Debre Genet Medihane Alem
Located right at the edge of Mekele Town this urban
site was long ago denuded of all large trees. The vegetation consists in large
expanses of open and closed scrubland. The species composition is highly
variable including much exotic cacti but the area is species rich. Even areas
of open low scrub have many species of woody plants.
Situated right at the outskirts of Mekele,
Debre Genet Medihane Alem occupies much of a small valley heading up the
escarpment to the East of town. The aspect and the severity of the slopes vary
on either side of the deep river channel. A stone wall delimits the outskirts
of the church-controlled land.
Little of the vegetation can be described as woodland and
essentially it is open or closed scrub. Some areas are quite impenetrable
because of the density and spininess of the vegetation, including large clumps
of exotic cacti. Other areas have more or less no woody vegetation with much
bare ground and scattered grasses. The area is species rich and the botanical
diversity is somewhat different on the two sides of the valley. The church is
essentially surrounded by exotic species.
To the West of the churchyard
the landscape is urban with scattered vegetation whereas on the escarpment
little of the original tree cover remains. Instead there is mainly open
secondary vegetation and trees when present are chiefly eucalypts.
History
The establishment of the church is probably
moderately ancient. It has clearly suffered from near complete deforestation at
some point in the past. Probably reflecting human pressure due to the fact that
this church is adjacent to an urban centre, the whole church area is surrounded
by a poorly maintained stone wall.
Conservation status
Although this site is essentially urban and has a limited
woody plant cover, it has a high number of species. Because of the size of the
ground it has much potential for the conservation of the local biodiversity in
a rapidly expanding urban environment.
Both sides of the valley have markedly different types of
secondary vegetation which are surprisingly species rich. In the foreground Euphorbia abyssinica, Opuntia ficus-indica and Acacia
spp.
Uphill from the church a large building site was observed in
early 2002. A large network of graves was been built resulting in an area made
of concrete slabs devoid of vegetation.
Threats
Burial practices appear to be changing probably in
line with people’s increasing wealth. Close to the church an area is rapidly
becoming a monoculture of stone and mortar (see photo).
Grazing is intense and prevents most, if not
all, natural tree regeneration on the
town side of the valley. Uphill, Opuntia
ficus-indica dominates part of the
vegetation and these monotypic clumps are expanding. There is a danger that
much of the hillside could become dominated by these cacti.
Management
