Das Projekt "Functional Ecology and Sustainable Management of the Munessa Forest, Ethiopia; Silvicultural contributions towards sustainable management and conservation of forest resources in the highlands of Ethiopia" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Technische Universität München, Wissenschaftszentrum Weihenstephan für Ernährung, Landnutzung und Umwelt, Lehrstuhl für Waldbau durchgeführt. Up till now there are no sustainable use and management options of Ethiopian forests. The objective of the silviculture experiment is to provide the necessary knowledge on how forests can be managed in a sustainable way. Based on scientific studies on different management options in plantation and natural forests, the effect of such options on the stands, regeneration, vegetation, and soil can be determined and an evaluation of the options can be made. The natural forest in the study area is heavily degraded and characterised by many gaps resulting from uncontrolled logging. Therefore, investigation in natural forest includes enrichment plantings of the gaps with four ecologically and economically important indigenous tree species (Podocarpus falcatus, Prunus africana, Cordia africana and Juniperus procera). The plantation forests in the study area are poorly managed. Therefore, an experiment including three different silvicultural measures at different age classes will be carried out in the most important and frequent plantation forests (Eucalyptus saligna, Cupressus lusitanica, and Pinus patula). As the livestock considerably affects the forests in the study area, the research includes two different variant of protection (non-protection and protection by fencing). Results will provide a scientific basis for recommendations on the sustainable management of the highland forests in Ethiopia.