Community Strategies for the Conservation and Preservation of Forest Resources in Nsukka Agricultural Zone of Nigeria

The study identified the community strategies for conservation and preservation of forest resources in Nsukka agricultural zone of Nigeria. Nsukka agricultural zone is one of the three agricultural zones in Enugu state and is made up of six Local Government Areas (LGAs). A purposive sampling technique was used to select 48 respondents from two LGAs Nsukka and Uzo-Uwani based on their involvement in community forestry management and the existence of abundant forest reserves and resources in the area. A semi structured questionnaire and focus group discussions were used to obtain information from the respondents. Descriptive statistics were employed in data analysis. Results showed that government forest reserves (52%) and communal forest reserves (41.1%) dominated the forest reserves in the area. The study also identified four major categories of forest resources available in the area. These included; timber products, non-timber products of plant origin, non-timber products of animal origin and recreation. The most effective community strategies adopted in the conservation and preservation of forest resources in the area were; restricting the harvest of forest resources by trespassers, prohibition of setting forests on fire, restricting farming in forest area and seizure of products from offenders. The study recommended adequate awareness campaigns by the state forestry commission in communities where forest resources exist in order to educate the people on innovative and sustainable forestry management measures.