Abstract:
Forests are resources which are utilized by almost all living things for their existence. Human beings are the main beneficiaries as well as destructors of forests. A human intervention that comes up on forests directly or indirectly as a human driver results in deforestation and forest degradation. The aim of this study was to access the human drivers of deforestation and forest degradation with their effect levels on Gale Natural Forest in Kucha Woreda, Gamo Gofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia. This was because the area has been challenged by different types of human driving factors. Its exposure to these factors was due to the intervention from the near surrounding two kebeles (Gale and Wuzate) and the woreda capital town. One hundred twenty seven households and two office workers from the woreda agricultural office were involved as respondents of the questionnaire items in the study. They were selected systematically using Cochran formula (1977). Each individual was taken into the sample size by systematic random selection. In addition, fourteen participants in FGD and ten interviewees were selected purposively and involved as informants o f the area. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were employed. The qualitative approach was conducted via interviews and field observation. The quantitative approach was applied to quantify numerical data. The survey was conducted in the field where the factors have been distressing the forest. The result showed the major human-induced factors that have been distressing the forest. These included fuelwood collection, livestock grazing, construction material extraction, timber collection, agricultural encroachment, charcoal production and human settlement. However, the leading disturbing factors of the forest were mainly confined to fuelwood collection followed by livestock grazing. As it was determined by field survey, totally about 1,988m3 in volume and 110,403.2kg biomass were estimated as sample average loss per year due to fuelwood collection. The survey was conducted in the field by using meter strip and weight balance to measure the loss in volume and mass respectively. As a result, some climatic changes have been perceived by community members as consequences. And this might be followed by biodiversity loss. Worsening of the factors in the area was aggravated by inadequate conservation and management efforts of the stakeholders. As a result, more efforts are expected from the community to develop the habit of annual plantations and from the local government to train the society how to manage forests as well as to coordinate concerned NGOs with the community members to conserve and mange the forest.
