Participatory Forest Management Research Articles

Comparative assessment of woody species diversity, structure and carbon stock of PFM and Non-PFM forests and its implication for REDD+ in Ethiopia

Maintaining forest biodiversity and carbon sequestration potential of forest resources enhances the provision capacity of forest ecosystem services. Experience from around the world and in Ethiopia has shown that shifting forest management from state-centred to community-centred arrangement can result in a better forest stock. Therefore, this study examined the status of woody species diversity, regeneration and total living biomass carbon stock of forests under participatory forest management (PFM) and the adjacent state managed non-participatory forest management (Non-PFM) in South eastern Ethiopia and implications to REDD+. Data were collected from 89 (44 PFM and 45 Non-PFM) nested circular plots from four PFM and three Non-PFM selected forest sites with transects laid systematically. Tree DBH and height were measured, the number of saplings, seedlings, mature trees were counted and species names were recorded. Woody species diversity was estimated using shannon, simpson, and evenness diversity indices. A total of 29 and 23 woody species were recorded in PFM and Non-PFM forests, respectively. Woody species diversity did not show significant difference between PFM and Non-PFM forests but it was relatively higher in PFM forest. The density per hectare of seedlings, sapling and mature trees were significantly greater in PFM forest than in Non-PFM forest. The mean aboveground biomass carbon stock of PFM forest (225.50±26.54) was significantly greater than that of the Non-PFM (156.24±15.72) forest. Hence, managing forests through participatory approaches contributes to the enhancement of sustainable management and climate change mitigation potentials through reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation.

Forest Management in an Ancient Indian Scriptures Prospective With Specific Reference to Ramayana – Literary Evidence

The relationship between ecological and culture is more apparent in ancient Indian texts, and this is mirrored in several scriptures. Ancient Indian scriptures including the Arthasastra, Sathapatha Bhramanas, Vedas, Manusmrti, Brhat Samhita, Ramayana, and Mahabharata all represented the sustainable ideas of forest ecology and conservation. The Vedic teachings demonstrate how deeply embedded sustainability was in the minds of the ancient Indians. For example, the Atharva Veda (Chand, 1997) hymn 12.1.11 reads: "O Earth! Pleasant be thy hills, snow-clad mountains and forests; O numerous coloured, firm and protected Earth! On this earth I stand, undefeated, unslain, unhurt." Another hymn from Atharva Veda (12.1.35) reads: "Whatever I dig out from you, O Earth! May that have quick regeneration again; may we not damage thy vital habitat and heart."In particular, our Indian Scriptures such as Aranyakas ("forest" works), Upanishad, and Smritis contains many descriptions on the uses and management of forests, and highlight sustainability as an implicit theme. According to the Vedic traditions, every village will attain wholeness only when certain types of forests are present. Some of these are, however, equivalent to the 'protected areas' and 'production forests' of today. The concept of participatory forest management, an important forest management paradigm today, also was prevalent in ancient India, as illustrated by the example of a village committee overseeing the maintenance of forests. In this context, Valmiki’s Ramayana is the most important source of botanical information. It is very useful in clarifying the botanical identity of various species of plAants and also their importance. It contains an extensive list of plants and also their specific geographical location. The epic also covers a vast area from Ayodhya to Lanka and thus gives an accurate account of different landscapes, mountains, river basins, forests and so on. When the Ramayana was being written, there were thick forests in Naimisharanya, Chitrakut, Dhandakaranya and Panchavati. The Bala kanda mentions the plants and forests of the region on the other side of the river Ganges, Kishkinda kanda discusses the geography and forestry and the biodiversity of the Pampa lake area; and the Aranya kanda describes the foliage of Sage Agasthya’s hermitage; Panchavati was a model of a modified ecology with fruit yielding and medicinal plants where cereals, millets and rice were found. The plants which are mentioned have an economic value, being sacred and utilitarian. Despite the prevailing notion that forestry as a "science" and "practice" originated in the Western Europe and further advanced in North America (Lewis, 2005), the principles of forest conservation and sustainable management were well entrenched in the pre-historic India. Forestry traditions have been documented in the Anciient Indian Scriptures for long. For example, the Vedas contain several descriptions on the uses and management of forests; environment consciousness, besides natural resource and biodiversity conservation, were intrinsic features of rituals and practices. Both productive as well as protective aspects of forest vegetation were emphasized .In this paper authors are making an effort to understand forest management from ancient scriptures perspectives. Vedas,Upanishand,Rmayana and Bhagwadgeeta has been used to understand. This paper is purely based on secondary, which is based on these research methodologies called Hermeneutics, which is the interpretation of ancient or classical literature (Ramayana,Vedas,Bhawadgeeta) Epistemology, which is knowing and understanding the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge.

