Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Yegof forest is in South Welo Zone, on a steep mountain ridge overlooking Kombolcha town, 395 km north of Addis Ababa. It is composed of natural highland forest and plantations of fast-growing exotic trees. The natural forest, which once covered Mt Yegof, comprised dry evergreen, and mixed conifer and broadleaved trees. It is dominated by
Juniperus procera. Other characteristic tree species are
Olea europaea cuspidata,
Erica arborea and
Hypericum revolutum, with
H. quartinianum at the higher altitudes. Lower down are various
Acacia spp.,
Bersama abyssinica,
Croton macrostachyus,
Syzygium guineense,
Rhus vulgaris, tree
Euphorbia spp.,
Albizia spp. and (even lower)
Cordia africana.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. A survey in April 1996 recorded 62 species at the site.
Parophasma galinieri was particularly numerous.
Dendropicos abyssinicus was found nesting and
Laniarius aethiopicus was seen collecting nesting material. Other species of interest include
Columba arquatrix and
Centropus monachus. The
Phoeniculus purpureus seen here have entirely red bills.
Non-bird biodiversity: The endemic subspecies Tragelaphus scriptus meneliki occurs.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Natural forest returned after the 1973–1974 famine when the mountain was protected. This could form an exciting precedent for the protection and subsequent regeneration of other highland areas that have lost all their natural vegetation. Human encroachment into Yegof forest has started again, with farmers residing inside the forest boundaries. This is the major threat to the natural forest. In spite of the presence of guards, extraction of wood for construction and fuel still occurs. The plantation of exotic species was started in 1973. The plantation is thinned on an irregular basis, and several firebreaks have been established. Grazing and illegal cutting do occur within the plantation, but encroachment has been controlled.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Yegof forest (Ethiopia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/yegof-forest-iba-ethiopia on 23/12/2024.
