Beri Mariyam
A substantial plateau in a landscape containing some
degraded woodland harbours Beri Mariyam forest. This lowland site has some
natural regeneration and its undergrowth is nearly devoid of all plants. The
woodland is relatively species poor and suffers from grazing by livestock.
Beri Mariyam is situated on a large flat plateau along a mountain ridge. The woodland’s outer boundaries have no obvious natural or man made features. Neither is the church located at a special place (e.g. top of hill, near a well, etc…). This lowland site is found in a highly dissected and rugged countryside to the East of the Simien Mountains.
The
woodland has a number of uncommon features, including much advance regeneration
in places and a large amount of coarse woody debris (only the priest is allowed
to gather dead wood). In the past there has been tree cutting and few large
stems exit. There are no large openings in the canopy but there is some
evidence of gap dynamics. Canopy trees are mostly deciduous whereas the shrub
layer is evergreen. The ground flora is typically absent and the amount of
litter was highly variable.
Native trees are common but scattered in the surrounding countryside, but there is no natural woodland in the close vicinity of Beri Mariyam. However, a highly disturbed open woodland extends downhill from the protected site.
