Ethiopian church forests and restoration options-an introduction

The Ethiopian church forests are now considered as an effective socio-ecological system, which contributes to the conservation of biodiversity. They provide habitat as critical sanctuaries for many endangered and endemic plant as well as invertebrate taxa. They are also considered as blueprints and seed repositories for native species to assist restoration of degraded landscapes in the country. This introductory chapter, written by the editors, provides an overview of background information and an insight into the different chapters of the book entitled "State of the Art in Ethiopian Church Forests and Restoration Options".