Assessing Existing Forest and on Farm Tree Management Practices and Its Livelihood Contribution for Rural Small Holder Communities Found at the Forest-Farm Interface Integrated Landscape Mosaics in Ethiopia

Abstract

In the Ethiopian context, forest-farm interface landscapes are areas created through encroachment, officially unclassified as either forest or agricultural lands, found under intensive economic activities (crop farming, grazing, and forest products exploitation) possibly un-sustainably by those without defined legal entitlement. As far as viewed, there are no adequate site specific empirical studies on use and management of forest and trees in an agricultural landscape in relation to local livelihoods and agricultural production in Ethiopia. Therefore, the overall objective of this study was to assess and document existing forest and on farm tree management practices and its livelihood contribution for rural small holder communities found at the forest-farm interface integrated landscape mosaics in Guraferda and Arsi Negele district. Data was collected using household survey taking a total of 218 randomly selected households from the two districts. The two study sites from each district were selected on the extent of deforestation i.e high deforestation and low deforestation sites. The data were analyzed using appropriate descriptive statistics and chi-square test. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analyzing demographic and different socioeconomic characteristics of sample households. The comparisons of different households’ characteristics between the two contrasting sites were done using inferential statistics with χ²-test and t-test.The results of the study revealed that there is high forest product extraction and minimum forest management in high deforestation sites, while high crop and livestock production in low for low deforestation sites.The result confirms that there is a negative impact of high forest extraction on forest management and cover. this work has identified key drivers of deforestation like settelement programs, agricultural expansion and large scale investments or commercial farming. The study also assesses communities’ forest cover maintenance mechanisms.In both districts there should be up dated policy intervention and better land use planning regarding forest resource conservation.

Keywords: forest extraction, forest management, deforestation.