Structure and tree species composition of forest fringe of a forest fragment in an oil palm plantation at Suai, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Jana CL, Jusoh I. 2021. Structure and Tree Species Composition of Forest Fringe of A Forest Fragment in an Oil Palm Plantation at Suai, Sarawak, Malaysian Borne. Biodiversitas 22: 3013-3019. Forest fragments in oil palm plantations are remnants of the original forest tract with various sizes and shapes after clearing forested lands for crops and roads. Fragmented forests usually created forest fringe or edge habitats that differ in light intensity, temperature, humidity, heavy rainfall, and strong winds from its core. The study was aimed to determine the structure and tree species composition of the forest fringe of a fragmented forest in an oil palm plantation Suai, Sarawak. This study established a total of 24 sampling plots within the forest fringe. Tree enumeration and species identification were conducted in all sampling plots to all trees with a diameter at breast height 5 cm and higher. A total of 59 families comprised of 274 species and 948 trees individuals were recorded. The aboveground biomass stand at 260 Mg ha?¹. Species Elateriospermum tapos was predominant, and family Dipterocarpaceace dominated the forest fringe. Based on the calculated indices, species diversity and richness were considered high, while the dispersion of individual trees was random but unevenly distributed. Natural regeneration in the forest fringe is sustainable. The forest structure and species composition are intact, and without significant disturbance, the whole forest fragment is self-sustain.

Knowledge and Perception of Malaysian Forest Fringe Population towards Zika Infection

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Zika infection as Public Health Emergency of International Concern in 2016. In this study, we aimed to assess the knowledge and risk perception towards Zika infection among the forest fringe population in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study of with 433 adult respondents in Malaysia completed the assisted-administered validated questionnaire on knowledge and perception to Zika infection. Bidirectional analysis on the person and item abilities were tested using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and Rasch. The knowledge and perception levels were tested against significant sociodemographic or socioeconomic variables using Pearson’s Chi Square; covariates were then adjusted at multivariate level using binary logistic regression. Both knowledge and perception domains were well-targeted. Complementing results from SPSS and Rasch showed poor knowledge and poor risk perception levels in slightly more than half of the respondents [knowledge score: 50.8% (SPSS), 55.4% (Rasch); perception score: (58.0% (SPSS), 58.2% (Rasch)]. With covariates adjusted, non-bumiputra (non-natives) of higher education level, higher household income and recent jungle visits showed good knowledge level. Adult, menopaused women from Perak state showed better risk perception level towards Zika. Majority of the forest fringe population in Malaysia have poor knowledge and risk perception towards the Zika infection. This questionnaire is a suitable tool to assess knowledge and perception towards Zika infection among the forest fringe populations in Southeast Asia.

Livelihood Diversification of Forest Dwellers – A Necessity or Choice?

The forest as an ecosystem plays a vital role in protecting the environment and meeting indispensable human needs. Restrictions on forestry activities for safeguarding the environment and seasonality in collection often count for vulnerable livelihood of the forest-fringe dwellers. This paper is an attempt to assess the existing opportunities for livelihood diversification of the forest dwellers residing at the Simlipal National Park region, India, through the Herfindahl–Hirschman Index; and to determine the key factors responsible for the scopes and realization of livelihood diversification through econometric modeling. The analysis is done across blocks with having different forest-zonal geographies and human characteristics to comprehend and ensure sustainable livelihood for a better future. JEL Classification: C80, Q23, Q56, C50, Q01, Q2

Poverty Assessment for Reorienting Poverty Alleviation Programmes in the Forest Fringe Area of Madhya Pradesh, India

The present study attempts to assess poverty using two commonly used indices namely Progress out of Poverty Index (PPI) and Progress out of Deprivation Index (PDI or DI) of 325 households, spread in twenty-nine villages of Hoshangabad and Mandla districts of Madhya Pradesh, India. The analysis of PPI and PDI scores showed that the poverty of a household/community decreases as their level of the economy, occupation and education improve, irrespective of their social class to which the household/community belongs. With this finding, it is recommended that prioritisation of the beneficiaries of programmes and policies related to poverty eradication in the forest fringe villages should not be based on caste or social class, but on household’s occupation, economy and education.

Assessment of dependency and consumption pattern of different forest products by the forest fringe villages of Shivalik Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Forest are essential for human beings for the enormous services it gives for livelihood and subsistence in the developing countries. We estimated the consumption and extraction levels of three major forest products viz., timber, fuelwood, and fodder in 20 forest fringe villages of the Timli forest range of Uttarakhand, India. We used a questionnaire-based household-level survey to collect information on the household economy and dependence of 380 households selected through stratified random sampling. We estimated that 69% of the overall yearly timber consumption of 20 villages, which comes around 2750 cubic meters (cum), was extracted from the nearby forest. The average timber consumption was 0.52 cum household-1 year-1. We estimated the total annual fuelwood and fodder consumption to be 298913.89, and 204475 Quintal (Qt). The average fuelwood and fodder consumption were estimated to be 417.6 Quintal household-1 year-1 and 49 Qt. household-1 year-1. We did general linear regression analysis to assess major biophysical and socio-economic determinants of villages and households for dependency on timber, fuelwood, and fodder. We found that the population of the village, distance from forest, distance from market, and annual average income are the major determining factors for timber, fodder, and fuelwood demand of the villages. Extraction of timber and non-timber forest products was the primary cause of depletion of forest biomass and forest carbon emission. Conservation effective management strategies in collaboration with all the stakeholder departments are needed to conserve forest resources with minimum extraction pressure from forest fringe villages of the study area.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Practices in Ghana’s Forest-Fringe Communities

Two-thirds of rural Ghanaians are farmers, and farming is almost the only income source for Ghana’s forest-fringe communities. Some farmers adopt some agricultural practices to augment their operations while others do not. We examined the factors that influence farmers’ adoption and intensity of adoption of agricultural practices, namely, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, improved seeds, animal manure, and crop rotation. We surveyed the agricultural systems and livelihoods of 291 smallholder households in forest-fringe communities and developed a multivariate model (canonical correlation analysis) to test the degree to which social, economic, and institutional factors correlate with adoption and intensity of adoption of the above practices. We found that 35.4% of the farmers do not adopt any of the practices because they perceive them to be expensive, not useful, and difficult to adopt. The rest (64.6%) adopt at least one of the practices to control weeds, pests and diseases, and consequently increase crop yields. Our results indicate that farmers that perceive the aforementioned practices to be more beneficial, cultivate multiple plots, and have access to extension services adopt more of the practices. Farmer age and distance to source of inputs negatively correlate with adoption and intensity of adoption of agricultural practices. Almost two-thirds each of adopters and non-adopters do not have access to agricultural extension services and this could pose threats to the sustainability of the forest reserves within and around which the farmers cultivate. Educating farmers on agricultural practices that are forest-friendly is critical in the forest-fringe communities of Ghana. The correct application of practices could double outputs and minimize threats to forests and biodiversity through land-sparing.