Analysis of Factors Influencing Community Participation in Sustainable Forest Management in BKPH Mojorayung, Madiun

The success of sustainable forest management is inseparable from community participation as the leading actor in the Social Forestry Program. Various factors, including internal factors from the community and external factors, affect the participation of the community. Factors impacting community participation in sustainable forest management were analyzed in this study. The study was conducted at BKPH Mojorayung, KPH Madiun, East Java Regional Division Perum Perhutani, from April to June 2022, using a survey method with 242 randomly selected respondents. Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis was conducted with the SmartPLS software. Based on the results, it was found that three factors impact the community's participation in forest management: the empowerment process accuracy, the role of community empowerment workers, and the support of group leaders. The characteristics of the communities around the forest did not affect community participation in forest management. Community participation also affects the sustainability of forests.

Innovation in Forest Management in Burkina Faso: Analyzing the Dynamics of the Actor-Network in Cassou

The challenges of sustainable forest preservation led Burkina Faso to implement participatory forest management projects in the mid-80s. These projects led to the creation of Forest Management Sites including the one at Cassou. This innovative approach focusses on the active participation of the local communities. It raised high hopes for sustainable forest management. This presents paper traces the process and analyze the outcome derived from the participatory forest management. The Actor-network theory was used as to analyze the implementation process of the CAF model. In doing so, qualitative approach was used through key experts’ and stakeholders’ interviews and focus groups discussions to understand the trajectory and to evaluate the process of implementing the given model. The results show that the dynamic that prevailed at the beginning of the process has eroded over time to the point that after more than three decades of implementation, the model has not yet reached its phase of stabilization or irreversibility. Actors no longer seem to refer to the roles assigned to them, and they are not respecting their commitments. In part, factors such as population renewal and growth, decentralized development management (which were not taken into account at the outset) call for new forms of negotiations between stakeholders to regain control of the process for the sack of the Cassou managed forest.

Land use/land cover and plant community dynamics in the Benin's forest reserves: The effectiveness of participatory forest management

Assessing Participatory Forest Management (PFM) is crucial to design sustainable conservation biodiversity policies. Such assessments often prioritize PFM's impact on livelihoods and deforestation, overlooking the spatial and biodiversity dimensions. Thus underscores the need for tools like Land Use/Land Cover Change (LULCC) overviews and forest diversity assessments. Here, we integrated LULCC of fours forests reserves (Wari-maro Mont-Kouffé, Agoua, Goungoun and Lama), taxonomic (alpha index) and temporal beta diversity index to provide insight into PFM effectiveness over thirty-five years (1986–2021). Landsat MSS (1986), SPOT (2005) and Sentinel 2b (2021) satellite images were used to assess the LULCC, via supervised classification and visual interpretation. Temporal dynamics of trees diversity was evaluated using forest inventory data from two years (2007 and 2023). A linear regression was performed to identify the anthropogenic factors (fire, grazing, distance from villages to forests) driving temporal changes in floristic composition. We found a decline in forests area which was more critical after the implementation of PFM (2005 and 2021), with a slight decline in species diversity (1.80 ± 0.68 in 2007 and 1.65 ± 0.56 in 2023). PFM efficiency was higher in larger forests, which have experienced less deforestation than smaller ones. Significant variations in forest land cover were observed among forests from 1986 to 2021, particularly in Agoua (26.76% and 52.13% between 1986 and 2005 and 2005–2021 respectively) and Wari-maro Mont-Kouffé (1.96% and 0.16% between 1986 and 2005 and 2005–2021 respectively). There was a significant decline in trees density from 2007 (252 trees/ha) to 2023 (155 trees/ha), while tree diameter (15 to 22 cm) and height (8 to 12 m) have increased between 2007 and 2023. The foristic composition of forests has changed, with an overall downward trend in diversity, affected by forest fires. The study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of PFM as a conservation policy.

