The Kafa Biosphere Reserve is located in the
Kafa Zone of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
approximately 460 km southwest of
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
. The
Bonga National Forest Priority Area partly forms the southern boundary of the Biosphere Reserve, whilst the eastern boundary follows the
Adiyo Woreda with the
Gojeb River The Gojeb River is eastward-flowing tributary of the Omo River in Ethiopia. It rises in the mountains of Guma, flowing in almost a direct line its confluence with the Omo at
.
Its canyon provided the former Kingdom of Kaffa an important defensive ...
and
Gewata-Yeba (Boginda) National Forest Priority Area forming the northern boundary.
It was declared in 2010 and has a surface area of 760,114.1 hectares. It has a population of 608 227 people. It is administered by Kafa Zone Administration, in association with Adiyo Woreda,
Bita Woreda,
Chena Woreda
Chena may refer to:
* Chena (root), an Indian food
* Chena, Alaska
* Chena Hot Springs, Alaska
* Chena River, Alaska
* Chena, Ethiopia, a woreda or administrative government unit
* Huaca de Chena, sacred Inca place near Santiago de Chile
* Tro ...
,
Cheta Woreda Cheta may refer to:
* Cheta (armed group), a type of armed band of the Ottoman Balkans
* Chaeta, part of some invertebrates' anatomy
* Cheta (woreda), an administrative division of Ethiopia
* Cheta, SBS Nagar, a village in India
* Cheta language ...
,
Decha Woreda,
Gesha Woreda,
Gewata Woreda,
Gimbo Woreda,
Sayilem Woreda,
Telo Woreda
The Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) is an Eelam Tamils, Eelam Tamil organisation which campaigned for the establishment of an independent Tamil Eelam in the northeast of Sri Lanka during 1972-1987 which later accepted the December 19th ...
, and
Bonga
Bonga is a town, woreda and capital of the South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region in Ethiopia. Located in the Keffa Zone upon a hill in the upper Barta valley, it has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation of 1,714 meters above sea level. ...
Town Administration.
Ecological characteristics
The Kafa Biosphere Reserve is located in the Kafa Zone of Ethiopia approximately 460 km southwest of Addis Ababa.
The Bonga National Forest Priority Area partly forms the southern boundary of the Biosphere Reserve, whilst the eastern boundary follows the Adiyo Woredawith the Gojeb River and Gewata-Yeba (Boginda) National Forest Priority Area forms the northern boundary.
The Saylem Woreda forms the northern part of the Biosphere Reserve and the western boundary constitutes the Gesha National Forest Priority Area. The Kafa Zone contains more than 50% of the remaining montane forests in Ethiopia and it is the center of origin and genetic diversity of wild Coffea arabica.
Flora
Kafa Biosphere Reserve contains 244 plant species that are vascular plants such as trees, shrubs, and wild coffees. Some plant species that are recorded as 110 are commonly endemic throughout the forested area. The vegetation of the reserve is covered with
bamboo forest
Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin ...
s,
cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...
s,
floodplain forests, riverine
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
s, and
Afromontane forests. The Afromontane forests are more species-diverse while the floodplains and wetlands feature a higher diversity of plant species.
Coffea arabica,
Phoenix reclinata
''Phoenix reclinata'' (''reclinata'' - Latin, reclining), the wild date palm, Arabian date palm or Senegal date palm, is a species of flowering plant in the palm family native to tropical Africa, the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar an ...
, and
Dracaena afromontana are the most common plant species known in Kafa Biosphere Reserve. Along with other plant life,
Aframomum corrorima
''Aframomum corrorima'' is a species of flowering plant in the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It's a herbaceous perennial that produces leafy stems 1–2 meters tall from rhizomatous roots. The alternately-arranged leaves are dark green, 10–30&n ...
,
Bothriocline schimperi,
Clematis longicaudata
''Clematis'' is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners, beginning with ''Clematis'' × ''jackmanii'', a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars ...
,
Erythrina brucei,
Millettia ferruginea,
Tiliacora troupinii, and
Vepris dainellii
''Vepris'' is a genus of plant in family Rutaceae. It comprises around 90 species, mainly from tropical Africa, Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands and at a lesser extent Arabia and India.
