About the Journal
Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources (J.For.Nat.Reso)
ISSN 3005-4036
Editorial policies and guides
Foundation Document (Updated version)
Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University
January 2025
Wondo Genet
1. Introduction
Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources (WGCFNR) was established in 1978 and became part of Hawassa University in 2000. WGCFNR has made considerable contributions in forestry and natural resources education and training over the past 45 years whereby training and research programs have been remarkably improved, curricula diversified and academic staff capacity increased.
The academic structure of WGCFNR consists of twelve departments and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Coordinates and oversees all academic issues in the regular and continuing education programs. The College has twelve undergraduate programs in Agroforestry; Forest Management and Utilization; General Forestry; Geographic Information Science; Natural Resource Economics and Policy; Natural Resource Management; Soil Resource & Watershed Management; Ecotourism & Cultural Heritage Management; Wildlife Management and Ecotourism; Urban Forestry and Greening; Environmental Science; and Land Administration and Surveying. Furthermore, the college currently runs 12 M.Sc. programs namely; Agroforestry and Soil Management; Production Forestry; Urban Forestry and Greening; Watershed Management; Natural Resource Economics and Policy; Wildlife Ecology and Conservation; Biodiversity Conservation and Management; Climate Change in Development; Climate Smart Agricultural Landscape Assessment; Forest Resource Assessment and Monitoring; Renewable Energy Utilization and Management; and Geographic Information Science. The College has also five Ph.D. programs namely; Bio-energy Development and Climate Change and Agroforestry; Forest Ecology and Silviculture; Forest Management; Wildlife Ecology (Ortholog an Mammalogy).
The number of the academic staff of the College has grown steadily and currently there are a total of 132 academic staff of which 30 PhD (3 Professors, 9 Associate Professors, 22 Assistant Professors); 92 MSc (16 Assistant Professors); and 7 BSc. degree holders, who are actively engaged in teaching and research activities.
In conjunction with the diversification of the training and research programs, the College has launched a new scholarly or scientific journal named “Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources” (JFNR) since 2022. The rationales of the JFNR are to create, share new ideas and foster knowledge among scientific communities in forestry, natural resources and other related fields; to gain the scholarly recognition the journal brings to WGCFNR and demonstrate the ability of the college in the production of knowledge; to accrue valuable experience and speed up individual career development.
2. NAME OF THE PUBLISHER: Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University
3. JOURNAL NAME: Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources (JFNR, J.For.Nat.Reso)
4. ISSN 3005-4036
5. PUBLISHING FREQUENCY/SCHEDULE: Bi-annual (December, June)
6. PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources,
P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia,
Publication medium: Printed and online media
7. JOURNAL website: https://journals.hu.edu.et/hu-journals/index.php/jfnr
Email address of editorinchiefJFNR@hu.edu.et, maneditorJFNR@ehu.edu.et
7. PUBLICATION POLICY and GUIDELINES
The Ethiopian Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources (EJFNR, J.For.Nat.Reso) is a peer-reviewed online open access and printed journal published bi-annually by the Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University. EJFNR publishes original research findings in all subject-matter areas of forestry, natural resources, wildlife and environmental sciences. It seeks disciplinary and interdisciplinary research articles, review articles, featured articles and short communication.
7.1 Aims and Scope
7.1.1 Aims:
• serve as a communication medium among scientific communities in forestry, natural resources research and other related fields
• publish original and innovative scientific works relevant to forestry and natural resources situation of Ethiopian as well as global problems
• encourage Ethiopian researchers, graduates and postgraduate students to align their disciplinary and interdisciplinary researches in the direction of solving major problems in the areas of forestry and natural resources and conservation needs of the country, and
• serve as a platform to foster scientific knowledge sharing among researches, scientists, policymakers and practitioners working on sustainable forestry, green economy transition, issues of sustainable development goals, desertification and dry land agriculture and forestry, combating desertification and drought, natural resource management and conservation and other related topics
7.1.2 Scope of the journal
The journal publishes scientific articles related to social, economic, policy and environmental aspects: forestry, agroforestry, wildlife, soil, water and land resources, renewable energy, tourism, GIS and remote sensing.
8. Organizational Structure of the Journal
8.1 Board of the Journal
1) EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
a) Qualifications and experience
No. Name Qualifications Research Experiences
1 Prof. Mesele Negash -Professor in Forest ecology and Agroforestry
-PhD in Forest Ecology
-M.Sc. in Fram Forestry
Professor of Forest ecology and Agroforestry, at Department of Agroforestry, WGCFNR Hawassa University
B.Sc in General Forestry
Agroforestry, Climate change mitigation (Biomass carbon stock assessment), Climate adaptation, Forest ecology, Biomass modeling, Plant biodiversity, agrobiodiversity
b) Appointments and Terms of Service
Appointments
Editorial board members are expected to be leaders in the research and/or practitioner community, with a vision for the future of their field. In addition to being outstanding researchers or practitioners, they should have a strong record of service. The journal editorial board invites formally a potential candidate for Editor- in- Chief, whom they think that he/she is appropriate and requests for professional CV. The editorial board will review the CV of the candidate regarding his/her qualifications for the position. The board may ask employer or other appropriate body of the candidate to solicit feedback on the candidate. Based on this information, the Board will decide whether to appoint the candidate or not by majority vote. Among the associate editors, the most senior member will chair the meetings and other procedures on selection of Editor-In-Chief.
Particularly, Editor- In- Chief should meet the following minimum qualifications and requirements
1. Should have Ph.D. degree in the areas of forestry, wildlife, soil and water conservation and management, natural resource economics and policy and related.
