Assessment of Key Drivers of Deforestation and Local Community's Perception on Impacts of Deforestation in The Case of Shabe Sombo District, Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia

Abstract

Deforestation is defined as a direct, human-induced conversion of forested land to non-forested land. There are several reasons why deforestation occurs: trees or derived charcoal can be sold as commodity and used by humans, while cleared land is used as pasture, farming, plantations of commodities and human settlement. Despite forest degradation could have an impact on populations‟ livelihoods and income generation activities through the reduction and loss of direct economic services