THE RED LIST OF ENDEMIC TREES AND SHRUBS OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

The East African countries of Ethiopia and Eritrea have one of the richest assemblages of plants in the African continent, with 7,000 recorded plant species, of which 1100 are trees, 428 endemic to the two countries. The Horn of Africa (which also includes the neighbouring countries of Djibouti and Somalia) itself is an important centre for plant diversity, with 8000 recorded species - 24% of which are found nowhere else.

The Red List of Endemic Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea, published by the Global Trees Campaign in 2005, helps to improve the sparse knowledge of trees in the area. The conservation of tree species in Ethiopia and Eritrea is of particular importance as both countries have some of the highest levels of poverty in the world. This has led to large areas of forest being cleared for agriculture and for use as firewood. Civil conflicts and natural disasters in the area have added to the level of habitat destruction.

The list concentrated on the endemic woody plants of the two countries, using IUCN Categories and Criteria to assess the conservation status of 135 endemic species (31 trees and 104 shrubs).

To download the full report, click here: The Red List of Endemic Trees and Shrubs of Ethiopia and Eritrea - PDF

Back to Tree Red Listing