• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
Metu–Gore–Tepi is a general name used for the forests found along the western edge of the plateau between Metu and Tepi in Illubabor Zone. Metu is the zonal capital. The area includes the following National Forest Priority Areas: Syllem–Wangas, Sheko, Yeki and Godere. Between Metu and Tepi, the western edge of the plateau drops from 2,600 m in a series of escarpments down to 1,000 m at the edge of the Gambella plains. Most of the area is formed of black basalt. The Baro and Gilo rivers have their headwaters in these forests and have cut deep valleys through the escarpment. The main habitats along the escarpment are forest, grassland, wetland and cultivated areas. There are two types of wet forest on the western escarpment: transitional forest at 500–1,500 m and Afromontane forest at 1,500–2,600 m. The transitional forest is a humid, broadleaf forest, rich in tree species (at least 90). A number of these trees are found in Ethiopia only in this forest-type, the most important of these being Aningeria altissima. In the Afromontane forest, Aningeria adolfi-friederici is the largest and most important timber species, with some Podocarpus falcatus found at the higher altitudes. Floristically this is the richest forest-type in Ethiopia, with over 100 tree species and a diverse understorey. Forest cover is not continuous and, particularly on the flatter areas, there are extensive areas of grassland. Various Acacia spp. dominate the forest–grassland ecotone. Basalt forms an impervious edge to several of the valleys resulting in swamps and lakes (e.g. Lake Bishanwaha) which add considerably to the area’s biodiversity. Several aquatic plant species are found only in these wetlands. The biggest employers in the area are the coffee and tea estates. However, most of the area is occupied by peasant farmers who cultivate maize and root crops, keep bees, and collect and/or cultivate forest species, particularly coffee and the endemic spice Aframomum corrorima.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 3 for key species. Due to their isolation, the forests of south-west Ethiopia are relatively depauperate in terms of their avifauna. However, small populations of Rougetius rougetii and Macronyx flavicollis occur, along with many other Afrotropical Highlands biome species. Two Ethiopian endemics, Poicephalus flavifrons and Dendropicos abyssinicus have been recorded. Species otherwise rarely recorded in Ethiopia include Podica senegalensis (at Lake Bishanwaha), Cossypha niveicapilla, Nectarinia chloropygia and Euplectes gierowii.

Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Metu - Gore - Tepi forests (Ethiopia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/metu--gore--tepi-forests-iba-ethiopia on 23/12/2024.