Availability Of Non-timber Forest Products Research Articles

Effects of climate change on the availability of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in the Kavonge and Museve hilltop forests in Kenya

The study evaluated the effects of climate change on the availability of NTFPS in Kavonge and Museve hilltop forests in Kitui County, Kenya. The specific study objective was to assess local community perception on rainfall and temperature patterns on NTFPs availability. A sample size of 120 respondents were selected for the study using the Yamane formula. A purposive sampling method was used to select villages within 5 kilometer radius to both hilltop forests and a systematic transect line design of 1km by 1km was used to select households for data collections. Data were collected by employing structured questionnaires, key informant interviews and focus groups discussions. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, bar charts), chi-square test and logistic regression. The result revealed that majority 83.0% of respondents strongly agreed that climatic conditions of the area has changed. The results submit that 96% of the respondents perceived an increase in temperature pattern during this recent period of 2018-2023 while, 100% perceived a decrease in rainfall pattern during this recent period of 2018-2023. The logistic regression model results revealed that, age, education, occupation and residency period significantly (p < 0.05) influenced community perception of climate change (rainfall and temperature) patterns on NTFPs availability in the study area. It is ascertained that the Kavonge and Museve forests edge communities still rely on the available NTFPs as a safety net when faced with unfavorable circumstances, such as crop failure due to climate change. However, it was reported that the available quantities of NTFP are declining due to climate change. I conclude that, available NTFPs will continue to decrease if stringent sustainable utilization and management measures are not implemented.

Insights from Local Community on Changing Availability of Non-Timber Forest Products under Climate Change in Panchadeval Binayak Municipality, Achham District, West Nepal

Local people in the hilly area depend upon different varieties of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) such as foods, medicines, spices, etc. for income generation, except timber. This paper highlights the perception of local people over current situation including status of availability of NTFPs under changing climate. Data were collected by using questionnaire survey and key informant interview (KII) in 9 wards of Panchadeval Binayak Municipality during April, 2022. Altogether 225 interviews were taken with the oldest family members of each household. Total 89 species of NTFPs were noted. Majority of species were used for medicinal purpose (53.92%), followed by edible (30.33%) whereas 15.73% species were used for fodder, fuelwood and other purposes. Climate change and availability of NTFPs were analyzed according to people’s perception. The study showed that about 96% of respondents agreed to increase in temperature, 84.83% believed in decrease of rainfall, whereas13.33% agreed the rainfall to be unpredictable. Due to those climatic changes, the availability of NTFPs is predicted to decrease and the dependency of people on NTFPs is in critical condition in this municipality. Therefore, it is urged to develop some climate change coping strategies at the local and national level which will assure the NTFPs availability for the local people.

Determinants of the Availability of Non-timber Forest Products for Households’ Adaptation to the Effects of Climate Variability in Iringa District, Tanzania

This cross-sectional study was conducted to examine determinants of the availability of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) for household use as a strategy for adapting to the effects of climate variability in the Kitapilimwa Forest Reserve (KFR) in Iringa district, Tanzania. The study involved 400 participants. Data were collected through structured interviews, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions, field observation and documentary review. Findings reveal that local communities in the study area are vulnerable to the effects of climate variability. Also, they show that 52.4% of the respondents extracted NTFPs from the KFR as a strategy for adapting to the effects of climate variability. Besides, the study found that the main determinants of the availability and effective household use of NTFPs as an adaptation strategy are anthropogenic degradation and loss of NTFPs, the implications of KFR access by-laws, effects of climate variability on the availability of NTFPs, perception of fairness of trade in NTFPs, and seasonal availability of NTFPs. The study concludes that despite the important role of NTFPs from the KFR being used as a strategy for adapting to the effects of climate variability, there are factors that limit the availability and effective household use of NTFPs as an adaptation strategy. It is recommended that the government involve local communities in developing a policy framework that promotes a sustainable harvesting of NTFPs. Also, the government and the private sector should support all efforts to diversify livelihood sources of rural households to reduce their dependency on natural forests. Lastly, the government should monitor and regulate trade in NTFPs.

