Forests In Protected Areas Research Articles

Rural household participation in illegal timber felling in a protected area of West Sumatra, Indonesia

Illegal logging is a threat to tropical forests in protected areas, yet the factors motivating it need to be better understood. Here, rural household participation in timber felling in the Barisan I Nature Reserve (West Sumatra) was described, the household contextual factors relating to this participation analysed and the importance of these activities to the household income assessed. Nearly 19% of the sampled households cut or hauled timber in the Reserve, and the demand for cash encouraged participation. Alternative livelihoods such as livestock raising and agroforestry intensification outside the Reserve could reduce the need for timber felling. Knowledge about legal status of the Reserve did not affect the odds of a household engaging in timber harvesting, but greater awareness of the Reserve resulted in lower levels of income from timber. Development policy that seeks to provide livelihood alternatives to timber felling households could reduce dependence on timber and contribute to forest conservation in the Reserve. Moreover, conservation outcomes should improve if control over the protection and enforcement of the Reserve is co-managed between the government and the local communities.

The paradox of forest conservation in South Africa

It would appear from the proportion of South African forests in protected areas that the habitats of vertebrate species are well protected. However, this simple figure is misleading. Firstly, the small total area of remaining forests (3000 km 2) alters the vulnerability of the fauna. Secondly, a large proportion of the threatened fauna is restricted to forests and many are found in regions subject to heavy human exploitation. The apparent complacency regarding forest vertebrate conservation in South Africa requires re-evaluation in the light of this new information. The vulnerability of fauna must be carefully evaluated before management recommendations can be made, particularly for threatened species.