Improving the role of communities in participatory forest management through artificial intelligence: the case of Nairobi city park community forest association

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into participatory forest management (PFM) is emerging as a promising strategy for promoting sustainable forest management in developing countries. Using a case study approach from Kenya involving 85 respondents from the Nairobi City Park Community Forest Association, this study explored the potential for AI implementation in PFM to improve community roles in data acquisition and management. The study results show that the current data management system for executing community roles in PFM is inefficient, time-consuming, and susceptible to errors. However, there are substantial gains and opportunities in implementing community roles through AI. AI utilization could be fostered through the existing Information Communication Technology (ICT) resources such as smartphones for efficient and transparent data processes. Notably, 90% of respondents express confidence in AI’s potential to enhance PFM efficiency. Despite this optimism, 67.1% emphasize the necessity of a comprehensive AI policy that emphasizes continuous community engagement and adaptation of AI to local contexts.

Participatory forest management for sustainable rural livelihoods and forest ecosystem services: The case of Deneba Forest Managing Cooperative in Ethiopia

Participatory forestry management(PFM) enables direct engagement of local communities in sustainable forest resource management, utilization and decision-making. This study evaluated PFM and its contribution to sustainable rural livelihood and forest ecosystem services. The study sites were selected using purposive sampling technique. The sample households were designated using a stratified random sampling from forest user groups(FUGs) and non-user groups(NFUGs). Forest inventory, household survey, focus group discussion, key informant interviews and personal field observations were used for primary data collection. Results indicated that the PFM enhances the forest cover, plantation volume ha−1, number of trees ha−1, biodiversity conservation, regeneration capacity with more seedling and sapling population, and ecosystem services. The PFM had a positive and progressive contribution to forest resource management, income diversification, poverty alleviation, which provided the opportunity to diversify livelihoods, particularly of low-income households. The main challenges to the implementation of PFM were uneven FUG participation and benefit sharing, a weak institutional capacity and support, and a lack of strong coordination among various actors. Firewood collection, construction, and search of new farmlands were the major challenges. Therefore, to mitigate deforestation, degradation of forest resources and loss of biodiversity consequently to sustainably improve biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services and livelihoods of PFM participants, the local communities, government and other key stakeholders should weaken the top-down governance of forest and empower local community governance in forest management; encourage a sense of belongingness of local communities to the forest; address the problem of open access to forest resources; and enhance the FUG income, including market networks.

Comparative Analysis of Participatory Forest Management in Kenya: Embaringo and Gathiuru Community Forest Associations

Comparative Analysis of Participatory Forest Management in Kenya: Embaringo and Gathiuru Community Forest Associations

Participatory Forest Management and Gender Inclusiveness within the Community Forest Management Groups of Bhutan

Participatory Forest Management and Gender Inclusiveness within the Community Forest Management Groups of Bhutan

Use of Plantation Establishment and Livelihood Improvement Scheme (Pelis) in the Rehabilitation of Nyamweru Forest Reserve, Kiambu County, Kenya.

PELIS is a program globally known as the Taungya system, which involves the allocation of parcels of land to forest-adjacent communities to grow tree seedlings as well as carry out cultivation of crops during the early stages of tree seedlings growth until they form canopies, with the aim of increasing forest cover. The program has been successful in some countries, but it has failed in other countries, especially developing countries. This study investigated the impeding factors to the realization of the PELIS program, using a case study of the Nyamweru forest reserve in Kiambu County, Lari sub-county, Kenya. Descriptive research design was employed, with a sample size of 40 respondents. About 80% of the results showed an apparent weakness of the institutions mandated in the governance of the forest to effectively manage PELIS program. The study concluded that all the challenges experienced under the PELIS program can be linked to poor forest governance practices. The study recommended, that an integrated watershed resource management, adoption of a bottom-up approach in order to achieve participatory forest management in all aspects of the PELIS program, and development of a platform for awareness creation, such training and use of current technologies, to strengthen and enhance social capital in PELIS program Management in order to, rejuvenate and achieve the constitutional recommended 10% of forest cover in Kenya.