2. Must have good publication record, at least greater than 25 publications in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
3. Should hold at least Associate Professor Academic Position or equivalent positions in Research Institutes or other such organizations in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
Terms of Service
The terms of service of the Editor- In-Chief shall be three years with possible extension of one or two years up on mutual agreements. The Editor-in-Chief is eligible to be re-elected for two consequent terms. The editor-in-Chief is required to sign an editorial contract, agreeing to adhere to JFNR standards, practices, and policies, including the JFNR Code of Ethics. Newly appointed editor-in-Chief should read, review, sign, and return this contract to the editorial board office. The editorial board Council may also remove, by majority vote, the Editor-in-Chief under conditions he/she fails to effectively accomplish his/her duties and responsibilities.
c) General Responsibilities and Duties of Editor-in-Chief
has full authority to determine the editorial content of the journal and will be responsible for the accuracy of the same.
reviews the work of the Editorial Board closely and regularly, and make recommendations arising from the review.
oversees the timely publication of the Journal.
chairs all the meetings of the Editorial Board.
appoints, in consultation with the Editorial Board, members who are capable of maintaining the highest editorial standards in accordance with the terms of reference.
provides a forum for members of the Editorial Board to supply and discuss ideas for the development of the Journal.
communicates with the publisher of the Journal and higher college and university responsible officials.
changes suggested in the journal by the editor will be considered as final.
provides guidelines to authors for preparing and submitting manuscripts.
Provides a clear statement of the Journal’s policies on authorship criteria.
treats all authors with fairness, courtesy, objectivity, honesty, and transparency.
establishes and defines policies on conflicts of interest for all involved in the publication process, including editors, staff (e.g., editorial and sales), authors, and reviewers.
protects the confidentiality of every author’s work.
establishes a system for effective and rapid peer review.
makes editorial decisions with reasonable speed and communicating them in a clear and constructive manner.
Being vigilant in avoiding the possibility of editors and/or referees delaying a manuscript for suspect reasons.
establishes clear guidelines for authors regarding acceptable practices for sharing experimental materials and information, particularly those required to replicate the research, before and after publication.
establishes a procedure for reconsidering editorial decisions.
describes, implement, and regularly review policies for handling ethical issues and allegations or findings of misconduct by authors and anyone involved in the peer review process.
informs authors of solicited manuscripts that the submission will be evaluated according to the journal’s standard procedures or outlining the decision-making process if it differs from those procedures.
develops mechanisms, in cooperation with the publisher, to ensure timely publication of accepted manuscripts.
clearly communicates all other editorial policies and standards
Managing Editor
Prof. Tsegaye Bekele
Language Editor
xxx
Cover page graphic designer
Xxxxx
The above three positions will be filled through announcement to be made by the Hawassa University on competitive basis
Editorial Manager and Associate Editors
a) Qualifications and experience
No. Name Qualifications Research Experiences
1 Professor Tsegaye Bekele PhD in Wood Science and Technology
Professor in Natural Resources
at the Department of Forest Management and Utilization, WGCFNR Hawassa University
M.Sc. in Forestry Wood science and technology, climate change adaptation and resilience, Biomass energy, Non timber forest products (e.g. bamboo)
2
Professor Fantaw Yimer
PhD in Forest Soil
M.Sc. in Physical Geography
Professor of Soil Science at the department of Soil Resources and Watershed Management, WGCFNR, Hawassa University Soil physical and chemical properties, soil carbon stock (Climate change mitigation), Soil and water conservation
4 Dr. Zebene Asfaw M.Sc. in Forestry
PhD in Agroforestry/Siliviculture
Associate Professor of Agroforestry, WGCFNR, Hawassa University
Agroforestry, siliviculture, agricultural extension and adoption, soil management, agrobiodiversity, agroforestry component interactions
5 Dr. Motuma Tolera PhD in Forest Ecology
Associate Professor of Forest Ecology, Department of General Forestry, WGCFNR, Hawassa University
M.Sc. in Farm Forestry Forest ecology, forest biomass carbon stock (climate change mitigation), Agrobiodiversity, forest management, agroforestry
Dr. Zerihun Girma Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Management
PhD in Tropical Forest Ecology (Wildlife ecology and habitat management) from Department of Botany, Cameroon
Master of Science in Ecological and Systematic Zoology from Addis Ababa University,
Bachelor of Education in Biology from Mekelle University Ecology and management of mammals and birds and medicinal plants
Dr. Kebede Wolka Associate Professor in soil and water conservation and erosion
Ph,D. in Environmental science: Erosion and soil and water conservation
M.Sc. in Watershed Management
B.Sc in Forestry Watershed management, erosion, soil and water conservation, landscape restoration, and soil fertility and food security
Dr. Menfese Tadesse Associate Professor in forest and rural livelihoods
PhD in Environmental communication
MSc in Forest Survey
BSc in Forestry Management Rural livelihood and climate change adaptation, Soil erosion assessment and modeling, Soil conservation engineering and management, Watershed management, Social research method)
Dr. Mikias Biazen Associate professor in GIS and Remote Sensing [including Environmental Management & Greening]
Ph.D. in Environmental Management
M.Sc in Geo-Information (GIS and Remote
Sensing)
B.Sc in Natural Resource Management Environmental Management
Geo-Information (GIS and Remote Sensing
Dr. Muluken Mekuyie Associate professor in Climate Change Adaptation
PhD in Disaster Management
MSc. degree in Animal Production
BSc. in Animal and Wildlife Science Climate Modeling, Trend analysis, predicting and forecasting
Resilience and vulnerability analysis
Rangeland resources inventory and monitoring
b) Appointments and terms of service
Appointments
The Editor-in-Chief contacts associate editors, whom he/she thinks that he/she is outstanding researcher, and presents list of associate editors together with their professional CV to the editorial board. The editorial board will review the CV of the candidate regarding his/her qualifications for the position. The board may ask employers or other appropriate bodies of the candidates to solicit feedback on the candidates. Based on this information, the Board will decide whether to appoint the candidates or not by majority vote.