Marketing of non-timber forest products as a means of income generation in Oja-oba market, Iseyin local government area, Oyo State

Background: This study examined marketing of non-timber forest products as a means of income generation in Oja-Oba Market, Iseyin Local Government of Oyo State. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) have been located to play an important position in family financial system and food security. Methods: In the present study, a simple random sampling was used to choose ninety-four respondents (25 % sampling depth) from 376 marketers that were identified. A total of seventy-eight responses were retrieved from the 94 questionnaires distributed. Data were analyzed using descriptive information and budgetary evaluation. Results: Most of the of respondents (51.4%) were the ages of 31 and 40 years old, female (51.3%), married (73.1%), had adult schooling (34.6%), have been farmers (60.3 %), had 11-20yrs experience (44.9%), and had been indigenous (69.2%). Many of the marketed NTFPs had been bush meat (73.1%), honey and bee wax (71.8%), fuel wood (60.3%), and Shea butter (60.3 %). The charges of NTFPs numerous at diverse tiers, for example, bush meat that sells for #2500.00 on the farm level is in the end offered at #6000.00 to very last purchasers. This also carried out to different NTFPs advertised in the place, indicating that NTFP marketing turned into a profitable enterprise in the study area. Profitability of the very best marketed NTFPs (bush meat) revealed an average gross margin of #34,040.00 and a net profit of #28,040.00, whilst the benefit cost Ratio was 2.53, indicating that for each # 2.00 invested in the business, there was a go back of 53kobo. Poor transportation (35.9%), a lack of storage facilities (23.1%), deforestation (12.8%), and price fluctuation are the various fundamental issues encountered (11.5%). Marketing NTFPs is a rewarding commercial enterprise which could assist improve rural livelihoods. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it was determined that the area was highly enriched with various varieties of NTFPs that serve the needs of the residents. It was recommended that Sustainable forest management of non-timber forest products should be implemented as a development strategy in the study area to ensure the continuous availability of non-timber forest products in the study area.

Characterizing the Dependence on Non-timber Forest Products Among Communities Living Around Forest Conservation Areas in Marrupa-Mecula Corridor, Niassa Special Reserve, Niassa Province of Mozambique

The role of forests across the world has been recognized as key natural assets that offer several goods and services, especially to communities adjacent to them. Given this role, there have been minimal efforts to determine the factors characterizing this dependence of communities on non-timber forest products (NTFPs), especially in developing nations. This study surveyed and assessed different factors influencing household dependence on NTFPs in the Marrupa-Mecula Corridor, Niassa Special Reserve, Niassa Province of Mozambique. In total, 377 household members from eight villages attended the interview while employing proportional random sampling. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. The study revealed that 90.9% of the households participate in collecting, producing, and selling NTFPs. Three factors, namely, social, economic, and physical, with twenty sub-factors or characteristics were found to have a significant association with dependence on forest resources. They include the availability of NTFPs, taking a collection of NTFPs as a family job, strong cultural attachment to forests, seasonal engagement in collection, nearby forests being home for community leaders, distance to the nearby forest, the housing needs of forests, forests being a major source of medicine, forests being a resource for educational institutions, forests being a major source of household food security, forests being a ready income for households, forests being a tourist attraction in the area, and affordability of distance to markets. The binary logistic regression revealed that gender, age, education, family size, and time spent in the area are significantly associated with dependence on NTFPs. Additionally, strong cultural attachment to forests, seasonal engagement in collection, nearby forests being homes for community leaders, distance to the nearby forest, housing needs, a major source of medicine, education, household food security, ready income, tourist attraction, and affordability of distance to markets were found to have a significant influence. On the contrary, scary dangerous wild animals, restriction of cultivation in non-gazetted forests, restriction of hunting in non-gazetted forests, and forest fires negatively affected the dependence on NTFPs/resources. As a way of achieving sustainable utilization of NTFPs, management plans and strategies need to incorporate these factors characterizing the dependence on NTFPs.

