Assessing Context-Specific Factors to Increase Tree Survival for Scaling Ecosystem Restoration Efforts in East Africa

Christine Magaju, Leigh Ann Winowiecki, Mary Crossland, Aymen Frija, Hassen Ouerghemmi, Niguse Hagazi, Phosiso Sola, Ibrahim Ochenje, Esther Kiura, Anne Kuria, Jonathan Muriuki, Sammy Carsan, Kiros Hadgu, Enrico Bonaiuti and Fergus Sinclair
Additional contact information
Christine Magaju: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Leigh Ann Winowiecki: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Mary Crossland: School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DG, UK
Aymen Frija: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, ICARDA, Rue Hedi Karray, CP 2049 Ariana, Tunisia
Hassen Ouerghemmi: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, ICARDA, Rue Hedi Karray, CP 2049 Ariana, Tunisia
Niguse Hagazi: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Gurd Shola, P.O. Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Phosiso Sola: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Ibrahim Ochenje: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Esther Kiura: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Anne Kuria: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Jonathan Muriuki: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Sammy Carsan: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Kiros Hadgu: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Gurd Shola, P.O. Box 5689 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Enrico Bonaiuti: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, ICARDA, 6/106, Osiyo St, Tashkent 100084, Uzbekistan
Fergus Sinclair: World Agroforestry (ICRAF), UN Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi 00100, Kenya

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: Increasing tree cover in agricultural lands can contribute to achieving global and national restoration goals, more so in the drylands where trees play a key role in enhancing both ecosystem and livelihood resilience of the communities that depend on them. Despite this, drylands are characterized by low tree survival especially for tree species preferred by local communities. We conducted a study in arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya and Ethiopia with 1773 households to assess how different tree planting and management practices influence seedling survival. Using on-farm planned comparisons, farmers experimented and compared tree survival under different planting and management practices as well as under varying socioeconomic and biophysical contexts in the two countries. Seedling survival was monitored at least six months after planting. Results show that watering, manure application, seedling protection by fencing and planting in a small hole (30 cm diameter and 45 cm depth) had a significant effect on tree seedling survival in Kenya, while in Ethiopia, mulching, watering and planting niche were significant to tree survival. Household socioeconomics and farms’ biophysical characteristics such as farm size, education level of the household head, land tenure, age of the household head had significant effects on seedling survival in both Ethiopia and Kenya while presence of soil erosion on the farm had a significant effect in Kenya. Soil quality ranking was positively correlated with tree survival in Ethiopia, regardless of species assessed. Current findings have confirmed effects of context specific variables some involving intrahousehold socioeconomic status such education level of the household head, and farm size that influence survival.

Keywords: trees on farm; options by context; on-farm planned comparison; tree seedling survival (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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