Species
, Plants of the World Online (PoWO) accepted t ...
are recorded as endemic species of Ethiopian Highlands.
Wildlife
Mammals
Kafa Biosphere Reserve is home to 300 species of mammals consisting of
bats
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
,
rodents
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are nat ...
,
carnivorans
Carnivora is a monophyletic order of placental mammals consisting of the most recent common ancestor of all cat-like and dog-like animals, and all descendants of that ancestor. Members of this group are formally referred to as carnivorans, ...
,
monkeys
Monkey is a common name that may refer to most mammals of the infraorder Simiiformes, also known as the simians. Traditionally, all animals in the group now known as simians are counted as monkeys except the apes, which constitutes an incomple ...
, and
even-toed ungulates
The even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla , ) are ungulates—hoofed animals—which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes: the third and fourth. The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing poster ...
. Herbivores that are recorded from the biome includes
hippo
The hippopotamus ( ; : hippopotamuses or hippopotami; ''Hippopotamus amphibius''), also called the hippo, common hippopotamus, or river hippopotamus, is a large semiaquatic mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is one of only two extant ...
,
Cape buffalo,
bohor reedbuck
The bohor reedbuck (''Redunca redunca'') is an antelope native to central Africa. The animal is placed under the genus '' Redunca'' and in the family Bovidae. It was first described by German zoologist and botanist Peter Simon Pallas in 1767. ...
,
Harvey's duiker
The Harvey's red duiker (''Cephalophus harveyi'') is one of 19 species of duiker found in Tanzania and scattered through Kenya, southern Somalia and possibly central Ethiopia.
Harvey's duikers are roughly 40 cm (15 in) tall at the shou ...
,
crested porcupine
The crested porcupine (''Hystrix cristata''), also known as the African crested porcupine, is a species of rodent in the family Hystricidae native to Italy, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.
Characteristics
The adult crested porcupine h ...
,
grey duiker
The common duiker (''Sylvicapra grimmia''), also known as the grey or bush duiker, is a small antelope and the only member of the genus ''Sylvicapra''. This species is found everywhere in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding the Horn of Afric ...
,
warthog
''Phacochoerus'' is a genus in the family Suidae, commonly known as warthogs (pronounced ''wart-hog''). They are pigs who live in open and semi-open habitats, even in quite arid regions, in sub-Saharan Africa. The two species were formerly cons ...
,
giant forest hog
The giant forest hog (''Hylochoerus meinertzhageni''), the only member of its genus (''Hylochoerus''), is native to wooded habitats in Africa and is generally considered the largest wild member of the pig family, Suidae; however, a few subspecie ...
,
bushpig
:''"Bush pig" may also refer to the red river hog.
The bushpig (''Potamochoerus larvatus'') is a member of the pig family that inhabits forests, woodland, riverine vegetation and cultivated areas in East and Southern Africa. Probably introduce ...
, and
waterbuck
The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies ar ...
.
Lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
is considered one of the most enigmatic species found within the reserve. Other carnivores such as
leopard
The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia, a ...
,
spotted hyena
The spotted hyena (''Crocuta crocuta''), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus ''Crocuta'', native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUC ...
,
slender mongoose
The common slender mongoose (''Herpestes sanguineus''), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Taxonomy
The scientific name ''Herpestes sanguineus'' ...
,
white-tailed mongoose
The white-tailed mongoose (''Ichneumia albicauda'') is a species in the mongoose family Herpestidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Ichneumia''.
Taxonomy
''Herpestes albicaudus'' was the scientific name proposed by Georges Cuvier in 1829 ...
,
Egyptian mongoose
The Egyptian mongoose (''Herpestes ichneumon''), also known as ichneumon (), is a mongoose species native to the coastal regions along the Mediterranean Sea between North Africa and Turkey, tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrub ...
,
marsh mongoose
The marsh mongoose (''Atilax paludinosus''), also known as the water mongoose or the vansire, is a medium-sized mongoose native to sub-Saharan Africa that inhabits foremost freshwater wetlands. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red L ...
,
civet
A civet () is a small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical Asia and Africa, especially the tropical forests. The term civet applies to over a dozen different species, mostly from the family Viverridae. Most of the species diversit ...
