THE ROLE OF AREA ENCLOSURE ON THE REHABILITATION OF WOODYrnSPECIES COMPOSITION AND ITS SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE INrnGRATKAHSSU FOREST OF SOUTHERN TIGRAYrnGEBREMEDHIN GEBREANENIArnAddis Ababa University January, 2018rnLand degradation has been a major environmental problem in northern highlands of Ethiopia.rnAs part of the government responses, area enclosure has been implemented to halt landrndegradation and improve the sustainability of environmental resources in Tigray Region. Therncurrent study was conducted to assess the woody species composition, structure, regeneration,rndensity and diversity in the area enclosure and in grazing area; and to assess the socioeconomicrnimportance of area enclosure to the local communities. A systematic sampling strategy was usedrnto collect vegetation data from the forests, while stratified random sampling method wasrnemployed to generate the socioeconomic data. One area enclosure and one grazing area werernconsidered. A total of 60 sample plots were used, 36 plots in enclosure and 24 in the grazingrnareas, each measuring 20 Ã— 20 mÂ². In each plot, heights, diameters and numbers of existingrnwoody species were recorded. Community classification was performed using R- Software.rnShannon-Wiener diversity index were used to compute species diversity between the plantrncommunities. four plant communities were identified and described. Species richness, diversityrnand evenness varied among the plant communities. 72 woody species representing 29 families inrnenclosures and 31 woody species representing 20 families were recorded in the grazing area.rnHigher abundance, density, and basal area were found in the enclosure. The total density ofrnwoody species in the enclosure area and grazing area were 1339.59and 482.3 individuals/ha,rnrespectively. Acacia seyal was the most dominant species in the two site. The diversity of allrnplant species was greater in the enclosure area. Vegetation and soils were studied to investigaternthe role of enclosures in the rehabilitation of degraded lands. To assess the socioeconomicrnimportance of the area enclosures, questionnaire survey, Interview and focus group discussionsrnwere made. The majority of the local people (85%) expressed a positive attitude towards thernbenefits of area enclosures in rehabilitation of woody species in the area. The impact of arearnenclosure on soil quality was assessed using soil physicochemical parameters such as soilrnorganic matter, cation exchange capacity, total nitrogen, available potassium, availablernphosphorous, pH, electrical conductivity and texture. Twelve soil samples were taken randomlyrnfrom the two sites (6 from each), and analyzed. Soil laboratory analysis result revealed that thernenclosure had significantly (p