Local actors in the co-management of mole national park and the impacts associated with it

Effective management of the National Parks largely depends on a participatory approach. Hitherto, fringe communities of Mole National Park were sidelined in its management. In recent times, the participation of communities in the management of forest resources in the Mole National Park is encouraged. This study examines how actors such as chiefs, land priests, clan heads, diviners, women leaders and youth groups support conservation using resource and habitat taboos, totemic system, traditional fire belt, sacred tree species and traditional awareness creation as strategies and their impacts thereof. The study employed a concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach in data collection, analysis, and presentation. Besides questionnaire administration as a quantitative method of data collection, the study made use of Key Informant Interviews, and Focus Group Discussions as qualitative methods of data collection. Apart from the use of descriptive statistics as a component of SPSS for the analysis of quantitative data, content analysis was used for the analysis of qualitative data. The study revealed that the fringe communities endorse the chiefs and the land priests (kasawule wura) as most effective actors in the management of forest flora and fauna and the totemic system as the most effective management strategy. The study concluded that, there exists local management actors, and strategies in resource management, and fringe communities and the park are impacted positively because of community participation in park management. It is recommended that, benefit-sharing schemes should be considered and developed by park management and fringe communities since this can engender commitment to participation.

Socioeconomic Impact of Mining in the Atiwa Forest Reserve of Ghana on Fringe Communities and the Achievement of SDGs: Analysis from the Residents’ Perspective

The Atiwa forest reserve of Ghana sits upon roughly 150 million tons of bauxite. The Government has decided to mine and use the proceeds for national infrastructure development programs. This article examines the impact of mining on the residents’ livelihoods and the achievement of the SDGs from the perspective of the residents. A questionnaire was administered to 197 respondents. Per the findings, the residents around the forest reserve do not consent to the proposed mining project. Although they give credit to its possible job creation opportunities, the irreplaceable nature of the forest reserve urges them not to consent to the initiative. They depend on the rivers and streams for their livelihoods, and the affected districts are also among Ghana’s major cocoa producers. These farmers depend on these water bodies for irrigation. It is necessary to preserve them in order to sustain the production of these cash crops that make a direct contribution to the country’s GDP.

Evaluating The Contribution of Wetlands To Food Security And Livelihoods Improvement In The Savelugu Municipality, Ghana

The study was conducted on three wetlands and four fringe communities in the Savelugu Municipality in Ghana's Northern Region. The study evaluated the importance of wetlands to food security and livelihoods in the Savelugu Municipality using primary and secondary data sources. The contingent valuation method was used to determine respondents' value of wetlands, whereas Kendall's Coefficient was used to identify the factors influencing the reliance or utilisation of wetlands. The study results showed that wetlands were critical resources in study communities and contributed to people livelihoods and food security and determining the kinds of livelihoods that existed in these communities. Furthermore, the study established that despite the potential contributions of these ecosystems to the people's overall development, the wetlands are yet to be accorded the needed recognition as valuable resources by policymakers at the community and district levels. The disregard of wetland ecosystems by authorities, and as a consequence, the lack of attention/clear-cut regulations on their use, lead to overexploitation and degradation. It was observed in especially the Bunglung and Nabogu wetlands that siltation was having a toll on their capacity and would take only higher authorities to dredge considering the cost involved. Key among the factors influencing wetland dependence and utilisation were climate change, soil fertility of wetlands and household income levels. Inhabitants' activities such as obsolete fishing tools and farming practices, channelisation and indiscriminate waste disposal were identified to be detrimental to the wetlands' sustainability.

