Indigenous Agroforestry Systems as Climate-Smart Biodiversity Refuges: Evidence from Gimbi District, Western Ethiopia

AbstractClimate change is increasingly challenging the sustainability of smallholder agriculturalsystems, intensifying the need for land-use strategies that integrate production withbiodiversity conservation. This study evaluates the species composition, structuralcharacteristics, and diversity of indigenous agroforestry systems (IAFS) in Gimbi District,Western Ethiopia, to assess their potential role as biodiversity-conserving, climate-resilientproduction systems. Data were collected from 30 in 2020 systematically sampled vegetationplots (10m x 10) to quantify woody species composition, structure, and diversity. Keymetrics calculated included the Shannon diversity index (H'), species richness, evenness,height, and diameter at breast height (DBH). The findings reveal a remarkable species base,documenting a total of 72 agroforestry plant species belonging to 43 distinct families. Thesystem exhibited high diversity, reflected by a Shannon diversity index (H') of 3.16 and anevenness index of 0.74. Dominant indigenous species, such as Cordia africana and Albiziagummifera, serve critical functional roles in providing shade and fixing nitrogen. This highlevel of biodiversity confirms that IAFS not only enhance the stability and productivityof smallholder farms but also function as vital repositories for indigenous flora. Thisresearch supports the imperative for policy to formally recognize and integratetraditional agroforestry practices as cornerstone strategies for climate change adaptationand biodiversity conservation in Ethiopia and the wider Global South.Keywords: Biodiversity conservation, ecological stability, ecosystem services, in-situ conservation, climate-smart agriculture, Western EthiopiaTo cite this article: Abakorma, S. J., & Kejela, D. E. (2026). Indigenous Agroforestry Systems as ClimateSmart Biodiversity Refuges. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18185729