Title: Diversity of cultivated plants and highland environment in tropical Africa with special reference to Ethiopian highland.
Abstract: Highlands in tropical Africa are mostly located in eastern and northeastern parts of the continent. The Ethiopian highlands accounts for 47% of African highland area. Residents in the Ethiopian highlands cope with a higher population density by exploiting most parts within the local environment intensively. The folk classification of altitudinal zones by the Amhara people reflects the intensive exploitation of environment. The Ethiopian highlands are also known as a center of origin for many cultivated plants including ensete and tef These crops are cultivated only in Ethiopia. In the Ethiopian highlands there are many cultivars of barley and most of them are endemic, although the plant originally introduced from western Asia. Several questions about the ecological history and the socio-cultural ecology of the Ethiopian highlands are noted.