The forests of the Peruvian Amazon Basin are rich in diversity, and the many tree species provide products and services for the resource poor farmers. However due to overexploitation many farming communities no longer have access to high quality germplasm of the more useful species. The article reports on a participatory project aimed at increasing community development and conserving forest resources through on-farm domestication of agroforestry trees
Tag: nonwood forest products
Importance of socio-economic and institutional factors in the collection of dry forest products: The case of gum and resin in Jawi District, Northwest Ethiopia
Although the important role of dry forests in livelihoods is immense, empirical evidence on the role of socioeconomic factors in the collection of dry forest products is still lacking. This study aimed to assess the determinants of household participation in dry forest product collection and its contribution to the household economy in Jawi district. The primary data were collected from 259 randomly selected households. The determinant factors affecting household participation in dry forest product (gum and resin) collection and the level of revenue from gum and resin were evaluated using a Heckman 2-stage selection model. According to the findings of this survey, dry forest revenue accounts for 23.69% of the total annual household income. Our findings reveal that age, proximity to the forest, distance to the market, participatory forest management (PFM) membership, frequency of forest extension, and poor wealth status have a substantial impact on a household’s engagement in dry forest product collection and the level of income generated from engagement in dry forest product collection. Policies and strategies aimed at improving the well-being of households in the country’s dry forest areas should focus on the market development of resources to boost the income of local people.
From recreational to income-generating opportunities: assessment of public preferences for non-wood forest products in the Czech Republic
With the alarming increase in dying trees and massive logging in the Czech forests due to bark beetle infestation, the collection of non-wood forest products, a beneficial recreational activity in the Czech Republic, is now being promoted as an alternative to wood provisioning services. This paper aims to present findings on the non-wood forest product preferences in the country as part of a baseline assessment for promoting the usage. This study relied on the 2019 national survey data of public preferences in collecting forest berries, mushrooms, honey, and medicinal herbs. K-means cluster analysis was employed to classify the respondents. A binary logistic regression with a conditional forward approach was employed to identify the potential predictors of the high preference for each non-wood forest product. Data from 1,050 online respondents were included, and two groups of respondents were clustered based on their preferences for the entire non-wood forest, i.e., higher and lower utilization. The regression analysis revealed that frequent forest visitors were the primary predictor of high utilization of all non-wood forest products (between 1.437 to 4.579 odd ratios), in addition to age, gender, and location of the forest property. By clustering the respondents based on the high and low preferences in utilizing non-wood forest products, the promotion of this service, from recreational to potential livelihood activities and economic benefits, can be better targeted, e.g., target customer, infrastructure development in the location with high preferences, scenarios based on the type of owners (municipal or private forest owners), which in accordance to the national forest policy and laws, and, at the same time, maintain the ecological stability.