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| Threatened animal species in Africa (WCM/IUCN 1998) |
Many of the endemic species in the Horn of Africa live in very narrowly defined areas. 30 of 67 species in the
Endemic Breeding Bird table inhabit areas of less than 20,000 square km, eight of them even in areas of 200 square km or less. Therefore, the risk potential of these species must be assessed as high. Regional and even local changes in land use or climate conditions can have serious consequences for the development and survival of small populations.
According to IUCN, 17 of the 67 endemic bird species are considered as "endangered", three of them as "critical endangered": Ochre-brested Francolin (
Francolinus ochropectus), Archers's Lark (
Heteromirafra archeri) and Liben Lark (
Heteromirafra sidamoensis). The latter exists only in an approximately 30-acre area in southern Ethiopia. The total population size is estimated to be less than 250 individuals (Donald et al. 2010). If no protection measures are implemented in the near future, we will probably witness its extinction. Encouraging are recent observations from May 2011, after which the species occurs in another small area in north eastern Ethiopia (Nigel Collar, oral information). Genetic studies should also clarify whether
H. archeri and
H. sidamoensis are actually different taxa.
Looking at the birds of the African continent as a whole, the avifauna of Eastern Africa (including Horn of Africa and offshore islands) is particularly at risk. Back in the nineteen nineties, 107 bird species in that area were threatened according to IUCN criteria (critical endangered, endagered or vulnerable ). That's more than 50% of then 207 threatened bird species in Africa (WCM / IUCN 1998).
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Agricultural intensification and climate change are
increasing the pressure on rangelands and other habitats |
Of the sources of risk for the conservation of biodiversity in Ethiopia are here only two of the most serious are referred to: Intensifying of agriculture and human population growth. Both processes may increase the pressure on habitats of threatened bird species in the coming years. Africa (south of the Sahara) has the largest untapped reserves of potential cropland in the world. Against the background of rising food prices and the rising demand for bio-fuels global investors are increasingly interested in the purchase or long-term lease of such areas. According to various Internet sources Ethiopia considered about 23 million hectares as suitable for the cultivation of renewable raw materials, especially
Castor and
Atropha - which is about twice the total agricultural area of Germany. For the immediate years ahead, the government plans the introduction of intensive farming and leasing of 3 million hectares of arable land to foreign investors (
http://af.reuters.com, 5 November 2009). The associated consequences for nature and landscape, but also for peasants and pastoralists will be severe. Parallel to this development, the population of Ethiopia is expected to double by 2050. The pressure on the natural resources of the country will therefore further increase. Especially in eastern Ethiopia (Afar region, Ogaden and parts Oromia) the foreseeable climate change will lead not only to modified habitats, but also to a reduction of agricultural potential. The country is undoubtedly facing enormous challenges in the coming decades if it wants to preserve the richness of its biodiversity.
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