Is Eucalyptus Ecologically Hazardous Tree Species

Abstract

Ehiopia’s natural forest mainly consists of broad-leaved trees often mixed with
conifer species such as J. procera and P. falcutus. The natural forest of the country
particularly the Juniperous-Podo-Olea forest around the capital city were depleted at
faster rate for fuel and construction material. As a result the development of the capital
city, Addis Ababa was threatened by a fuel wood scarcity. In 1895, Emperor Menelik II
introduced Eucalyptus as a potential solution to the fuel and timber shortage. As it has
been reported by Breitenbach (1961), it was a French railway engineer called
Mondo-Vidaillet who established trail plantation of 15 eucalyptus species for first time in
Ethiopia.