dominant and prevailing trend of changes observed is largely
due to this increase in pasture lands, most of which occurred in the second time period (2000-2005).
In contrast, during the first period (1973 to 2000) most change occurring in the Afroalpine area
can be attributed to the large decrease of open woodland (45%) and the expansion of Helichrysum
(63%). In the southern section of the park, we observe a continuous decline in forest cover (12%)
with a corresponding increase in glades (190%).
In Ethiopia during the Derg regime (1974-1991) any settlements in protected areas were
forcefully removed and so there were few if any people living in the Bale Mountains National Park.
This is confirmed by reports that in 1986 “human pressure is not too great” (Hillman 1986) Following
the end of this regime, people slowly began moving back into the park to utilize resources. In 2007,
the park had approximately 20,000 permanent settlers and it is estimated that with seasonal users
this figure can be doubled (FZS unpublished data).
<strong>Walia</strong>-<strong>Special</strong> <strong>Edition</strong> on the Bale Mountains 127