Contribution of participatory forest management to livelihood improvement in Metema district, northwestern Ethiopia

Contribution of participatory forest management to livelihood improvement in Metema district, northwestern Ethiopia

Contribution of Participatory Forest Management Program in Non-Timber Forest Products to balance Livelihood Improvement and Conservation: a case of Sera Forest, Amigna District, Southern Ethiopia

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have a significant role as a local source of medicine, fiber, forage, and sustenance and offer income opportunities mainly in rural families. As sustainable use of NTFPs is imperative to provide ecosystem services and biological resources, this study focused on the identification and documentation of plant species used for NTFPs, their availability, and conservation status in Sera Forest, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The study applied a combination of plant ecological and ethnobotanical methods. Ethnobotanical data were gathered through semi-structured questionnaires and interviews which involved 206 randomly sampled general and 24 purposively selected key informants, group discussions, guided field walks, and market surveys. Data were analyzed and presented using analytical methods of ethnobotany, including descriptive statistics, informant consensus factor (ICF), and ranking. Species diversity, richness, and evenness were also computed using Shannon–Wiener diversity indices. A total of 137 plant species belonging to 49 families used as a source of NTFPs were documented from the study area. Eleven major use categories of the NTFPs were identified. Out of these, medicine, firewood, charcoal making, and construction materials were the most dominant uses requiring large volumes of NTFPs. Direct matrix ranking of plant species with multipurpose use revealed, that Hagenia abyssinica was ranked highest, followed by Olea europaea ssp cuspidata, Grewia mollis, Croton macrostachyus, Ximenia americana and Carissa spinarum. Local communities of the study area possess rich indigenous knowledge in the regulation of grazing and extraction of forest products, forest patrolling, firebreak clearance and maintenance, selective preservation of tree species and nursery activities focused on the restoration of indigenous woody species, which all help in using their natural resources for sustainable livelihood. Sera forest is rich in NTFP-bearing plants and associated indigenous conservation knowledge. However, nowadays illegal timber extraction, grazing, over-harvesting of NTFPs, farm expansion, and fire hazards are found to be threatening the plant resources, irrespective of the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) principles. Therefore, it is important to have strong evaluation and monitoring mechanisms for setting harvesting quantities and regulating types of collection. Besides developing a sense of ownership, and responsibility, integrating their traditional forest management practices with modern conservation approaches is desirable for higher livelihood outcomes with lower environmental impacts.

Community Forest Associations Boundaries and Sustainable Forest Management in Loita Forest, Narok County, Kenya

The Kenya Forest Act of 2005, subsequently revised in 2016, introduced the Kenya Forest Service and its mandate to engage in Participatory Forest Management (PFM) agreements with local communities adjoining state forests. This framework necessitated the establishment of Community Forest Associations (CFAs) nationwide, including the Loita Community Forest Association. However, a prevailing concern surrounding CFAs is the delineation and redefinition of boundaries, an issue that has gained prominence due to Kenya's decentralized forest governance system and the ambiguity surrounding the management of locally-held common resources. This study centers on investigating the process of establishing boundaries for the CFAs both in forest resources and the users within Loita Forest in Narok County, Kenya. Notably, Loita forest operates under a Traditional Participatory Forest arrangement, controlled by community elders, led by the revered Oloibon, who steers the resource utilization decisions. The vast expanse of Loita forest encompasses both lush woodlands and savanna landscapes. Employing purposive sampling, the study engaged 52 respondents from nine distinct Loita sub-locations. Key informants were interviewed individually, complemented with focus group discussions conducted with the use of semi-structured questions. Participant observation further enriched data collection, consolidating insights from key informants and group discussions. Collected data was meticulously tape-recorded and subjected to summative content analysis. The inquiry delved into the practicality of existing traditional resource-use boundaries, the adequacy of governmental regulations, policies, and institutions in elevating forest governance within Kenya, and the extent to which individual indigenous rights have been upheld in managing and using communal forest resources. Key findings of this study show that the Loita Maasai still values their traditional norms and have great respect for cultural institutions. Major decisions concerning the management of Loita forest are made by the council of elders led by the Chief Laibon. The study also found that there exists no CFA in Loita forest and that the presence of government institutions in the forest is minimal. This study's outcomes contribute to a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between indigenous wisdom, modern frameworks, and sustainable forest management. It underscores the indispensable role of tradition in shaping boundaries, governance, and ecological equilibrium within Loita forest and offers practical directives for future forest management endeavors.