Particularly, Associate editors should meet the following minimum qualifications and requirements:
1. Should have Ph.D. degree in the areas of forestry, wildlife, soil and water conservation and management, natural resource economics and policy and related.
2. Must have good publication record, at least greater than 20 publications in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
3. Should hold at least Associate Professor Academic Position or equivalent positions in Research Institutes or other such organizations in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
Terms of Service
The terms of service of the Editorial Manager and Associate Editors shall be three years with possible extension of one or two years up on mutual agreements. The Associate Editors are eligible to be re-elected for two consequent terms. The Associate Editors are required to sign an editorial contract, agreeing to adhere to EJFNR standards, practices, and policies, including the EJFNR Code of Ethics. Newly appointed Associate Editors should read, review, sign, and return this contract to the editorial board office. The editorial board Council may also remove, by majority vote, the Associate Editors under conditions they fail to effectively accomplish their duties and responsibilities.
C) General Responsibilities and Duties
develop the content of the journal each year.
comment and advise on the journal policies, in consultation with the Editor- in-Chief
establish, maintain and interpret author and reviewer guidelines
regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of articles with the peer reviewers
the dummy copy of every issue must be submitted in soft hard copy to the associate editors and the editor before final printing.
the assistant editor is expected to further copy edit the content and language of the articles in the dummy copy
proof read every article before submitting the final copy to the Editor- in-Chief
C) Responsibilities and Duties of Each Associate Editor
No. Name Duties and Responsibilities
1 Professor Tsegaye Bekele Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of manuscripts in the areas of wood science and technology, climate change adaptations, biomass energy and non-timber forest products with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
2 Professor Fantaw Yimer Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of manuscripts in the areas of soil science, soil carbon stock and soil and water conservation with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscripts in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
3 Dr. Zebene Asfaw Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of manuscripts in the areas of agroforestry, agricultural extension and adoption, on farm soil management, agro biodiversity and siliviculture with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
4 Dr. Motuma Tolera Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing articles in the areas of forest ecology, forest diversity and biomass carbon, dendrochronology, agroforestry and agro biodiversity with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
5 Dr. Zerihun Girma Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of articles in the areas of Wildlife Ecology and Management, socioeconomic and policy aspects of wildlife management and conservation with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
6 Dr. Kebede Wolka Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of articles in the areas of Watershed management, erosion, soil and water conservation, landscape restoration, and soil fertility and food security with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
7 Dr. Menfese Tadesse Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of manuscripts in the areas of Rural livelihood and climate change adaptation, Soil erosion assessment and modeling, Soil conservation engineering and management, Watershed management, Social research method) with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
8 Dr. Mikias Biazen Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of manuscripts in the areas of Environmental Management Geo-Information (GIS and Remote Sensing with the peer reviewers. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
9 Dr. Muluken Mekuyie Regularly interact and co-ordinate the entire process of reviewing of articles in the areas of Climate Modeling, Trend analysis, predicting and forecasting Resilience and vulnerability analysis Rangeland resources inventory and monitoring before final printing. Proofread manuscripts in hard copy in the above areas before final printing. Check the content of every manuscript in the above areas if it complies with the journal standard and scope before academic editor/reviewer is assigned.
8.2 Advisory Board members
Professor Jürgen Pretzsch
Institute of International Forestry and Forest Products, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany, Specialization in the field of development policy and international forest policy, socio-economics of forestry, forest extension, social forestry and joint forest management
Professor Belay Kassa
Rector, Pan African University, expert in applied Economics, Development Economics - Agricultural Economics - Agricultural Extension.
Professor Adugna Tolera
Department of Animal & Range Sciences, College of Agriculture, Hawassa University, specialized in animal feeds and nutrition, Awassa College of Agriculture, Awassa University, Livestock Production Specialist for the Ethiopia Sanitary & Phytosanitary Standards and Livestock & Meat Marketing Program (SPS-LMM).
Professor Tesfaye Abebe
Department of School of Plant and Horticultural Sciences, College of Agriculture, Hawassa University
Dr. Mulualem Tigabu
Scientist in silviculture, forest restoration and NWFP, seed Science and Technology, Tropical Dry Forests, Forest restoration, Secondary succession in tropical dry forests, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Dr. Yigardu Mulat (Female)
Principal scientist and national coordinator of bamboo project in Ethiopian Fored Development, Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, and her research focuses on Bbotanical science (Ecophysiogy), propagation and management of bamboo.
Prof. Nigatu Regassa
A professor at Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Worked as a consultant, in Nutrition International Ottwa, Canada
Dr. Badege Bishaw
Program Director and Senior Instructor at Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University (OSU),
Dr. Azene Bekele
A consultant at HoAREC&N, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Coordinated and guided the establishment of Common commodity livelihood groups who need to implement prioritized project profiles in each of the Land Use and Development planning units
Dr. Zeleke Ewnetu
Addis Ababa Science & Technology University, Ethiopia. His research work focus on research Methodology; Energy & Environmental Economics; Industrial Economics and Management; Construction Economics; Strategic Management.