The Availability of Non-Timber Forest Products under Forest Succession on Abandoned Fields along the Wild Coast, South Africa

Large swathes of arable fields have been abandoned in many areas of the world over the last few decades driven by a multitude of local and broader-scale factors. Many former fields experience a change in vegetation composition and structure post-abandonment, typically through a process of plant succession. The changes in species and abundance mean that the nature and quantity of ecosystem services provided by the former fields also varies. We examined the types of provisioning services obtained from non-timber forest products (NTFPs) with increasing age since field abandonment. We sampled 43 former fields ranging in age since abandonment from approximately 7 to 55 years, and seven plots in intact forests. We held seven focus group discussions with local residents to determine uses of species found in the former fields. Plant cover and species richness increased with former field age, although old field community composition was also influenced by soil chemistry. Of the 177 species recorded, 70 (40%) had one or more uses, spanning six NTFP categories namely, food, building, medicinal, craft, cultural and energy. The number of NTFP species increased with increasing age of the former field, but the proportion of NTFP species declined from 80% in the youngest former fields to 65% in the oldest ones, which were similar to the 63% recorded within intact forests. The youngest former fields had more medicinal species than the older ones, as the abundance and diversity of herbaceous species declined with increasing woody plant cover. Species used for building and food (especially fruits) peaked when the former fields became dominated by woody plants. NTFPs used for craft were most abundant in the oldest sites.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Medicinal Plants among Tribal Communities in Orissa, India

Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are an important source of Pharmaceutical industries for developing a variety of drugs in one hand and in other hand income for the traditional communities living in and around forests. The pressure on forests for the collection of NTFPs has motivated conservation biologists and forest managers to find ways to harvest NTFPs in a sustainable manner. Identification of plant species is the first and foremost criterion in planning for sustainable utilization of resources. The present study was conducted in five-forest division covering 12 villages having an average 345 households of Keonjhar district in Orissa on various NTFPs products. A total of 24 plant species of NTFPs are collected from the forest. The collected NTFPs were used in different purposes i.e. medicines, vegetables, essential oils, dye yielding, food items and other miscellaneous items by the tribal people. The seasonal variations of the availability of NTFPs indicates that there were seven NTFPs found in winter season, eight found in summer season, four in monsoon season and five found in around the year. It was observed that 88.9% villagers were engaged in agriculturefollowed by (10.14%) labor category and only 0.86% in business or service class. In this study, it is suggested that the tribal community should be involved in the established market chain for marketing of NTFP’s. This will be also useful for the conservation and maintenance of NTFPs, which is a major livelihood option for poor traditional communities if we used in a sustainable way.

Impact of Logging on non Timber Forest Products (ntfps) in the Rainforest of South Eastern Nigeria

This study examined the impact of logging intensity on forest diversity in Iwuru, Akamkpa Local Government Area ofCross River State, South Eastern Nigeria. Specifically, it considered the effects of logging intensity on availability of non-timber forestproducts (NTFPs), which include timber species and non-timber tree species as well as shrubs and climber species with NTFPs values.The study depended largely on the collection of primary data through direct field measurements carried out during forest inventory exercisesin sample plots with lightly logged, moderately logged, severely logged and unlogged tropical rainforest in the study area (Iwuru). Theunlogged sample plots were of various sizes depending on the type and quantity of samples to be considered. The collected data wereanalysed using two types of analytical statistical models, that is, statistical means and analysis of variance (ANOVA).From thestatistical mean analysis, the mean value for NTFPs ascribed as “good” decreases from unlogged sample plots (31.40), through lightlylogged (13.68) to moderately logged (4.71) and intensively logged plots (0.79).However, more species recorded as “minimal”, “moderate”and “severe” were in highly logged plots. The result from the analysis of variance indicates a relatively high f-value of 4.749 and very lowp-value of 0.003 indicating a significant relationship between logging and availability of NTFPs. It is established that logging intensitysignificantly affects the quality and quantity of NTFPs. The policy implications of findings are explored.

