Data Zone
Country/territory: Ethiopia
IBA criteria met: A1, A3 (1996)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 38,461 hectares (384.61 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 1996 | moderate | medium | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Jibat forest is in Nono District of Western Shoa Zone, c.200 km west of Addis Ababa. The majority of the forest is at 2,000–3,000 m, although the south-western portion extends to lower altitudes where the forest takes the form of a mosaic of small woodlands and farmland. The forest is believed to be secondary in nature, primarily due to the existence of a ruined palace found in bamboo forest near the top, which probably dates back to settlers who lived there during the fifteenth century. The forest has also been heavily exploited in more recent years for commercial timber production, although the sawmill in the forest now lies disused. Continued illegal logging and total deforestation of some areas by settlers from the north is causing significant damage and is preventing the forest from achieving its natural climax state. The two dominant tree species in this area are Juniperus procera and Podocarpus falcatus. Additionally, Hagenia and Rapanea species, characteristic of the highest-altitude forest zone, are well developed in this forest. At the forest edge, where human influence is the most pronounced, pioneer tree species such as Bersama abyssinica and Clausena anisata are common.
Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. At least 81 species are known to occur in Jibat forest and surrounding areas. This total includes Rougetius rougetii and significant numbers of biome-restricted species. Species of particular interest include Buteo oreophilus, Poicephalus flavifrons, Tauraco leucotis, Lybius undatus, Dendropicos abyssinicus and Parophasma galinieri.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Jibat forest (Ethiopia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/jibat-forest-iba-ethiopia on 23/12/2024.