8.2 Editorial Board Members
a) Qualifications and Experience
No. Name Qualifications Research Experiences
1 Professor Demel Teketay PhD in Forest Vegetation Ecology
M.Sc. in Plant Taxonomy
Professor of Forest/vegetation Ecology and Management at the Department of Crop Science and Production College of Agriculture, Range and Forest Resources, Botswana University Forests and
livelihoods; responsible/sustainable forest
management; diversity, structure, dynamics
and conservation of forest resources;
medicinal and edible wild plants; and
Ethno-botany and ecology
2 Dr. Teshale Woldeamanuel M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics and Management
PhD in Socioeconomics of Natural Resources
Associate Professor of Natural Resources Economics
Department of Natural Resources Economics and Policy, WGCFNR, Hawassa University, Natural Resource Economics, Forest Economics, Climate change economics
3 Prof. Feyera Senbeta M.Sc. in Forestry
PhD in Forest Ecology
Professor of Forest and Environment, Center of Environment and Development, College of Development Studies, Addis Abeba University, Now, working in Botswana University Biodiversity, plant/forest ecology, botany, forest conservation, ecosystems, ecosystem services, restoration ecology
4 Dr. Wondimagegnehu Tekalign
Associate Professor Wildlife Ecology
PhD in Ecology and Systematic Zoology
M.Sc. in Ecology and Systematic Zoology
B.Sc in Biology Wildlife ecology, human dimensions of wildlife conservation, protected area management, wildlife management
5 Dr. Dong Kill Kim PhD in Environmental Science
Assistant Professor in Climate Change Mitigation, Department of General Forestry, WGCFNR, Hawassa
University
M.Sc. in Environmental Science Carbon sequestration, soil greenhouse gas emission, climate change mitigation, renewable energy, biodiversity, nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystem, watershed management
6 Dr. Abdella Gure M.Sc. in Mycology
PhD in Mycology
Associate Professor of Forest Pathology and Biodiversity Conservation, Department of Urban Forestry and Greening , WGCFNR, Hawassa University forest pathology, plant pathology, mycology, ethnobotany, urban greening (botany), biodiversity conservation
7 Dr. Girma Mengesha M.Sc. in Ecological and Systematic Zoology
PhD in Ecological and Systematic Zoology
Associate Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management
Department of Wildlife and Protected Area Management, WGCFNR, Hawassa University
Wildlife ecology, wildlife management, human-wildlife conflict, ornithology, protected area management
8 Dr. Agena Anjulo M.Sc. in Plant protection and Agro-ecology
PhD in Agro-forestry
Associate Professor of Agroforestry and Plant Protection, WGCFNR, Hawassa University and Arbaminch University and Lead Researcher in the area of agroforestry and plant protection , Former Deputy General Director Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute Agroforestry, soil fertility, climate change, plant protection (entomology)
9 Dr. Abeje Eshete M.Sc. in Forestry (Farm forestry)
PhD in Forest Ecology
Senior Researcher in the areas of forest biodiversity, forest ecology and management at Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute
Forest ecology, plant biodiversity, Forest biomass and carbon stock
10 Dr. Tesfaye Awas M.Sc. in Botany
PhD in Plant Ecology and Systematics
Senior Researcher in the areas of plant systematics, ethnobotany and plant biodiversity conservation at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute Plant Biodiversity and Conservation, Biodiversity Management, Ecological Behavior, Plant ecology, Plant systematics
11 Dr. Wubalem Tadesse M.Sc. in Forestry
PhD in Forest Ecology
Lead Researcher in the areas of forest ecology and management, Ethiopian Environment and Forest Research Institute Plant ecology, forest ecology, forestry, environmental physiology
12 Prof. Emiru Birhane M.Sc in Forestry (Farm Forestry)
Ph.D. in Ecology,
Professor in Ecology,
College of Dryland Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mekelle University, Ethiopia Forest ecology, dry land forestry
13 Dr. Asmamaw Alemu M.Sc. in Tropical Forest Management
PhD in Forest socioeconomics
Associate Professor of Forest Socioeconomics Department of Forest Sciences, University of Gondar. Sustainable forest management, value chain analysis, sustainable development, natural resource management
14 Dr. Habtemariam Kassa M.Sc. in Rural Development Studies
PhD in Rural Development Studies
Scientist in Forest and livelihood ICRAF-CIFOR Forest livelihood, rural development, climate change, food security, social dimensions of forest management
15 Dr. Melaku Bekele M.A. in History
PhD in Forest Law and Policy
Retired Assistant Professor in Forest Policy and Law and Senior consultant in Forest Policy and Law Forest law, forest policy, Natural resource policy and law,
16 Dr. Getachew Eshete M.Sc. in Forestry
PhD in Forest Ecology and Management, Assistant professor in Forest ecology and management at WGCFNR, Hawassa University, Service provider, Ecosystems and Biodiversity, Forest Ecology and Management
Forest ecology and management Biodiversity Conservation
17 Dr. Zewdu Eshetu Associate Professor in Climate Science
Ph.D. in Forest Soils
MSc in Forestry in the subject of forest site studies and soil sciences
Forest management, land use change, soil science, climate change, environmental management, land degradation.
b) Appointments and terms of service
Appointments
The Editor-in-Chief invites professionals in the areas for forestry, agroforestry, environmental science, wildlife, urban forestry, soil and water conservation and management and related, whom he/she thinks that he/she is outstanding researcher to service as the journal board member. Once, they expressed their consent to serve as the journal’s board member and they will be officially requested to submit their professional CV to the Editor-in-Chief. The Editor-in-Chief together with associate editors will review the CV of the candidate regarding his/her qualifications for the position. The Editor-in-Chief and associate editors may ask employers or other appropriate bodies of the candidates to solicit feedback on the candidates. Based on this information, the Editor-in-Chief and associate editors will decide whether to appoint the candidates or not by majority vote.
Particularly, Editorial board members/editors should meet the following minimum qualifications and requirements:
1. Should have Ph.D. degree in the areas of forestry, wildlife, soil and water conservation and management, natural resource economics, natural resources, environmental scince and policy and related areas.
2. Must have good publication record, at least greater than 15 publications in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
3. Should hold at least Assistance Professor Academic Position or equivalent positions in Research Institutes or other such organizations in the areas listed in criteria number one above.
