Forest plays an important role in climate regulation and carbon sequestration. But efforts to restore it demands determination, resources as well expertise. According to forestsnews.cifor.org, written by Natasha Vizcarra, montane grasslands and forests dominate the Bale mountain region in Oromia, Ethiopia. Like most of the rugged Ethiopian Highlands, Bale is home to endemic flora and fauna such as the African redwood, the giant lobelia, the Ethiopian wolf and Prince Ruspoli's Turaco, a species of green bird with a blond mohawk.
However, rising urban populations and the unsustainable management of forests has led to forest degradation in Bale and the nearby Jamma-Urji mountain region. A dense forest covered the Jamma-Urji area decades ago, but over time has gradually been replaced by shrub and bare land, threatening the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities.
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