Biomass and Carbon Dynamics in Dry Afromontane Forest of Ethiopia: A Systematic Review

Dry afromontane forests are important for climate change mitigation in Ethiopia, yet a systematic synthesis of their biomass and carbon storage capacity is lacking. This review aims to (1) quantify the biomass and carbon stocks in these forests, (2) map their geographic distribution, and (3) identify the key biophysical and anthropogenic factors driving carbon stock variation. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed 72 relevant studies (2000–2025) identified from Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. The results showed that aboveground biomass (AGB) ranged from 35.1 ± 16.6 t ha⁻¹ in Desa Forest to 720.7 ± 503 t ha⁻¹ in Banja Forest, with belowground biomass (BGB) following a similar pattern and generally representing 18–22 % of AGB. Soil organic carbon (0–30 cm depth) also varies substantially from 58 ± 7.6 t ha⁻¹ in Gara Muktar to 277.6 ± 11.6 t ha⁻¹ in Egdu Forest. Forests such as Banja, Gedo, Egdu, Ades, and Zafenigus show particularly high AGB, highlighting the capacity of well-conserved high forests to store roughly 215–425 t ha⁻¹, depending on site conditions. Factors contributing to this variation include measurement errors, the choice of allometric equations for biomass and carbon estimation, species composition and community structure, and topographic factors such as altitude and slope. Additionally, human disturbances play a significant role. Future research focuses on integrating advanced remote sensing technologies, particularly LiDAR, and applying climatic and biogeochemical models (e.g., CO₂Flux, BIOME-BGC) to simulate future biomass and carbon dynamics.