A Case Study on Local Guyanese Population Influences on Mangrove Forests

Abstract

Mangroves are coastal intertidal wetland forests with halophytic trees and shrubs in the environment. Mangrove forests are of considerable significance in Guyana. Human interactions with this easily available and rather easy access to resources are what allow local communities to develop their knowledge and approaches to benefit from the mangrove environments. Disruptions such as clearing for construction, aquaculture, timber and fuel output are caused by local population stressors. This research was carried out to assess the local Guyanese population’s influences, positive or negative, on mangrove forests; more specifically their overall health and numbers at the three study sites located in regions 3 and 4, Guyana, during the period February-May 2021. The objective of this study was focused on determining whether human interactions within the forests influence the conditions and state of the mangroves, discovering techniques that locals within the study areas may apply to forest care, and figuring out whether the effects that locals have on the mangrove population would have been positive or negative. The data for this study was gathered using the methods of ecological assessments and questionnaires after which, the data was analyzed using relevant software programs. The results of this study revealed that locals within the selected areas did have their management techniques, and numerous ways of interacting with the forests and results have also shown that the effects on the mangroves resulted in some loss. Moreover, the local population can then be further used to inform other communities perhaps to refrain from activities that have detrimental effects on the forests or even encourage the continuation of constructive actions that contribute to forest health improvements