Terms of Service
The terms of service of the Editors/Editorial board members shall be three years with possible extension of one or two years up on mutual agreements. The Editors/Editorial board members are eligible to be re-elected for two consequent terms. The Editors/Editorial board members are required to sign an editorial contract, agreeing to adhere to JFNR standards, practices, and policies, including the JFNR Code of Ethics. Newly appointed Editors/Editorial board members should read, review, sign, and return this contract to the editorial board office. The editorial board Council may also remove, by majority vote, the editor-in-Chief under conditions he/she fails to effectively accomplish his/her duties and responsibilities.
C) General Responsibilities and Duties of Editorial Board Members
All Editorial board members must obey the direction provided by the Editor-in-Chief of the journal.
Once the plagiarism check is completed every manuscript will be assigned with an Editor and if the manuscript is in the area of Editor in-Chief research interest, it is expected that assigned Editor will take up the assignment at an earliest possible time. If he or she wants to deny the assignment due to some personal reason, that should also be informed to the Editorial Office at an earliest possible convenience.
Assigned Editor should not have any conflict of interest with any assignment, if so then he or she should decline the assignment stating the proper reason to the Editorial Office.
It is mandatory that every Editor treat each author with proper dignity, courtesy, fair behavior irrespective of considering the matter and fate of the article.
Honesty and transparency must become an Editorial Board member, where an Editor should judge every submission equally and transparently.
Editor-in-Chief can take the final decision for any publication-oriented issues.
If required Editor may provide the necessary guidelines and dictate the process of submission to the author.
Editor should not reveal any information regarding the author, reviewer or the manuscript information to anyone, complete confidentiality maintenance is mandatory.
Editor should be responsible for a fast and transparent peer review process, if required Editor may take support from the Editorial Office.
Providing the final judgment on the manuscript assigned within the allotted time with proper reason and clarification should be done by the Editor.
Editor should remember the policy of fast and effective peer review and further process, therefore, should communicate with the reviewers or authors depending on the stage of article processing in case of any delay.
Editor should be responsible for any query regarding reconsideration of editorial decisions and should provide the decision quickly and clearly with proper reasons. Editor is responsible for establishing such protocol.
Once the assigned Editor is notified by the Editorial Office regarding any information at any stage of the publication process for an assigned manuscript, the Editor should respond as early as possible.
Along with the publisher, the Editorial Board members are responsible for timely publishing the accepted articles.
For any manuscript assigned Editor is responsible for selecting potential reviewers considering their expertise in particular subject areas and keeps monitoring the review process.
It is Editor’s responsibility to inform the selected reviewers that reviewers are not entitled to use the any part of the work in any form provided in the article they are reviewing. Reviewers should be also informed about the complete confidentiality of the assignments they are undertaking.
Editors will be responsible to convey the expectations of the journal to the reviewers with the review scope, quality and timeliness for an effective, fair and constructive review for the assigned submission.
Every Editor should keep in mind the time required for reviewing articles before sending any reminder to the reviewer so that assigned reviewer should get appropriate time he or she requires.
If any special issue proposal is submitted to the journal, the assigned Editorial Board member should review the proposal for suitability with the scope of the journal, timeliness and assessing the scope and the importance of the topic.
Editorial Board members may recommend for the timely topics and suggest potential guest Editors considering the scope, importance and timeliness of the topic.
Guest Editor can handle a special issue independently while maintaining a regular communication with the Editorial Board member and Editorial Office.
Review the special issue proposals for relevance to current research in the concerned field.
Recommend suitable proposals and their guest editors along with their biographies.
Once a proposal has been accepted by the editorial board members for creating a special issue, the corresponding guest editors will be responsible for handling and processing of the special issue articles.
Being an integral part of the Journal, Editors are responsible to coordinate and manage the critical decisions along with the cooperation of Editorial Office, such as retraction issues or similar matters.
Editors should ensure the smooth functioning of the whole process in coordination with publishing house.
Editors should provide time to time input regarding the targeted readers and their preferences, in other words, creative input from Editors will help in understanding the readers and their choices within the scope of the subject.
Solicit articles/manuscripts for very issue of the journal.
Review, edit, and approve the technical content of the journal
Identify and suggest key topics to include in the journal and invite key authors on these topics to submit an article.
Identify key contributed research, workshops, or panel topics from meetings/conferences suitable for publication in Perspectives in Social Work and invite presenters to submit an article.
Each and every member of the editorial board should make conscious efforts to invite good quality research articles through their networks.
Alumni (faculty, non-faculty and students) of the college may be motivated via emails and requested to contribute good articles and book reviews for the journal.
Faculty members of the college should be encouraged to write articles and book reviews related to their work area.
Students of the college should also be stimulated/ supported to write good articles or book reviews related to their area of interest or their research topic.
They should strive to increase awareness of the journal, encourage colleagues and students to read and subscribe.
An editorial board meeting will be held immediately after the publication of bi annual issue. It is mandatory for all the members to attend the editorial board meetings regularly. Agenda for every meeting must be prepared and circulated well in advance to all the members. Minutes of the meetings should also be maintained for every meeting and its compliance to be discussed during the next meeting.
1) D) Responsibilities and Duties of Each Editorial Board Member
No. Name Duties and Responsibilities
1 Professor Demel Teketay Will be responsible for fast and transparent peer review process for the manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology, plant systematics, plant biodiversity conservation, ethnobotany. Selects potential reviewers for the manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology, plant systematics, plant biodiversity conservation, ethnobotany considering their expertise in particular subject areas and keeps monitoring the review process. Review, edit, and approve the technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology, plant systematics, plant biodiversity conservation, and ethnobotany.
