Assessing Effectiveness of Forest Management Approaches on Livelihoods and Woody Species Diversity around Sheka Forest; Masha District, Southwest Ethiopia.

Abstract

The forests located in southwest Ethiopia have been under traditional and participatory forest management approach at different periods. Still there is an effort to look for effective forest management approach that helps to maintain the remaining natural forest of southwest Ethiopia. Biosphere reserve forest management is the other approach that has been recently introduced in the area. The main objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of PFM and Biosphere reserve forest management approaches in relation to traditional approach in addressing the local community’s livelihoods and conserving tree diversity of Sheka forest. Socioeconomic and vegetation data were collected through household survey, focus group discussion and forest inventory. Total of 100samples for household survey and 67 plots for forest were inventoried. The result shows that forest as a source of livelihood contribution is higher in traditional approach and lower in biosphere reserve (particularly at buffer and core area) and PFM was perceived to be moderate contribution. Twelve percent respondents perceived use right as being extremely restricted, 53% moderately restricted and 35% no restriction toward PFM forestry approach. Majority of the respondents (58%) perceived the absence of restriction on use right and 35% perceived to be medium restriction whereas few of the respondents (7%) perceived to be extremely restricted in traditional approach. In biosphere larger proportion of respondents (73%) reacted to be use right extremely restricted. The forest vegetation assessment revealed a total of 38 woody species, representing 23 families were identified in three of forest management blocks. Of the total woody species recorded, 36, 35 and 33 species were found in biosphere reserve, PFM and traditional forest site respectively. The density of woody species were 344 trees/ha, 352 trees/ha, 398 trees/ha were encountered at PFM, traditional and biosphere reserve respectively. For sapling 5781,5100 and 8666 individuals per hectare were encountered at PFM, traditional and biosphere reserve forest blocks respectively, whereas 10555, 8937 and 14708 seedling population were counted per hectare at PFM, traditional and biosphere respectively. The Shannon (H) of each forest blocks vegetation was 3.55 in PFM, 3.49 in traditional and 3.58 in biosphere. The study concluded traditional forest management has active role in contributing the livelihood with doubt in biodiversity conservation, PFM also provide livelihood contribution without the early improvement, but discourage forest destruction. Biosphere reserve confirmed biodiversity conservation with less contribution for livelihood. Recommendations, that various strategies must be combined including the use of local knowledge and institutions in the conservation of forest.