A Systematic Review on the Contributions of Ethiopian Church Forests to Native Woody Species Conservation

Ethiopian Orthodox Church forests represent ancient sacred natural sites that serve as critical refugia for indigenous biodiversity in landscapes experiencing extensive deforestation. This systematic review synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed studies conducted across the Ethiopian highlands to evaluate the contributions of Church forests to forest conservation. A systematic literature search was performed using Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. The review examined four thematic areas: woody plant diversity status, community perceptions, socio-economic benefits, and threats to sustainability. The synthesized evidence reveals that Church forests harbor exceptional biodiversity, with 148 woody species documented across 78 forest patches, representing over 15 percent of tree species found in tropical northeast Africa. Community engagement in forest conservation is remarkably high, with up to ninety-eight percent of respondents acknowledging the conservation contributions of religious institutions. Socio-economic benefits include beekeeping, indigenous tree seed collection, edible fruit harvesting, and regulated fuel wood collection. However, Church forests face escalating threats from anthropogenic pressure, livestock grazing, invasive species encroachment, and weak institutional enforcement. The findings demonstrate that Church forests function as indispensable in situ conservation sites with high conservation value. Their long-term sustainability requires integrated approaches that respect religious institutions while strengthening governance frameworks, enhancing community engagement, and addressing emerging ecological threats.