2 Dr. Teshale Woldeamanuel Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of natural resource economics, socioeconomic studies and environment and climate change
3 Prof. Feyera Senbeta Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology and management, biodiversity conservation, climate change, environment and development
4 Dr. Wondimagegnehu Tekalign
Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of wildlife ecology and management, biodiversity conservation, human-wildlife conflict management, protected area management and community based natural resource management
5 Dr. Dong Kill Kim Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of climate change mitigation, soil carbon, green house gas emission and monitoring
6 Dr. Abdella Gure Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest pathology and biodiversity conservation
7 Dr. Girma Mengesha Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of wildlife ecology and management, biodiversity conservation, human-wildlife conflict management, protected area management and bird and mammal diversity and ecology
8 Dr. Agena Anjulo Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of agroforestry, forest protection
9 Dr. Abeje Eshete Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology, Eco physiology and restoration ecology, biodiversity conservation
10 Dr. Tesfaye Awas Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology, ethonobotany, plant systematics and restoration ecology, biodiversity conservation
11 Dr. Wubalem Tadesse Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology and management
12 Prof. Emiru Birhane Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology and management and restoration ecology, biodiversity conservation
13 Dr. Asmamaw Alemu Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of Social dimensions of forest management, biodiversity conservation, climate change
14 Dr. Habtemariam Kassa Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of Social dimensions of forest management, biodiversity conservation, climate change
15 Dr. Melaku Bekele Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest/natural resource policy and law
16 Dr. Getachew Eshete Review manuscripts and select reviewers and approve technical content of manuscripts in the areas of forest ecology and management and restoration ecology, biodiversity conservation
17 Dr. Zewdu Eshetu forest management, land use change, soil science, climate change, environmental management, land degradation.
The editor in chief will report the processes and smooth run of the journal to the Dean and Associate Dean of Research and Technology Transfer of the college
9. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
PUBLISHING MEDIUM: Online
General contents of the Journal
JFNR uses the following format:
9.1 Research articles
These papers treat both disciplinary and interdisciplinary (thematic) type of researches encompassing basic and applied researches, graduate and postgraduate studies researches related to forestry and natural resources. EJFNR will consider for publication articles from regional and international forest and natural sources covering tropical and subtropical regions.
9.2 Review articles
Encompass critically reviewed scientific papers covering state of the art knowledges in various aspects of forestry and natural resources. Review articles will be submitted by experts in the fields of forestry and natural resources with their expertise and experiences or invited by the editor-in-chief, associate editors or editorial board.
9.3 Featured articles
These include topics in forestry and natural resources management, conservation, utilization, education and non-conventional research articles. Technical papers in the areas of forestry and natural resources development encompassing different aspects of socio-economics, policy issues, wildlife, environment, rehabilitation efforts and forestry and natural resources inventory and surveys, biodiversity conservation, processing and value addition of forest products, agroforestry, non-timber forest products, medicinal plants and their domestication and commercialization, integrated watershed management, green economy transition, green initiative related studies, climate change and development, land degradation and drought, aquatic ecosystem management, fisheries, etc.
9.4 Short communications
This includes articles of brief scientific notes on preliminary results, scientific observations, experimental techniques and recent technological advances in forestry and natural resources. It also included information on specific cases and limited applications. Manuscripts for this column should not be more than six typed pages. They should have a brief abstract and not contain more than two figures and/or two tables.
9.5 Book Reviews
A critical evaluation of recently published books in any discipline of forestry and natural resource sciences will be published under this column.
9.6 Manuscript Evaluation Process
The manuscript must be written and prepared in English. Grammar and language quality are the responsibilities of the authors to submit the manuscripts in clear and communicable language quality. Once manuscripts are submitted the editor-in-chief or associate editors will check the manuscript for possible plagiarism results, originality of the work and contents of editorial policy and scope and authors’ guidelines of JFNR. Submission of a manuscript to the Journal must be accompanied by a cover letter stating that no similar paper, other than an abstract or an oral presentation, has been or will be submitted for publication elsewhere. The manuscript should be submitted online or email to the editorial manager, who gives manuscript number and notifies the author of receipt of the manuscript. The manuscript number will be used in all correspondence regarding the manuscript. The editor-in-chief will consult associate editors to decide whether the manuscript is within the scope of JFNR and whether the contents are worthy of further review. Manuscripts which do not meet the minimum criteria will be returned back to the author within two weeks’ time. Those that meet the minimum criteria will be passed to associate editors for quick check up and suggestion of potential reviewers. The associate editor is an expert selected in certain disciplinary areas and who have a wide network among professionals in their field of specialization.
9.7 Peer review process
The peer-review process will follow double blind where the manuscript will first be evaluated by the editor-in-chief or associate editors, followed by at least two reviewers. The names of the authors will be kept anonymous while sending it to the reviewers. At least one of the reviewers will be out of the staff of the publisher institute. If the reviewers recommend publication without any change(s) and the associate editors agree(s), the manuscript and the reviewer’s comments are sent to the editor-in-chief who will notify the author accordingly. If the reviewer and the associate editor recommend that the manuscript could be published after revision, the editor-in-chief will return the manuscript to the author for minor or major revision. If the reviewer and the associate editor recommend that the manuscript be rejected, the associate editor sends the manuscript and the reviewers’ comments to the editor-in-chief, and the editor-in-chief will check the comments forwarded by reviewers and associate editor to make a decision and return to the authors. If very different comments and decisions are observed between or among reviewers, a third or fourth reviewer will be invited to resolve the issue. The author whose manuscript is released has the option of appealing to the editorial board. The first review process will take 6-8 weeks.
If a manuscript, sent to an author for revision, is not returned within the period specified by the editor-in-chief (normally a maximum of two months), the editor-in-chief will release it. Once released, the author must resubmit a manuscript as a new manuscript for reconsideration.