The role of non-timber forest products in the rural economy and their quantitative assessment in the Aravali mountain range of India

Rajasthan, the largest state in India, has about 5% of the Indian population, but supports the highest cattle and livestock population. The pressure on the state's forests for the collection of fuel wood, fodder and other Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) is, therefore, very severe. A study was undertaken during 2006?2008 to assess the quantum of availability of NTFPs in the three largest forest divisions of the state, located in the Aravalis. Significant quantities of such NTFPs are collected in this region, with the estimated annual financial value of the NTFPs realised per household varying between Rs. 5965 to Rs. 3678 and the financial value realised per ha of forest area varying between Rs. 2800 to Rs. 3100. The results of the current research would be useful in preparing an ecologically viable policy for the subsistence of forest dwellers and better management of the forest resources in the Aravalis. One of the aims of this study was to contribute to the growing body of research cases which can inform a green economics perspective.

The impact of shifting agriculture on the availability of non-timber forest products: the example of Sabal yapa in the Maya lowlands of Mexico

Understanding the effect of agriculture on the availability of non-timber forest products (NTFP) is currently relevant. Many landscapes are dominated by agricultural fields and fallow lands, so we should understand the status of NTFP in these landscapes. We studied the availability of leaves of xa’an palm trees ( Sabal yapa Wright ex Beccari) in the shifting cultivation systems among the Yucatec Maya in Mexico. The mature leaves of this species of palm have been widely used for roofing since prehispanic times until present days; in the year 2000, approximately 90,000 people used S. yapa in Quintana Roo, and 360,000 used Sabal spp. in the Yucatán peninsula. This palm is managed by Maya farmers who spare palm trees when clearing a forest patch to turn it into maize fields ( milpa). We compared the population structure and leaf production rate in different stages of the shifting cultivation cycle ( milpa, fallow lands and forest), and quantified the domestic leaf demand in the village of X-Maben, state of Quintana Roo. In addition, we projected future availability of xa’an leaves, and estimated the period after which this might not be sufficient enough to cover the local demand of some villages and municipalities of Quintana Roo. Our results suggest that one of the consequences of shifting cultivation is the decrease in the availability and quality of this NTFP. Decreasing availability is a result of variations in population structure and leaf production rates between agriculture and forest patches. These negative effects may increase as agriculture becomes more intensive. Currently, the complete mosaic landscape created by this practice still offers sufficient resources for the local inhabitants in many communities. Besides, this NTFP has a high commercial potential in the tourist area. Our study suggests that the harvest of S. yapa in natural systems is sustainable for nine more decades and will be compatible with shifting cultivation as long as land tenure remains communal, there are long fallow periods and other factors remain unchanged.

Tree population studies in low-diversity forests, Guyana. II. Assessments on the distribution and abundance of non-timber forest products

Comparisons between two forest localities were undertaken to assess the potential availability of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) within the low-diversity forests of Guyana. Information on the abundance and distribution of tree species, and local and national ethnobotanical surveys were used classifying species into five categories (timber, construction, technological, edible and medicinal). A total of 152 species were recorded from the two localities; covering 236 different uses, 33 known commercial timber species and 106 species with potential non-timber product utilization. The most important plant families with the highest number of uses at both localities were Leguminosae (sub-families Caesalpinioideae and Mimosoideae), Arecaceae, Bombacaceae and Chrysobalanaceae, although these families were not the most abundant families at both localities. At both forest localities eight tree species represented over 50% of all the trees. At Kurupukari three species, each with more than three identified NTFPs, represented over 20% of the trees. Potential utilization of NTFPs are discussed in accordance with species richness, tree density, the number of different uses per species, and the percentage of trees represented by each utilizable species. Considering the constraints on the future potential commercialization of NTFPs, two scenarios for the extraction of NTFPs are discussed. Within relatively species-rich forest types the high diversity of products provides potentially viable multiple-species extractionism. In contrast, in low-diversity forest types, typical of the Guiana Shield, one or two NTFP species frequently represent over 50% of the canopy trees, and therefore substantially increase the potential sustainable extraction for single-species harvesting. It is suggested that these low-diversity types of forest are prioritized for conservation on the basis of ensuring future utilization, refuge, of non-timber forest products.