Forest Policy of Ethiopia from 1990 to 2020: An Assessment of Contemporary Forest Management Approach and Its Impact on Local Livelihood

This paper reviews historical perspectives on deforestation, forest law and policy, and participatory forest management (PFM) in Ethiopia. The main aim of this review was to state historical trends in forestry policy and forestry laws since the 1990s as well as the impacts of PFM on forest status and local community livelihoods in Ethiopia. To achieve the objective, the paperwork reviewed theoretical concepts from many scientific studies, previous documents, published articles, institutional documents, and legislation, as well as findings on forest management approaches, trends in forest coverage, causes of forest degradation, and the PFM approach in Ethiopia. The framework of driving force, pressure, state, impact, and response (DPSIR) was used to evaluate the country’s forest resources. The forest policy before 1991 was a top-down management approach, which discouraged local people from having access to and benefiting from the forest resource and participating in forest conservation practices. During the transition period from the military to the federal government in 1991, most of the natural forest cover of the country was affected and degraded by the local communities until the transitional government passed state regulatory laws. The deforestation rate kept going up during the political transition period from 1987 to 1991 due to agricultural land expansion, settlement, and investment pressures. As an option, PFM was introduced in Ethiopia in the mid-1990s with the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, the new approach was not equally beneficial to the local people, like training, collecting non-timber forest products (wild coffee and spices), hanging traditional beehives in the forest, and providing firewood and round wood for home construction. The approach demands more finance, and it is run by NGOs. Therefore, the PFM’s success depends on the financial return that the local people secure from the natural forests.

Perceptions on Community Forest Management Practices and Protection of Kwonga Clan Forest, Kabwoya, Kikuube District, Uganda

The study investigated how community forest management practices enhanced the protection of the Bakwonga Clan Forest in Kabwoya Sub-County, Kikuube District Western Uganda. The Bakwonga clan is an indigenous tribe in Uganda who live by the Kwonga clan forest. The study adopted a descriptive research design to collect data through self-administered questionnaires from 181 respondents. Interviews and reviews of documentary sources complemented data collection. Using descriptive statistics, the study reveals practicing sustainable livelihood projects by Bakwonga clan protects the forest by 41.4% (M=3.71, SD=1.43), participation in conservation awareness meetings improved knowledge of forest protection by 44.8% (M=2.1; SD=1.01), and promoting sustainable forest resource use protects the clan forest by 42.6% (M=3.81, SD=1.2). Community participation in forest management moderately contributed to the protection of the Bakwonga Clan Forest in Kabwoya Sub-County, Kikuube District. Bakwonga clan members in collaboration with the Kikuube District Forest department should develop and implement a robust conservation education strategy to build capacity for Bakwonga and Non-Bakwonga to protect the clan forest.

An assessment of the legal and policy framework for participatory forest governance in Bangladesh

A robust and well-designed legal and policy framework is vital for ensuring successful public participation in forest management and engaging local governments and communities in conservation efforts. However, despite the presence of various policies and laws aimed at protecting environmental and biological resources, Bangladesh continues to experience significant depletion of its forest resources. This can be largely attributed to inadequate implementation of forest laws, a weak institutional structure, and a bureaucratic approach to forest management. This article undertakes an analysis of Bangladesh's policy and legal framework concerning participatory forest governance. It specifically examines the incorporation of participatory elements within the country's legal and policy framework for forest management. The assessment encompasses forest tenure, land use, and the practice of participatory forest management (PFM). Furthermore, the effectiveness of social forestry and co-management, the two primary approaches to achieving participatory forest governance in Bangladesh, is evaluated. Additionally, the article identifies the challenges hindering the successful implementation of these approaches. The argument put forth is that despite the apparent support for participatory forest management within Bangladesh’s policy and legal framework, the actual implementation of PFM and sustainable forest management (SFM) remains ineffective. This ineffectiveness can be attributed to poor policy execution, prioritization of profit-generation over sustainable management practices, lack of coherence within the legal framework, and the centralized decision-making process regarding state-owned forests.