Authors whose manuscript has been accepted for publication will receive a letter of acceptance. The authors will also receive the proof reading to send their opinion in five days. The pdf version of the published manuscript will be sent to the author and co-authors via their email addresses and also will be available online on website of the college and university. The hard copy of published articles will be dispatched to various institutions upon request free of charges.
9.8 Reviewers’ Report
Reviewers are requested to evaluate the manuscript on originality of the work, state of the art and nobility of the study topic, relevant objectives, soundness, latest and appropriate methodology, results quality to address the objectives, adequate discussion, and relevant conclusion made. And also, the way references are presented both in the text and reference lists. Reviewers are expected to give their comments and suggestions clearly (referring the line numbers in the paper) to the authors to assist the author (s) to address all comments and suggestions given. Language correction is not part of the review process but suggestion can be made by reviewers.
9.9 Submission checklist
You can use this list to carry out a final check of your submission before you send it to the journal for review.
One author has been designated as the corresponding author with contact details:
• E-mail address
• Full postal address
All necessary files have been uploaded:
• Manuscript:
• Include keywords
• All figures (include relevant captions)
• All tables (including titles, description, footnotes)
• Ensure all figure and table citations in the text match the files provided
Further considerations
• Manuscript has been 'spell checked' and 'grammar checked'
• All references mentioned in the Reference List are cited in the text, and vice versa
9.10 Authorship requirements
Where the family name may be ambiguous (e.g., a double name), please indicate this clearly. Present the authors' affiliation addresses (where the actual work was done) below the names. Indicate all affiliations with a lower-case superscript letter immediately after the author's name and in front of the appropriate address. Provide the full postal address of each affiliation, including the country name, and, if available, the e-mail address of each author.
Corresponding author: Clearly indicate who will handle correspondence at all stages of refereeing and publication, also post-publication. Ensure that telephone and fax numbers (with country and area code) are provided in addition to the
e-mail address and the complete postal address.
9.10.1 Changes in Authorship
Change in authorship requests is only made by corresponding author to editor-in-chief.
9.11 Format for manuscripts
The manuscript should be prepared in Times New Roman with 11 font size, double space, and 2.5 cm marginal indentions on all sides. The maximum number of words should be 8000. The first page should contain the full title of the manuscript, the name(s) of the author(s) including address (es) and the institution(s) in which the research was carried out. For ease of communication, authors are requested to include their email addresses. For manuscripts with multiple authors, an asterisk should indicate the author to whom all correspondence is to be addressed.
Second and consecutive paragraphs after a heading should be indented while the first paragraph after a heading should 333start flush left. No space should be left between two consecutive paragraphs. Scientific names should be written in full when mentioned for the first time in the text. They should be italicized. Subsequent citations should abbreviate the genus name.
9.11.1Title: The title of the manuscript should be concise, descriptive, in a good order and carefully chosen. It should clearly reflect the contents of the article.
9.11.2 Abstract: This appears on the second page after the title. The abstract should reflect the concise contents of the paper. It should not exceed 250 words and must include a brief background on the study topic, the rationale for the study, objectives, methods used, results, and a conclusion. References and uncommon abbreviations should be avoided. Key-words should be up to five words, separated by a comma and in alphabetical order.
9.11.3 Introduction: This section of the manuscript should include state of the art of background on the topic being studied, in-depth description rationale of the study, objectives of the study, hypothesis and significance of the study. It should provide a brief review of literature, limited to information essential to orient the reader.
9.11.4 Material and methods: sub-headings under this section include specific study site description and selection, sample layout (experimental design) or survey methods, methods of data collection and data analysis.
9.11.5 Results: The major findings in response to objectives set in the study. Be selective and focus on reporting you results.
9.11.5 Discussion: It should follow your major findings. Interpret the findings, show relationships and implications, and compare with other studies in similar topics and relevant to the study. It should explore the significance of the results of the work and don’t repeat what has been already described in the results. In some cases, results and discussion can be merged.
(Results and discussion part could also be written as a separate chapter optionally)
9.11.6 Conclusions: This can be written in a separate section or can be part of the discussion. It should also be concise, clear and align to stated objectives and major findings.
10. Funding
Information that explains whether and by whom the research was supported
11. Conflicts of interest/Competing interests
Include appropriate disclosures
12. Acknowledgements
Collate acknowledgements in a separate section at the end of the article before the references and do not, therefore, include them on the title page, as a footnote to the title or otherwise. List here those individuals who provided help during the research (e.g., providing language help, writing assistance or proof-reading the article, providing finance, logistics, etc.).
13. Submission system
The manuscript should be prepared by Microsoft Word or an equivalent word-processing program. They should be submitted electronically according to JFNR Author’s instructions.
14. References: This follows author-year style taking the last author’s last name in the text and alphabet refereeing system in the reference lists. As much as possible, recent references should be cited and the numbers kept to a minimum. It is the responsibility of the authors to check the accuracy of references. Papers by one or two authors are given as shown in the examples below:
• In the case of Ethiopian names, the author’s given (first) name precedes that of the father’s name; e.g., Mesfine Bekele and not Bekele, don’t abbreviate Ethiopian names.
• (Kumar and Nair 2012)
• (Dhyani 2014; Kahiluoto et al. 2014; Lasco et al. 2014; Mbow et al. 2014a) - chrono-logically.
• For three or more authors, use et al. (no italics) i.e., Bekele Lemma et al. (2007), in the text (but spell out all authors’ names in the reference list).
Examples of acceptable formats for listing references in the reference section are shown below.
14.1 Journal article
Kuyah S, Dietz J, Muthuri C et al (2012a) Allometric equations for estimating biomass in agricultural landscapes: I. Aboveground biomass. Agric Ecosyst Environ 158:216–224.
