January Pollarding Emerges as Best Practice for Sustainable Acacia Fuelwood in Ethiopia

In the parkland agroforestry systems of Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia, the tree Acacia seyal supplies rural households with fuelwood, building poles, forage, gums, and tannins. A new field study has tested how two traditional management practices, pollarding and coppicing, affect the trees' productivity and survival, and the results point to a clear best option: pollarding carried out in January. The research was conducted in two districts, Habru (Molla Georgis Kebele) and Gubalafto (Jarssa Kebele), using a randomized complete block design with three replications.

Trees were subjected to pollarding or coppicing in three different seasons: July, October, and January. The researchers then measured how the treatments influenced single-tree volume, total tree volume, and the survival of new sprouts. The findings, published as an open-access article in Discover Sustainability, showed that pollarding and coppicing significantly influenced single-tree volume, which ranged from 0.022 to 0.027 cubic meters.

However, neither practice had a significant effect on total tree volume, suggesting that the choice of management technique matters more for individual tree form than for stand-level wood output. The most striking difference appeared in sprout survival. Pollarded trees produced new sprouts with survival rates of 85 to 92 percent across all seasons, while coppiced trees achieved only 38 to 42 percent.

This gap indicates that coppicing, which cuts trees close to the ground, is far less reliable for regenerating Acacia seyal than removing only the upper branches. Season also proved important. Pollarding in January emerged as the most suitable practice for two reasons.

First, it reduced the impact on crops growing beneath and around the trees in the parkland system. Second, it aligned with local socio-cultural activities, including weddings, Edir gatherings, funerals, and annual ceremonies. Trees like Acacia seyal provide multiple products simultaneously with crop production, but the study's authors note a gap in knowledge about sustainable management practices specifically for fuelwood and charcoal production.

Based on their results, the researchers recommend promoting January pollarding through extension services as a way to balance ecological sustainability with community needs. At the same time, they suggest discouraging coppicing during dry months, when the low sprout survival rates observed in the trial would undermine tree regeneration and long-term wood supply. The team also recommends integrating these practices into local agroforestry guidelines to enhance sustainable fuelwood production.

Because the study was limited to two kebeles in Eastern Amhara and a single tree species, the authors' conclusions apply to the conditions they tested; nevertheless, the combination of biological evidence and socio-cultural fit makes January pollarding a practical candidate for wider adoption in similar parkland systems. For communities that depend on Acacia seyal for daily energy needs, the message is straightforward: the timing and technique of harvesting determine whether the resource persists. Choosing pollarding over coppicing, and scheduling it for January, could keep both the trees and the traditions they support alive.

Subject of Research: Silvicultural management of Acacia seyal in Ethiopian parkland agroforestry for sustainable fuelwood and charcoal production

Article Title: Silvicultural management practices of Acacia seyal under parkland agroforestry for sustainable fuel wood and charcoal production in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia

Article References: Hodaddis, K., Tigabu, R., Derbie, W., Gezahagne, G., Andualem, A., Gebeyehu, A., Muluken, W., Abeje, E., & Berhanie, K. (2026). Silvicultural management practices of Acacia seyal under parkland agroforestry for sustainable fuel wood and charcoal production in Eastern Amhara, Ethiopia. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04619-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-04619-2

Keywords: Acacia seyal, parkland agroforestry, fuelwood, charcoal, pollarding, coppicing, Ethiopia, Eastern Amhara, tree management, sprout survival, Discover Sustainability, silviculture