Monitoring of Field Patrolling Efforts, Vietnam: Insights from a Forest Station in Pu Hu Nature Reserve

In the various protected areas such as nature reserves and national parks in Vietnam, ranger patrols are crucial for protecting forest resources against the increasing threats from fringe communities. Previous studies have investigated ranger patrol efforts (RPEs) in conservation areas using conventional measures in terms of illegal activities encountered, but there has been little research into indices related to RPEs in the field, both worldwide and particularly in Vietnam. This paper explores various indices of RPEs and other aspects of forest patrolling at a local level. The number of rangers and patrol-days strongly influences the distance walked and the number of patrol-hours. However, neither the rainy season nor the Lunar New Year festival had any significant effect on patrol efforts, nor was there any effect on the relative altitude covered or the speed of patrolling during the long Lunar New Year vacation. Management responsible for protecting forest areas needs to consider the full scope of rangers’ efforts and identify the qualities of motivated staff. Our findings suggested ways in which rangers’ capacity to promote conservation may be assessed in the future.

Localities and sites of the neglected umbellifer Physospermum verticillatum (Apiaceae) on Mt. Slavnik in southwestern Slovenia / Nahajališča in rastišča prezrte kobulnice Physospermum verticillatum (Apiaceae) na Slavniku v jugozahodni Sloveniji

On the shady (northern) slopes of Mt. Slavnik (Slavnik mountains, Čičarija, SW Slovenia) we identified Physospermum verticillatum (Apiaceae), a species whose northernmost known sites in its entire distribution area had until then been in the Croatian part of Čičarija near the border with Slovenia (Žbevnica near Dane). It occurs mainly in beech stands from the association Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum, frequently in smaller gaps, on forest edges and road banks, where it occurs in fringe communities (Calamintho grandiflorae-Physospermetum verticillatinom. prov.), at elevations spanning 800 m to 1000 m. The plants are vital, most of them develop flowers and fruit. Although it is justified to assume that it may occur elsewhere in the Slovenian part of Čičarija, we propose it be classified in the Red List as rare. Key words: flora, Physospermum verticillatum, vegetation, Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum, Čičarija, Istria, Slovenia Izvleček Na osojnih (severnih) pobočjih Slavnika (Slavniško hribovje, Čičarija, jugozahodna Slovenija) smo našli vrsto Physospermum verticillatum(Apiaceae), ki je do zdaj imela najbolj severna znana nahajališča v svojem celotnem arealu v hrvaškem delu Čičarije blizu meje s Slovenijo (Žbevnica pri Danah). Raste predvsem v bukovih sestojih iz asociacije Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum, pogosto v manjših vrzelih, tudi na gozdnem robu in cestni brežini, tam v robnih združbah (Calamintho grandiflorae-Physospermetum verticillatinom. prov.), na nadmorski višini od 800 m do 1000 m. Rastline so vitalne, večinoma cvetijo in plodijo. Kljub temu in upravičeni domnevi, da v slovenskem delu Čičarije lahko raste tudi drugod, jo predlagamo kot redko za uvrstitev na rdeči seznam. Ključne besede: flora, Physospermum verticillatum, vegetacija, Seslerio autumnalis-Fagetum, Čičarija, Istra, Slovenija

Diversity, Utilization and Dependency on NTFPs – A case study of a National Park in Indian sub-Himalayan Region

Background: Non timber forest products (NTFPs) greatly contribute to livelihood, development, and poverty alleviation of indigenous and rural communities across the tropics. We also assumed that the fringe communities inhabiting Jaldapara National Park (JNP) of Indian eastern sub-Himalayan region largely rely on the NTFPs for their livelihood due to its remote and isolated location with no physical infrastructure and facilities. Methodology: Multistage sampling technique was used for the study. The sample size was 205 households selected randomly from a sample frame of 10 villages. Descriptive statistics was employed to analyze and summarize the data. Results: A total of 146 NTFP species was documented. The communities in our study area also relied on their NTFP collection/harvest for food, medicine, firewood, animal fodder, and other socio-cultural items for household use and cash income. Income from NTFPs contributed on an average 45 % of the total annual household income of the sampled households.Conclusion: NTFPs provided a natural insurance to households especially during the periods of scarcity. Focused interventions with technical and financial support are recommended to uplift the livelihood of the forest fringe indigenous communities in JNP.

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.