,
common genet
The common genet (''Genetta genetta'') is a small viverrid indigenous to Africa that was introduced to southwestern Europe. It is widely distributed north of the Sahara, in savanna zones south of the Sahara to southern Africa and along the coa ...
,
black-backed jackal,
honey badger
The honey badger (''Mellivora capensis''), also known as the ratel ( or ), is a mammal widely distributed in Africa, Southwest Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Because of its wide range and occurrence in a variety of habitats, it is liste ...
, and
common jackal
The golden jackal (''Canis aureus''), also called common jackal, is a wolf-like canid that is native to Southeast Europe, Southwest Asia, South Asia, and regions of Southeast Asia. The golden jackal's coat varies in color from a pale creamy y ...
are also recorded here.
Guereza,
Boutourlini's blue monkey,
lesser galago,
olive baboon
The olive baboon (''Papio anubis''), also called the Anubis baboon, is a member of the family Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys. The species is the most wide-ranging of all baboons, being native to 25 countries throughout Africa, extending fr ...
,
grivet
The grivet (''Chlorocebus aethiops'') is an Old World monkey with long white tufts of hair along the sides of its face. Some authorities consider this and all of the members of the genus ''Chlorocebus'' to be a single species, ''Cercopithecus ae ...
, and
De Brazza's monkey
De Brazza's monkey (''Cercopithecus neglectus'') is an Old World monkey endemic to the riverine and swamp forests of central Africa. The largest species in the guenon family, it is one of the most widespread arboreal African primates. Aside from ...
are six known primate species that are considered common and can be found in montane forests, bamboo forests, and cloud forests. Insectivores such as
aardvark
The aardvark ( ; ''Orycteropus afer'') is a medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammal native to Africa. It is the only living species of the order Tubulidentata, although other prehistoric species and genera of Tubulidentata are known. Unlike ...
, and
four-toed hedgehog
The four-toed hedgehog (''Atelerix albiventris''), is a species of hedgehog found throughout much of central and eastern Africa.
Populations tend to be scattered between suitable savannah or cropland habitats, avoiding forested areas. The specie ...
are lived here within the biome.
Small mammals such as
East African mole-rat East African mole-rat has been split into the following species:
* Northeast African mole-rat, ''Tachyoryctes splendens''
* Ankole African mole-rat, ''Tachyoryctes ankoliae''
* Mianzini African mole-rat, ''Tachyoryctes annectens''
* Aberdare Mounta ...
(''Tachyoryctes Splendens''),
brush-furred mouse
The brush-furred mice, genus ''Lophuromys'' are a group of rodents found in sub-Saharan Africa. They are members of the subfamily Deomyinae, a group only identifiable through molecular analysis. ''Lophuromys'' is also known as the brush-furr ...
(''Lophuromys Flavopunctatus''),
African marsh rat
The African marsh rat or common dasymys (''Dasymys incomtus'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae.
It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, a ...
(''Dasymys cf. Incomtus''),
African clawless otter
The African clawless otter (''Aonyx capensis''), also known as the Cape clawless otter or groot otter, is the second-largest freshwater otter species. It inhabits permanent water bodies in savannah and lowland forest areas through most of sub- ...
(''Aonyx Capensis''),
African giant shrew
The African giant shrew (''Crocidura olivieri'') is a species of white-toothed shrew. It also is known as, Mann's musk shrew, Euchareena's musk shrew, or Olivier's shrew. It is native to Africa, where it has a widespread distribution and occurs i ...
(''Crocidura Olivieri''),
Yellow-spotted rock hyrax
The yellow-spotted rock hyrax or bush hyrax (''Heterohyrax brucei'') is a species of mammal in the family Procaviidae. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ma ...
(''Heterohyrax Brucei''),
Rock hyrax
The rock hyrax (; ''Procavia capensis''), also called dassie, Cape hyrax, rock rabbit, and (in the King James Bible) coney, is a medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East. Commonly referred to in South Africa as the da ...
(''Procavia capensis''), and
Gambian sun squirrel (''Heliosciurus Gambianus'') are found in wetlands and forest habitats. Along with other small mammals,
Mahomet mouse (''Mus Mahomet''),
Ethiopian hare
The Ethiopian hare (''Lepus fagani'') is a species of mammal in the family Leporidae. It was first described in 1903, by the British mammalogist Oldfield Thomas. The dorsal pelage is brownish buff, and is finely grizzled with black. The ventral ...
