Effect of community participation in forest conservation in Ikom Agricultural Zone of Cross River State
The effect of community participation in forest conservation via participatory approach has recently become a global strategy to development. The general objective of the study was to assess the effects of community participation in forest conservation in Ikom Agricultural zone of Cross River State. The specific objectives include; to access the need for community participation in forest conservation, to ascertain the benefit of community participation in forest conservation and to identify the areas and levels of community participation in forest conservation Ikom agricultural zone comprises of Boki, Abi, Etung, Ikom, Obubra and Yakurr local government areas. Three Local Government Areas, Boki, Etung and Ikom, were specifically used for the study because they are the main forest areas in the zone. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data for the study, and it was validated b y research experts in the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, University of. Calabar, Calabar. The study respondents were selected using simple handling technique. Using the population frame of the various local government areas one hundred and one (101) respondents were selected from Boki local government area, eighty nine (89) from Etung local Government area and one hundred and ten (110) respondents from Ikom local
Government area. A reliability test was conducted using split-half technique while Pearson product moment correlation was used to correlate the data obtained and a coefficient of rxy=80 was obtained. Data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency tables, percentages and range. The result of the analysis showed that the local communities were in a better position to monitor the forest as they have better knowledge of indigenous methods of conservation of both plants and animal species in their forest. The result also showed a range of benefits derived from community participation which include; increase in food production, income generation and availability of raw materials. The study, therefore recommended that the government should design forest conservation programmes that are participatory, democratic and bottom-top, by integrating the local people in the planning, design and implementation of forest conservation activities.
Keywords: Community Participation and Forest Conservation