Environmental impact of women exploitation of forest resources in some forest reserves in Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Loss of forest resources in Nigeria is between 2.6% and 3.5% per annum. Thus, an investigation on the effects of utilization of forest resources by women in five forest reserves, namely; Oba Hill, Ago-Owu, Shasha, Ife Native and Ikeji-Ipetu Forest Reserves in Osun State was conducted. Five hundred questionnaires were administered across the five locations at an average of one hundred per study area. Focus Group Discussions were also carried out as data quality control measure. Data analysis adopted tabulation, frequency distribution and percentages. The results across the five locations showed that the total proportion of live woody forest products collected was 19.0% higher than 14.8% of dry woody forest products collected with FGDs revealing that 87.2% did not bother about replanting. The implication of these findings is that more land areas were opened up to direct run-off and solar radiation through the cutting and collection of live trees, the situation suggesting that forest degradation is on course in the area with no interest in replacing trees removed among the respondents. It is therefore, recommended that alternative sources of energy should be introduced and made available to the women in the study area to minimise forest trees removal and to avert energy source-related crisis. Also, appropriate legislation should be put in place to protect the forest from further depletion and women are enlightened on environmental degradation caused by forest live trees removal.