©Kamla-Raj 2003 J. Hum. Ecol., 14(2): 77-87 (2003) Land Use and Spatial Distribution of Two Gum And Incense Producing Tree Species In The Blue-nile Valley of Wogidi District, Ethiopia Chane G. Turi, Nashon K. R. Musimba, Wellington N. Ekaya and Kassim O. Farah INTRODUCTION In Ethiopia, drylands account for 60-64% of the country’s area and are home to 12% and 26- 30% of human and livestock populations respe- ctively (Coppock, 1993; Getachew et al. 1998). These drylands have a rich diversity of natural vegetation that is capable of providing local communities with various natural products. Such possibilities include indigenous woody species such as, Boswellia papyrifera (Del.) Hochst and Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Engl., which are known sources of gum and incense. To date eight species of Boswellia, forty-eight species of Commiphora and various multiple-use species of the Acacia genera have been identified as pote- ntial sources for gum and incense (Brientenbach, 1963; Ahmed, 1982; Velleson, 1989; Hedberg and Edwards, 1989; De Vletter, 1991; Azene et al., 1993). The potential for gum and incense production in Ethiopia has a wide distribution, running across the dry zones of several regional states (Hedberg and Edwards, 1989; Azene et al., 1993). In the lower terraces of Blue-Nile and Tekeze valleys, frankincense producing Boswellia papyrifera frequently occurs either in pure stands or inters- persed with trees and shrubs of other species, for example Commiphora and Acacia genera (FAO-UN, 1974). In the Amhara National Regional State (ANRS) alone, such drylands traverse 34 districts consis- ting of about 600,000 hectares of conserved/reha- bilitated woodland vegetation with the potential for gum and incense production. In the region, some seven species of Boswellia, fourteen speci- es of Commiphora, two species of Sterculia and eighteen species of Acacia are known to have the potential for gum and incense production (ANRS-BoA, 1997). Of these potential areas, Wogidi district is one that partially shares the woodland vegetation of the Blue-Nile valley with pronounced stands of Boswellia papyrifera, Commiphora africana, and some other species of Sterculia africana and Acacia genera (ANRS- BoA, 1997; SWZ-AD, 1997). Despite the above potential resources, there exists a striking land use pressure upon the availa- ble resources. This has been exacerbated by the increasing human and livestock populations. During the last half century, the uncontrolled utilisation of the country’s forest and woodland resources; extensive shifting cultivation, woodcu- tting and cattle rearing has led to severe environ- mental degradation and other related problems (Wolde-Michael, 1978). Areas currently covered with scattered grasses, trees and shrubs have re- sulted from overgrazing and trampling by cattle. Equally important, these resources are threatened because they have evolved naturally fragile envi- ronments and therefore not suitable for cultivation and intensive grazing (Gebre-Markos, 1998). The ultimate effect of land use pressure has been ma- nifested in deforestation, loss of productivity potential, and thereupon in shortages of both food and forest products. In an attempt to tackle the problem of poverty while at the same time mitigating the effects of land use conflicts, the various regional states of Ethiopia have embarked on conservation and rehabilitation of their woodland resources. Fur- ther, the Government requires the regional states to develop integrated and sustainable resource use plans. In this respect, since 1997, a food secu- rity program has been initiated in the Amhara Na- tional Regional State (ANRS), with the aim of resolving part of the existing land use conflicts. The program also assumes that economic bene- fits arising from the use of non-wood products such as gum and incense are substantial when integrated with the existing land use systems (ANRS, 1997). In view of the potential resources the region has, many of its drought-prone districts (including Wogidi district) will have access to supplementary sources of income to alleviate food insecurity problems. Further, under this holistic approach to resource management, the need to