Appraisal of Forest Restoration Activities in Wasagu Forest Reserve Kebbi State

Abstract

This study assesses the deforestation and restoration activities in Wasagu forest reserve, Kebbi State Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select five (5) districts for the study and in each district four (4) villages were selected. Convenience sampling was used to select ten (10) respondents from each village, thus giving a sample size of two hundred (200) respondents. The results showed the distribution of respondents based on their socioeconomic characteristics which were dominated by males with 74.5% aged 31 – 40 having the highest value of 31.0%, followed by 41 – 50 which had 29.0% who are within productive ages, Married respondents dominated with the value of 85.0%, educational level showed that Arabic/Islamic school had 32.0% which lack literacy or formal education, farmers dominated with the value of 74.0% in terms of occupation in the study area. The result also indicated that ideas of planting trees in the study area were ere dominated by communal-initiative with 63.0%, Self-initiative had the value of 12.0% with seedlings sourced majorly by purchasing from the market. 88.0% for fruits and feed 70.0% and 1 – 3 trees were planted by individuals with the value of 64.5% as observed in the study area. Major forest restorative activities were for environmental protection with a value of 50.5% and agencies responsible for forest restorative activities were the Community with 70.5%. Also relationship between age and restoration activities was found to be weak positive and statistically significant (r = 0.195, p < 0.006). It is therefore recommended that re-introduction of tree planting programs annually and forest nurseries should be established in the study area to enable them to raise seedlings for planting, and continued reforestation and restoration of the forest trees in the study.

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