Assegid Assefa and Tesfaye Abebe (2014). Ethnobotanical study of wild medicinal trees and shrubs in Benna Tsemay district, Southern Ethiopia. J. Sci. Dev. 2, 17–33.
14.2 Book
Chapman, D.H. and P.F. Pratt. 1961. Methods of Analysis for Soils, Plants and Waters. University of California, Riverside, California.
(N.B. initials appear before the last author’s family name).
14.3 Chapter in book
Cunningham, A.B., Shanley, P., Laird, S., (2008). Health, habitats and medicinal plant use. In: Colfer, Carol J. Pierce (Ed.), Human Health and Forests: A Global Overview of Issues, Practice and Policy. Earthscan, London, pp. 35–62.
14.4 Paper in proceedings
Tesfaye Awas, Sebsebe Demissew (2009) Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Kafficho people, Southwestern Ethiopia. In: Svein Ege, Harald Aspen, Birhanu Teferra and Shiferaw Bekele, Trondheim (Eds.), Proceedings of the 16th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Provide full names of periodicals in the reference list. Do not abbreviate.
14.5 Unpublished materials
Citation of unpublished and other source materials not readily available in libraries should not be included in the reference list but should be mentioned in parentheses in the text or as a footnote.
14.6 Headings
Main headings and sub-heading should be number conductively 1, 1.1, 1.1.1…, 2, 2.1, 2.1.1…. Main headings should be bold, capitalize the first letter, followed by lowercase letters. Sub-headings should be lower case letters. Minor sub-headings should be light font italics.
14.7 Tables and figures
Tables and figures should be numbered consecutively in the order of their citation in the text. Each table and figure must be typed on a separate sheet and should be placed at the end of the manuscript. Footnotes should contain information relevant to specific entries or parts of the table. The approximate position of each table and figure should be indicated in the text.
14.8 Photographs and illustrations
Illustrations may be submitted in the form of black and white photographs or computer drawings or both.
14.9 Units
Follow internationally accepted rules and conventions: use the international system of units (SI). If other quantities are mentioned, give their equivalent in SI.
15. EDITORIAL POLICIES
15.1 Research Ethics
Research involving human subjects should be carried out as per the international assertions and should be endorsed by an appropriate ethics committee. A statement detailing ethical approval procedures should be included in the manuscript during submission. The editor-in-chief or the associate editors deserves the right to reject manuscripts that are that are not carried out as per the ethical framework.
Experimental research on plants (either cultivated or wild), including the collection of plant material vertebrates or any regulated invertebrates must be carried out in accordance with institutional, national, or international guidelines, and where possible should have been endorsed by an appropriate ethics committee. Plant voucher specimens must be deposited in the national herbarium or other public collection providing access to deposited material considering all the herbarium protocols and identification techniques. Written informed consent for the publication should be obtained for manuscripts that comprise details, images, or videos relating to an individual person.
In cases of proven research misconduct involving published articles, or where the scientific integrity of the article is significantly undermined, articles may be retracted.
Data falsification (manipulating data to give a fake impression) and data fabrication (making up research results) are considered serious research misconducts and will lead to automatic rejection of the manuscript. The research misconducts may be reported to the author/s institutions.
Plants, animals, algae and fungi should be written following the latest International Code of Nomenclature for plants, animals, algae and fungi, respectively.
Any manuscript submitted to this journal should be original and not its substantial parts are submitted elsewhere and are under consideration. The journal applies Cross Check’s plagiarism detection procedures and takes seriously all cases of publication misconduct. Any suspected cases of plagiarism will be considered careful and the editor in-chief may contact the author institution. Text recycling (self-plagiarism) is also considered as an attempt of plagiarism and is unacceptable.
15.2 Article Publication Charges
All articles published by the Ethiopian Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources are fully open access: immediately freely available to read, download and share. The EJFNR does not charge a publication fee.
15.3 Appeals and complaints
Appeal to reconsider a rejected paper should be directed to editor-in-chief. Authors who wish to appeal an editorial decision should submit a formal letter of appeal to the journal by contacting the journal editorial office. The appeal will be assessed based on potential error demonstrated during the peer review process or the editor assessment, important additional data provided or any convincing bias demonstrated in the process. Final decisions on appeals will be made by the Editorial Board Member handling the paper or the Editorial Manager.
15.4 Competing Interest
Authors are required to declare any competing financial or other interest in relation to their work. All competing interests that are declared will be listed at the end of published articles. Where an author gives no competing interests, the listing will be ignored meaning the author do not have any competing interest.
15.6 Copyright
Authors of articles published in Journal of Forestry and Natural Resources retain the copyright of their articles and are free to reproduce and disseminate their work.
16. Facilities required for the journal
To ensure sustainable publication of the JFNR, the following facilities are required:
• Office room furnished with equipment and tools: office table, chair, desktop and laptop computers, multipurpose printer, copy and scanner machines, cartilage, fax machine
• Good internet connection with fast speed WiFi and broad band connections
• Secretory/ IT expert
• Running budget
• Webpage
• Language editing service
17. Ways to ensure sustainability and how to grade it into as open access journal system
Sustainability of the journal
The sustainability of JFNR will be ensured through equipping the journal office with adequate resources, allocating budget, assigning committed editorial board members and maintaining effective and efficient manuscript review process. Besides, strong collaboration will be established with national and international partners such as Ethiopian Forest Society, Environment and Forest Research Institute, Ethiopian Agriculture Research Institute, CIFOR, UFRO and ICRAF. These will help to ensure sustainable manuscript submission and to raise funding sources. The journal will also consider papers presented in national conferences, workshops, and calls for papers in in special issues.