Examining forest transition and collective action in Nepal’s community forestry

Nepal is going through a major socio-economic transition in rural areas and hence in forest management practices, leading to changes in and evolution of new forest-people relationships. Community forests are experiencing an ecological transition resulting a new pattern of growth, regeneration and diversity in forest composition. The ecological transition of forest corresponds to the shifting local collective actions in community forestry which are emerging from the new socio-economic dynamics in rural areas such as income-diversification, declining subsistence utilization of forest resources and outmigration of the rural population. However, these changes are highly differentiated and variable. The hilly areas are experiencing remarkable forest cover changes than in the lowlands of Terai. In this paper, we examine the evolving intersection between new forest transition and community collective action in Nepal. We draw our analysis on the comparative case study of four villages from three different ecological regions. Our findings show that the forest transition is not static, but a dynamic process shaped by diverse local and external factors. Further, declining utilization of forests for subsistence uses has led to a new dynamic in community collective action which has played a central role in driving forest transition. Community participation in forest management is also declining. Hence, we call for reconceptualizing local collective action in this changed context which can help revise forest policies and reimagine forest institutions that can better respond to the socio-economic changes of the mountain landscape and revitalize local collective actions.

Drivers of Community Participation in Participatory Forest Management; An Evidence of Kodera Forest in Kenya

The present thirty-one percent of overall forest cover is not enough to conserve biological diversity globally and so the need to conserve the last global forests (Powlen et al., 2021). Kenya has experienced significant degradation of forest resources in the last 40 years. In 2005, the government passed a forest legislation that allows communities adjacent to forests to co-manage forests. This paper evaluated the driving force of community involvement in participatory forest management. The paper adopted a descriptive research design targeting forest-adjacent communities. A questionnaire and interview schedule were used for data collection. A pilot study was conducted, and research tools were carefully revised to ensure the validity and reliability of the content. The paper used Taro Yamane’s sampling formula to extract 255 respondents from a total of 671 households surrounding the forest. Quantitative data were evaluated using inferential statistics. The results were presented in tables and discussed appropriately. The results showed that 45.90% of the respondents are affiliated with one of the conservation user groups, while 54.1% of respondents were not affiliated with any Kodera Forest conservation groups. Based on Pearson’s chi-square test statistic (43.449 with p-value = 0.000), it was clear that there was a significant association between education level and perception of forest user group importance. Similarly, the chi-square results suggested that there is a statistically significant association between participation in conservation activities and respondents’ monthly expenditure at the conventional level of significance (α = 0.05)

Role of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) Institutions in the Management of Non-Timber Forest Products: A Roadmap from Kerala

Role of Participatory Forest Management (PFM) Institutions in the Management of Non-Timber Forest Products: A Roadmap from Kerala

A bibliometric review of stakeholders' participation in sustainable forest management

Although stakeholders' participation in forest management helps overcome problems and conflicts that prevent sustainable solutions, different approaches and nomenclature for similar contents in the literature hinder theoretical progress on the topic. This study organises existing information through a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers from the last 30 years (1991–2021) on sustainable forest management, focusing on the stakeholders' participation. Results demonstrate that stakeholders' participation in sustainable forest management gained relevance from 2017 onwards. Case studies are predominant (66%) and six major trends were identified. The first emphasises a systemic approach to participation. The second updates the community management discussion. The third studies historical problems related to the use of resources, rights, and services. The fourth focuses on regional assessments and studies. The fifth concerns assessment, decision-making, and planning, including issues related to certifications and policies. The sixth discusses innovation related to adaptation, climate change, equity, and resilience. The studies included in this last classification are problem-solving-oriented and seek new forest management. Although important, the role of innovation in stakeholders' participation in sustainable forest management is overlooked, which constitutes an avenue for future research.