Showing papers on "Forest produce published in 2016"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined trends in farming and livelihood activities among forest-dwelling Adivasi farmers in a tiger reserve from 2008 to 2015, where traditional mixed-crop farming was being replaced by cash crops such as coffee, maize, and cotton.
Abstract: This article examines trends in farming and livelihood activities among forest-dwelling Adivasi farmers (Soligas) in a tiger reserve from 2008 to 2015. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted in two contrasting, but representative, villages, where traditional mixed-crop farming was being replaced by cash crops such as coffee, maize, and cotton. Access to state-subsidized food supply and increase in cash income through wage labor, coupled with increasing depredation of food crops by wild animals, were some causes for the shift to cash crops. Declining supply of non-timber forest produce (NTFP) and the subsistence cash it provided has also impacted farmer livelihoods and indirectly contributed to this shift. The changing aspirations of younger Soligas and inadequate state support for mixed-crop farming also could be contributing factors. Soligas consistently maintained that increased wildlife depredation of food crops, reduction in supplies of wild foods, and the decline in NTFP was due to...
8 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The area marked as forest lands have been decreasing steadily due to the indiscriminate felling of trees and activities of illegal loggers which have continued in virtually every part of the country as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: IntroductionThe forest reserve in Nigeria is estimated to cover about 10 million hectares, which accounts for more than 10% of land area, of approximately 96.2 million hectares; 923,768 km square with a population of about 170,790 in 2006 (National Directorate of Employment, 2012). Nevertheless, in recent times the area marked as forest lands have been decreasing steadily due to the indiscriminate felling of trees and activities of illegal loggers which have continued in virtually every part of the country. For instance, the Federal Department of Forestry (2010) estimated that Nigerian forests are being depleted at an annual rate of 3.5%. Nigeria used to have about 20% of its area covered with natural forests but, this has been reduced to about 10%. It lost about 60% of its natural forests to agricultural encroachment, excessive logging and urbanization between the 1960s and the year 2000 (FAO 2001; SFM Tropics. 2005). Overtly, industrial and social development which competes for the same pieces of land upon which the forest stands has not been commendable. As a result of its large land area, the country covers different and favorable climatic and ecological zones. The size and its diverse population coupled with the socio-political and economic challenges have put much pressure on the forest belts as increasing number of unemployed youths have come to realize that there are opportunities in looting forest products for survival (Ola-Adams, 1983; Patterson et al., 2006). Thus unemployment as one of the developmental challenges in Nigeria has wideranging negative impacts, on environmental crime, which is often treated as a low-priority crime in most developing countries, with the belief that the forest belongs to everyone in the community (Mason et al., 2012; South and Wyatt 2011). In Nigeria the over dependence on crude oil has also led the government to place less emphasis on what is being lost yearly to theft of forest produce.International statistics portray that rural and urban youths living in developing regions account for about two-thirds of the unemployed (Patterson et al, 2006). Unemployment has been a problem in Nigeria, especially since the 1980s, when the nation's economy took a turn for the worse as world petroleum prices tumbled, the Nigerian currency became devalued, corruption became rampant, and the population of the country ballooned at a breathtaking pace (Akintoye, 2008). Its effect on food production and deforestation also became issues to contend with. In areas that are rural or semi urban with abundance of forest trees and produce (agricultural zones), the forest was readily available to be explored and exploited not only by locals but also by foreign syndicates (Martin and Vigne 2011). Most worrisome is the activities of illegal traders of forest produce, through the aid of foreigners who are in need of rare and hard species of woods for European and American markets, thus the wanton destruction and felling of trees on communal and individual farmlands (Egbewole et al., 2011; Rademeyer, 2012).Scientifically speaking the destruction of these trees has a very powerful effect on the carbon cycle and boosts the greenhouse effect as a result of the depletion of carbon (Alamu and Agbaje, 2011). But the socio-economic loss to the nation is quite unquantifiable especially on some endangered species in the South-west and Mid-west forest zones in Nigeria, comprising states of Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, Ekiti, and Edo and Delta states. The impressively fast urbanization process experienced in Nigeria together with the increasing rate of unemployment, persistent poverty, inequality, inadequacy of social services, the consolidation of trans-national crime organizations, the wide spread drug use and drug trafficking, ill equipped security officials and forest guards to combat illegal logging and lumbering cartel cum clandestine markets and saw mails for rare forest products, have led a lot of youths to seeking for opportunities in forest businesses (Pretty et al. …
4 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify the major drivers of forest degradation in the dry deciduous forest of Gardarwa village forest of Renukoot forest division in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
Abstract: Forest degradation is a challenging issue worldwide, particularly in a country like India where forests are the major source of livelihood for millions of rural poor. But, over the years, forests are gradually degrading due to unsustainable harvest of fuel wood, fodder and Non-timber forest produce. The research study, aims to identify the major drivers of forest degradation in the dry deciduous forest of Gardarwa village forest of Renukoot forest division. Further, the study quantifies the extent of unsustainable harvest of fuelwood, fodder and other Non-timber forest produce in the study region and suggests ways to substitute them. Techniques such as coppice, pollarding, pruning, root suckers and trenching for sustainable harvest of forest produce are also recommended in the study to overcome the unsustainable extraction of Non-timber forest produce. The research study further estimates the potential forest biomass projection owing to the substitution of unsustainable harvest with alternative sources of livelihood and with adoption of sustainable techniques for the collection of other Non-timber forest produce in the Gardarwa village forest of Renukoot forest division in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
2 citations
01 Jun 2016
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used a household convenience sampling method with semi-structured questionnaire by using free listing technique to document the Mangrove Forest Produce (MFP) that used by the communities in Banggi Island, Malaysia.
Abstract: Mangrove is an important source of many goods and services to humankind. The direct and indirect benefits contributed are also identified as ecosystem services of the mangrove forest. The aims of this study are to document the Mangrove Forest Produce (MFP) that used by the communities in Banggi Island, Malaysia. A total of hundred (100) respondents from 4 villages namely Kg. Perpaduan, Kg. Singgahmata, Kg. Sabur and Kg. Batu Putih was selected. Household convenience sampling method with semi-structured questionnaire by using free listing technique was employed in this survey. The main ethnic groups involved in the study are identified as Bajau's, Dusun and Ubian. Their average income is RM500 per month, which is under the poverty line of the state of Sabah. Based on the acquired data from free listing technique, the utilization of MFP can be divided into eight categories and ranked at highly important to the less important based on the communities' knowledge of judgment. The most important categories confined to fuelwood and marine products, followed by construction materials, medicinal and domestic uses, and fishing equipment. The less substantial fall under the categories of food or drinks, decoration, and handicraft. Out of the total respondents, 51% of them enter the mangrove forest when they need the products. The level of communities' dependency on MFPs at Banggi Island was fair with the frequency of 54 percent are low dependent, while the others were moderate to highly reliant on the MFP. Most of the respondents agree that mangrove forest is highly appreciated for its ecological function of ecosystem services, and therefore should be protected.
1 citations