The Ethiopian Flora Project of the National Herbarium has documented more than 6000 species of vascular plants in 6 volumes of Flora Books and deposited the specimens in the National Herbarium, Addis Ababa. This vast information is not accessible online.

These days online flora databases are easy to access and retrieve information as they are searched online using different criteria. For example, if a user wants a certain species that belongs to a certain family and grows in a certain ecosystem or habitat, he/she can search online using such criteria and find it very easily.

These types of databases are nowadays very famous and institutions are moving in this direction. There are many examples for such type of online databases such as the National Tropical Botanical Garden Plant Database, World Database of Protected Areas, Global Biodiversity Information Facility, United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database and many European Flora Databases.

So far there are not such types of Flora Databases in Ethiopia and this network will be the first in its kind in the country. We hope many volunteers will join this project and make great contributions for the best of our country’s biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization. It is us who are responsible for the past damages and future conservations of our biodiversity, thus, our contributions will make a difference.

You are kindly invited to register on our website for Free Membership so that you can contribute any relevant ideas, articles, data, etc.

Your contribution is priceless! We need your support and join us now!

Definition

Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species, which is the product of nearly 3.5 billion years of evolution.

“Biological diversity” or “biodiversity” can have many interpretations and it is most commonly used to replace the more clearly defined and long established terms, species diversity and species richness. Biologists most often define biodiversity as the “totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region”. An advantage of this definition is that it seems to describe most circumstances and present a unified view of the traditional three levels at which biological variety has been identified: gene, species and ecosystem.

Recent estimates of the total number of species range from 7 to 20 million, of which only about 1.75 million species have been scientifically described. The best-studied groups include plants and vertebrates (phylum Chordata), whereas poorly described groups include fungi, nematodes, and arthropods. Species that live in the ocean and in soils remain poorly known. For most groups of species, there is a gradient of increasing diversity from the Poles to the Equator, and the vast majority of species are concentrated in the tropical and subtropical regions.

Uses and values

Some measure of biodiversity is responsible for providing essential functions and services that directly improve human life. For example, many medicines, clothing fibers, and industrial products and the vast majority of foods are derived from naturally occurring species. In addition, species are the key working parts of natural ecosystems. They are responsible for maintenance of the gaseous composition of the atmosphere, regulation of the global climate, generation and maintenance of soils, recycling of nutrients and waste products, and biological control of pest species. Ecosystems surely would not function if all species were lost, although it is unclear just how many species are necessary for an ecosystem to function properly.

Threats

Human activities, such as direct harvesting of species, introduction of alien species, habitat destruction, and various forms of habitat degradation (including environmental pollution), have caused dramatic losses of biodiversity; current extinction rates are estimated to be 100–1000 times higher than prehuman extinction rates.

The Ethiopian Flora Network (EFN) has so far made available databases of Ethiopian Ecosystems, Protected Areas and Red List Trees from different sources (see references below each data page). Different news and views that belong to biodiversity, agriculture, Environment and climate change are regularly posted on the news page of our website under different categories. You can subscribe for such news in order to receive them via your e-mail address (Register Here). If you are a registered user, you will automatically receive articles/news as soon as they are published on our website. There is a comment box under each news page so that you can post your views, comments and suggestions as well as rate articles.

In the future:

• We have plans to establish Ethiopian Flora Database of more than 6000 species so far documented by the Flora Project of the National Herbarium, Addis Ababa in close collaboration with the National Herbarium.
• We will also make available various research publications relevant to Ethiopian Flora which will be kindly contributed by interested individuals and institutions. Submit your publications (articles, news, etc.) now and make a difference.
• We will establish online Forums for our valued members so that they can discuss any issues related to biodiversity conservation, Agriculture and Environmental Protection as well as climate change.
• We will establish “Question and Answer” forums so that students and interested individuals will post their questions online and get relevant answers.
• We will develop a Shopping Module so that Members will advertise and sell their publications such as books online.
• What is more? Contribute your ideas now! Use our e-mail: info@etflora.net or our online forum:www.etflora.net/forum.

Owing to the scarcity of information and difficulty of access in our country, Ethiopian Flora Network (EFN) will be one of the best choices to access online, very easily, anywhere, any time on Ethiopian Flora!

Join us now; you have no time to wait!

Membership Registeration is Here.

Our slogan is “Rich diversity, better future!”

The Ethiopian Flora Network

Ethiopia has rich flora and associated indigenous knowledge

• About 6500 – 7500 vascular plants are known to exist
• About 12 percent are endemic
• Ethiopia is centere of origin as well as diversity for major agricultural crops
• About 9 vegetation types are recognized
• Many of Ethiopia’s Flora is under threat

Vision

• To See Ethiopia’s Flora Conserved and Sustainably Utilized.

Objectives

• Document Ethiopia’s Flora and associated indigenous knowledge
• Promote Ethiopia’s Flora and associated indigenous knowledge
• Avail information on Ethiopia’s Flora to researchers, students, scholars and media
• Create awareness among the policy makers, institutions and the public

ETFLORA is a non-profit making non-governmental website which will be rich source of online information to all interested individuals and institutions. We are a group of professionals in the field of biology, Botanical sciences, Ecology and Computer sciences. We use the internet for the best of Ethiopia’s Plant diversity documentation and conservation. We accept individuals, institutions and all interested parties as members. Membership is free! Submit your articles on the following areas for publication on our website!

• Agriculture
• Environment
• Biodiversity
• Tourism
• Indigenous knowledge

Thank you and come back again!