(''Lepus cf. Fagani''),
Ethiopian white-footed mouse
The Ethiopian white-footed mouse or white-footed stenocephalemys (''Stenocephalemys albipes'') is a species of rodent in the family Muridae. It lives in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane forest and tropical ...
(''Stenocephalemys Albipes''), and
Ethiopian vlei rat
The Ethiopian vlei rat (''Otomys typus'') is a species of vlei rat in the rodent family Muridae.
It is found only in Ethiopia and is considered endemic.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropi ...
(''Otomys cf. Typus'') are four endemic rodent species found in biosphere reserve. 29 bat species are also recorded within caves of the reserve that are listed from
Horseshoe bats
A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toe ...
,
Fruit bats
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
,
Long-fingered bat
The long-fingered bat (''Myotis capaccinii'') is a carnivorous species of vesper bat. It is native to coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea, as well as a few patches of land in western Iran. Due to the fact that its population is in decline ...
s, and
Mouse-eared bats
The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (''Myotis'') of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "''myotis''" itself is a New Latin construction, from the Greek "''muós'' (meaning "mouse") and "''oûs''" (me ...
.
Scott's mouse-eared bat,
Ethiopian big-eared bat
The Ethiopian long-eared bat or Ethiopian big-eared bat (''Plecotus balensis'') is a species of Plecotus, long-eared bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
Description
The Ethiopian long-eared bat is a typical medium-size representative of the genu ...
,
Ejeta's house bat, and
Ethiopian woolly bat
The Ethiopian woolly bat (''Kerivoula eriophora'') is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
It is found only in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya o ...
are rare endemic bat species recorded in the reserve and are considered endangered for their population.
Avifauna
Kafa Biosphere Reserve is also home to 178 species of birds that are endemic, endangered, near-threatened, or restricted. Some of the bird species are restricted to Afro tropical highlands which are 25 species and Somali-Masai biome which is 2 species.
Yellow-fronted Parrot,
Abyssinian Longclaw
The Abyssinian longclaw (''Macronyx flavicollis'') is a species of bird in the family Motacillidae.
It is endemic to Ethiopia.
Habitat
The bird's natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland of the Ethiopian Highlands, a ...
, and
Abyssinian Catbird are three endemic species found in the reserve.
Wattled Ibis,
Rouget's rail
Rouget's rail (''Rougetius rougetii'') is a species of bird in the family Rallidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Rougetius''. It is found in Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Habitat
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical high-altitude ...
,
Black-winged Lovebird
The black-winged lovebird (''Agapornis taranta'') also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The ...
,
White-cheeked Turaco
The white-cheeked turaco (''Menelikornis leucotis'') is a species of bird in the family Musophagidae. It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan. A mid-sized species, it measures about in length, including a tail of , and weighs about . ...
,
Banded Barbet,
Abyssinian Slaty Flycatcher, and
Thick-billed Raven
The thick-billed raven (''Corvus crassirostris''), a corvid from the Horn of Africa, shares with the common raven the distinction of being the largest bird in the corvid family, and indeed the largest of the passerines. The thick-billed raven a ...
are near-endemic within the reserve. Along with endemic bird species, the Kafa Biosphere reserve provides a home for diverse species of birds such as
African Crowned eagle,
Black crowned crane
The black crowned crane (''Balearica pavonina'') is a part of the family Gruidae, along with its sister species, the grey crowned crane. It is topped with its characteristic bristle-feathered golden crown. It is usually found in the shallow we ...
,
Red-billed oxpecker
The red-billed oxpecker (''Buphagus erythrorynchus'') is a passerine bird in the oxpecker family, Buphagidae. It is native to the savannah of sub- Saharan Africa, from the Central African Republic east to South Sudan and south to northern and eas ...
,
Sharpe's starling
Sharpe's starling (''Pholia sharpii'') is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. It is monotypic in the genus ''Pho ...
,
Half-collared Kingfisher
The half-collared kingfisher (''Alcedo semitorquata'') is a kingfisher in the subfamily Alcedininae that is found in southern and eastern Africa. It feeds almost exclusively on fish and frequents streams, rivers and larger bodies of water.
