Forest Structure and Carbon stock Dynamics under Traditional Coffee farming system in Diga District, Western Ethiopia

Forest Structure and Carbon stock Dynamics under Traditional Coffee farming system in Diga District, Western Ethiopia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Forest Structure and Carbon stock Dynamics under Traditional Coffee farming system in Diga District, Western Ethiopia Abdi Geleta, Lijalem Hailu, Obsa Asefa, Emebet Asefa, Adugna Temesgen, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8434888/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 15 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Human-dominated landscapes are becoming more important for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. As deforestation and forest degradation continue to reduce carbon stock density of the natural forest in the tropics, traditional coffee agroforestry systems, where Coffea arabica is cultivated under shade trees, are recognized for their structural complexity and capacity to store substantial biomass and soil carbon. However, the conversion of natural forests into simplified coffee systems through progressive thinning of shade trees can significantly diminish their ecological value. This study assessed forest structure and carbon stock dynamics in Natural Forest (NF) and Semi-Forest Coffee (SFC) systems in Diga District, western Ethiopia. To the people of this district, coffee forms a major source of livelihood. Forty sample plots (20 in each forest type) were systematically laid to record floristic composition, stand structure, basal area, and biomass of woody species. Species-specific and generalized allometric equations were used to estimate carbon stocks of trees and shrubs in both NF and SFC. Results revealed that NF had higher woody species richness (52 species) than SFC (25 species), asserting the impacts of traditional shade-tree management via selective removal of specific species and size classes. SFC had significantly lower basal area (8.41 m² ha⁻¹) and biomass carbon (41.59 t ha -1 ) than NF (18.47 m² ha⁻¹) and 99.98 t ha -1 , respectively, demonstrating greater structural complexity. Albizia schimperiana was ecologically dominant in both systems, though with much larger basal area in NF. In both forest type, size-class distributions exhibited reverse J-shaped curves, suggesting active regeneration in NF but also selective removal of larger trees in SFC. Overall, forest structural integrity and carbon storage was markedly reduced due to traditional coffee management activities, emphasizing the need for improved shade-tree selection and retention strategies to improve ecosystem services in coffee-growing landscapes. Carbon stock density Forest structure and biodiversity Shade-tree management Semi-Forest Coffee (SFC) systems Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 18 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 15 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 14 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Jan, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Jan, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 12 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 07 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 07 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8434888","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":578394542,"identity":"372faf8a-27b5-4024-bfa5-3ac4f5518155","order_by":0,"name":"Abdi Geleta","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Dambi Dollo University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdi","middleName":"","lastName":"Geleta","suffix":""},{"id":578394545,"identity":"b414403e-abf3-4ba1-a611-703eb8e720e8","order_by":1,"name":"Lijalem Hailu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Dambi Dollo 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As deforestation and forest degradation continue to reduce carbon stock density of the natural forest in the tropics, traditional coffee agroforestry systems, where Coffea arabica is cultivated under shade trees, are recognized for their structural complexity and capacity to store substantial biomass and soil carbon. However, the conversion of natural forests into simplified coffee systems through progressive thinning of shade trees can significantly diminish their ecological value. This study assessed forest structure and carbon stock dynamics in Natural Forest (NF) and Semi-Forest Coffee (SFC) systems in Diga District, western Ethiopia. To the people of this district, coffee forms a major source of livelihood. Forty sample plots (20 in each forest type) were systematically laid to record floristic composition, stand structure, basal area, and biomass of woody species. 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Overall, forest structural integrity and carbon storage was markedly reduced due to traditional coffee management activities, emphasizing the need for improved shade-tree selection and retention strategies to improve ecosystem services in coffee-growing landscapes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Forest Structure and Carbon stock Dynamics under Traditional Coffee farming system in Diga District, Western Ethiopia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-01-22 16:22:08","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8434888/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-02-18T05:36:28+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-15T13:59:43+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-14T12:45:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"36934502637087889335610638707185630154","date":"2026-02-10T14:00:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"235221566824133030292079167060886396065","date":"2026-02-10T12:31:50+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"157197335119030075776538555302125900565","date":"2026-02-09T09:08:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"254697278414005170765959062139477304549","date":"2026-02-09T09:01:49+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"148306129341196691252948780100096255012","date":"2026-01-27T12:34:53+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-01-25T01:58:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"42741193967249970537200680497315322248","date":"2026-01-23T08:11:52+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"52364564598778546616959055458270087238","date":"2026-01-21T23:25:23+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-21T08:00:30+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-12T08:39:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-07T18:30:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Environment","date":"2026-01-07T18:24:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-environment","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Environment](https://www.springer.com/44274/)","snPcode":"44274","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44274/3","title":"Discover Environment","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"3ea914c4-209d-4478-a2b1-161a290c36ab","owner":[],"postedDate":"January 22nd, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-21T06:40:07+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-01-22 16:22:08","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8434888","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8434888","identity":"rs-8434888","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}