Wood biomass felling for fuel negatively impacted on the structuring and functioning of ecosystem worldwide. Consequently, increasing soil erosion, reduction in soil moisture, content, fertility, and decline vegetation cover. The study area comprised four districts: Leme, Rimi, Jama’a and Tilden Fulani in Toro LGA, Bauchi State, purposively chosen because of their high fuel wood activity. Charcoal producers were sampled, using stratified sampling methods while traditional leadership and the department of Forestry officials were purposefully sampled for their involvement in fuelwood and forest management of the area. Fifty (50) fuel wood and charcoal producers were chosen per district. A total of two hundred (200) sampled respondents and four each of the traditional leaders and forestry officials in the four districts were investigated. Apparent collapse of traditional governance system correlated with fuelwood exploitation (especially for charcoal production) and remained a threat to sustainability of forest and forest products management. Poverty was the main driver to resource destruction, as only 34% were employed.67%, 71% and 59% indicated impact on environment, temperature, and erosion due to charcoal production.Charcoal producers obtained the trees and logs for charcoal production from the natural forest and 88% of them use life trees, cutting above 40cm above the ground level. This method of harvesting from the forest inhibits replenishment commensurate with the rate of extraction. The study showed that poverty, unemployment, ignorance and lack of education have great and direct negative impact on the environment as global warming, ozone layer depletion and climate change are evident.
In order to survive and thrive in their pathways out of poverty, rural households may engage in a livelihood strategy such as daily dependent on forest products resources that could have an implication on the environment. This study focused on a case study of rural households’ daily dependent on forest products, their pathways out of poverty and its implication on the environment in the Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria using a total of 200 questionnaires distributed in four wards of the study area. Data obtained show that the most exploited tree was Parkia biglobosa (64%) and this was due to its abundance in the study are. The study revealed gross unsustainable use of forest and forest products due to poverty, unemployment (34%), illiteracy (76.5%), house hold size (3.5-61.5%), poor income and high demand for forest and forest products for sale to increase income and improve family standard of living. Poor management of this challenge would create problems for the future generations and the goal of environmental sustainability would be far from reality. Government should set up strong regulatory frame work for the use of the forest resources, while checking indiscriminate felling of trees.
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