The ...
,
Silvery-cheeked Hornbill
The silvery-cheeked hornbill (''Bycanistes brevis'') is a large species of hornbill found in Africa. Silvery-cheeked hornbills are residents of the tall evergreen forests of East Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. In Zimbabwe it is threatened ...
,
Rüppell's robin-chat
Rüppell's robin-chat (''Cossypha semirufa'') is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae, that is native to the Afrotropics. It is named for the German naturalist Eduard Rüppell.
Description
It is a smaller version of the White-browed robin ...
, and
Wattled crane
The wattled crane (''Grus carunculata'') is a large bird found in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. It is sometimes placed in the monotypic genus ''Bugeranus''.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of the wattled crane was by the German nat ...
.
Herpetofauna
17 species of Amphibians are recorded in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve along with 5 species of reptiles. The reptiles species such as
Somali giant blind snake,
Forest cobra
The forest cobra (''Naja melanoleuca''), also commonly called the black cobra and the black and white-lipped cobra, is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is native to Africa, mostly the central and western parts of t ...
,
Wingate's skink, and
speckle-lipped skink are found in the wetlands and forested areas of the reserve.
Böhme's Ethiopian Mountain Snake (''Pseudoboodon boehmei'') is the only known endemic reptile found in the reserve. Most Amphibian species are considered vulnerable to habitat loss and deforestation. Frog species such as
Clarke’s banana frog (Afrixalus Clarkeorum),
Ragazzi's tree frog (Leptopelis Ragazzii),
Vannutelli's tree frog (Leptopelis Vannutellii),
Largen’s dwarf puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus Inexpectatus),
Erlanger's Grassland frog (Ptychadena Erlangeri), and
Beccari’s giant frog (Conraua Beccarii) are six endemic species found in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
.
[Montero, Juan & Abebe, Yilma & Bauer, Hans & Beisenherz, Wolfgang & Clausnitzer, Viola & Flügel, Hans-Joachim & Geertz, Thies & Gminder, Andreas & Hermes, Nicole & Hunde, Debela & Hundera, Kitessa & Kaipf, Ingrid & Kirschey, Tom & Kohlmorgen, Nina & Leßmeister, Anna & Meinig, Holger & Rudolphi, Hartmut & Ryslavy, Torsten & Schell, Andrea & Koch, Olef. (2017). Biodiversity Assessment at the Kafa Biosphere Reserve Pg 190-206. ]
Human activities
The Biosphere Reserve includes the East Afromontane Biodiversity Hotspot and other endemic crops such as ''
Ensete ventricosum
''Ensete ventricosum'', commonly known as enset or ensete, Ethiopian banana, Abyssinian banana, pseudo-banana, false banana and wild banana,
is an herbaceous species of flowering plant in the banana family Musaceae. The domesticated form of ...
'' and ''
Eragrostis tef
''Eragrostis tef'', also known as teff, Williams lovegrass or annual bunch grass, is an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to the Horn of Africa, notably to both Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is cultivated for its edible seeds, also known as ...
'', and a cultural and linguistic identity quite distinct from the rest of Africa.
Furthermore, it includes a unique
coffee culture
Coffee culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of coffee, particularly as a social lubricant. The term also refers to the cultural diffusion and adoption of coffee as a widely consumed stimulant. In the ...
that is deeply ingrained in the Ethiopian economy and history.
The area includes an array of rural settlements, traditional land-use patterns, and sites of cultural and natural significance, which are home to approximately 608 227 people.
Main economic activities in the area are dominated by agriculture which contributes approximately 41% to the GDP, 80% of exports, and 80% of the labor force. Other sectors include services and tourism, manufacturing, and trade. Agriculture forms the backbone of the economy with most of the other sectors (i.e. trade and tourism) being dependent on its strong backward and forward linkages.
The key management focal areas of the Biosphere Reserve include coordination of conservation initiatives with the focus on the protection of the endemic and global important genetic resources of Coffea arabica and its associated ecosystems, provision of a sustained flow of high-quality water to adjoining regions, and the promotion of sustainable development to alleviate poverty and inequality.
Sources
References
{{Reflist
External links
Homepage of Kafa Coffee Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere reserves of Ethiopia
South West Ethiopia Peoples' Region