Consumption and species preference for house construction wood in central highlands of Ethiopia — implications for enhancing tree growing

Abstract

A study was conducted in central Ethiopian highland in 2008 to investigate the consumption of house construction wood, the tree species preference for construction wood and the forthcoming conditions of this forest product and possible strategies for future availability. Twenty-four iron-roofed houses and twenty-eight thatch-roofed houses belonging to thirty-six farm households were investigated for types, volumes and sources of construction wood used. It was found that an average farmhouse with a floor space of 57 m² consumed about 13.7 m³ of wood. Both floor space and wood consumptions vary with house types. An average iron-roofed house with floor space of 51.9 m² consumed 16.8 m³ of wood and an average thatch-roofed house with mean floor space of 28.6 m³ consumed 3.2 m³ of wood. Family size and floor space were the major factors influencing construction wood consumption. An average living house was composed of woods of 39.3% Juniperus procera, 5.6% Cupressus lusitanica, 29.2% Eucalyptus globulus and 26% Eucalyptus camaldulensis. The wood volume from the first two species and half that of the third species were obtained from state forest which is currently banned from any construction wood extraction and hence there is a shortage of around 59.5% of woods. We suggest the promotion of various tree planting approaches to increase the wood supply and the use of alternative local materials like soil bricks for house construction.