AFROALPINE HIGHLANDS► Natural Resources

The conservation of the Ethiopian wolf will only be successful if attention is paid to the wise management of all the resources occurring in its range. The people of the highlands are mixed agriculturalists growing barley at high elevations as well as keeping cattle, sheep and goats. Agriculture is encroaching into the grasslands and ericaceous heathlands of the Afroalpine zone, which extends above around 3,200 m. Lower down, most of the natural forests have been lost to 2,000 years of cultivation. Management of the subalpine and alpine ecosystems must balance the value of the natural resources used by humans with the intrinsic value of the biological heritage of the area.

Wild Species

Conservation of highlands species, particularly the endemics, is of paramount importance. In addition some species have immediate economic value. The `guassa' grass of the genus Festuca is used for thatch and basket making. It grows up to about 3,600 m on good soils and in the highlands of Menz areas of this grass have been set aside by some communities with limited harvest periods. In the Bale mountains there are recorded 42 species used as medicines and a further 10 that area used for food or drinks. People in Bale harvest a wild thyme (Thymus serrulatus) used to make a tea.

Agricultural Resources

Barley cultivation occurs almost continuously below 3,300 m and extends up to 3,800 m in some regions, depending on soils, slope and frost. Recently abandoned fields indicate areas where cultivation has failed. Pressure to find agricultural land is strong.

Domestic animals use the entire alpine habitat. There are large seasonal movements of stock as animals are removed from the areas of cultivation during the growing season. The effects of domestic stock on the populations of herbivorous rodents are unknown.

Firewood and Fuel

The ericaceous heathlands are or have been an important source of firewood in some areas. Typically the wood is collected a year or two after a fire has killed the above ground growth. In most areas this fuel is for local use. However, in the large heather areas of Arsi, the wood is gathered on a commercial scale. Ericaceous heathlands were both more extensive and of larger stature a generation or two ago.

Water Resources

The high ground in the mountains catches more rain than the surrounding lowlands. This is marked in the Simien where the lowlands less than 35 km east of the peaks receive only one third of the rainfall (500 vs 1500 mm/yr). In the south, all three of the major rivers that provide water to southeastern Ethiopia have their headwaters in the Bale Mountains. Maintenance of these high elevation watersheds is important.

Tourist Values

The spectacular scenery and unusual animal life offer great opportunities for tourism. Many of the areas are accessible only on foot or horseback and the number of large wild animals will never rival the great savannah parks. However, there is plenty of room to develop trekking and camping tours together with more specialised interest groups such as bird watchers and rock climbers and even fly fishing in Bale. The Simien is also within easy reach of some of the famous historic sites of Ethiopia.

Cultural Resources

The high mountain areas are important in the social and ritual life of the people who live there. In Bale, there are as many as 30 burial grounds in the park which also operate as prayer sites. A small hill close to the headquarters of the Bale Mountains National Park is the site of an annual religious celebration. Obsidian tool fragments are common in the Web Valley in Bale, but most of the area has not been surveyed archaeologically.