The influence of various restoration strategies on vegetation cover in Ayba grazing rangeland, South Tigray, Ethiopia: restoration strategies and vegetation cover

Abstract

Abstract Evaluating rangeland restoration strategies offers a rigorous basis for developing scalable, cost-effective practices that enhance livelihoods and improved vegetation recovery. This study combined experimental approaches and stakeholder engagement to investigate restoration strategies in a rangeland at Ayba in southern Tigray, Ethiopia. We aimed to evaluate restoration options that support local livelihoods and positively influence key vegetation indicators while remaining practical and scalable. In collaboration with the local government, we established stakeholder-managed trials in an 8-ha area where short-duration resting, reseeding, and cut-and-carry feeding were tested. Grazing was rested for one- and two-month periods in 2018–2019, and cut-and-carry feeding has been practiced since 2018. Reseeding used Cenchrus pedicellatus and Chloris gayana . Treatment effects were evaluated using analysis of covariance. Our results demonstrate that restoration options aligning with producers’ needs while safeguarding ecological integrity enhanced improved vegetation recovery potential, with cut-and-carry feeding increasing vegetation cover by 23.56%–27.03% and reducing canopy gaps by 19.95%–29.58%. Moderately costly, lower-risk interventions also yielded clear benefits, with two-month resting improving vegetation cover by 11.56%–12.43% and reducing canopy gaps by 5.76%–7.89%. Improved forage species— Chloris gayana and Cenchrus pedicellatus —achieved up to 100% establishment and the highest biomass yields. Strong community uptake, reflected in spontaneous scaling, underscored practical relevance. Overall, collaboratively designed, locally governed, and adaptively managed strategies can yield scalable improvements. Framing restoration as a socio-ecological process remains essential, and further long-term research is needed to understand how actor networks sustain restoration gains.