Giorgis Church Forest (Est. A.D.)
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Olea grows slowly but has high survival success once established even under environmental stress. Its seeds are easily dispersed by birds from one habitat to another and so Olea appear widely in the Church forests.
-- Photo by Trees ForTheFuture -
Dung beetles provide an important service by both removing human and animal waste from the forest floor and by spreading seeds through out the forest.
-- Photo by Heather and Mike -
Small islands of forests around the churches are almost all that is left of the once vast forests of N. Ethiopia. The church forest communities protect the forests for spirituality and ecosystem services.
-- Photo by Tree Foundation -
There are approximately 30,000 Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Churches with 40 million followers. The Church perceives nature to include people, trees, animals, water, land features and the nation as a whole.
-- Photo by Tree Foundation
Forest Health Indicators for Giorgis Church Forest
Hectares
of Forest
Remaining
of Forest
Remaining
6.1
Woody
Species
Remaining
Species
Remaining
36
Number of
Cattle Trails
In the Forest
Cattle Trails
In the Forest
0.0
Number of
Cut Trees
In the Forest
Cut Trees
In the Forest
0
Percentage of
Wall
Completed
Wall
Completed
90%
Data from Dr. Alemayehu Wassie Eshete (2007)
Only 5km away from Goha Mariam church is Giorgis church. Unlike Goha Mariam, the forest surrounding Giorgis Church is quite misshapen and has no barrier to protect its edges. It is a kilometer from the nearest dirt road and thus reaching it necessitates traversing not only the surrounding maize and tef fields but also a large stream that cuts deeply into the red, fertile soil. After heavy rains, toads become abundant in the lands around the forest.
Goirgis Church Forest Area: 6.1 hectares (61207 m2)
Giorgis Land-Use Breakdown:
• Agricultural Land: 69.01%
• Grazing Land: 17.64%
• Church Forest: 4.52%
• Urban Land: 4.09%
• Tree Cover: 4.74%
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