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In most developing countries, there has been a long-standing conflict of interest between using land for agriculture and the conservation of biodiversity. This paper reports on a study of factors influencing farmers’ decisions to integrate trees into their agricultural practice. We also discuss the possibility of protecting and managing planted and naturally regenerating trees on farmland in order to restore degraded land and improve biodiversity. Data were collected from interviews with farmers in the Center-West region of Burkina Faso and analyzed using Principal Component Analysis, multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression. The results show that farmers’ decisions to incorporate trees into their farmland were mainly influenced by silvicultural knowledge and skills, participation in farmers’ groups or other social organizations with an interest in tree conservation, the social value of biodiversity in the rural landscape, and the perceived economic benefits of trees on farmland. The most important factors associated with variation in levels of motivation to conserve trees on farms included household wealth, gender, age, education level, marital status, residence status, farmland size, household size and technical support. We conclude that an agroforestry project will be more successful if the local biophysical conditions and diversity of smallholder socio-economic characteristics and their perceptions, needs and preferences are considered in its design. There is also an immediate need for coordinated development of information and training to raise local community awareness of the potential of agroforestry as well as to disseminate information about adding value to tree products in order to encourage farmers to protect on-farm trees.

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Most ecosystem services that are not traded on markets contribute to human welfare; however, these services are often undervalued due to the fact that their economic value is not well known. Accounting for the value of these services can help in making decisions that enable efficient use of environmental resources. This paper reports on a study of recreational trips to nature areas, the economic value of recreation in nature and factors influencing such trips. It also aimed to explore the possibilities of designing a nature-based recreation management strategy that could meet societal preferences and demands for recreation amenities. Data were obtained from a survey that involved Swedish residents who were randomly selected from a national register and were analysed using a negative binomial regression model. The results showed that the average frequency of trips to nature areas was 80 trips annually and the average travel cost for a trip to these areas was 117 SEK (16 USD). Forest-dominated areas were the most frequently visited and mountainous areas the least. Trips to mountain-dominated areas had the highest travel cost, followed by water-dominated areas, with forest areas the lowest. The consumer surplus for a trip to a nature area was 526 SEK (72 USD). The frequency of trips to nature areas was influenced by factors such as travel cost, type of nature area, travel time to and time spent at the nature area, recreational activity, income and dwelling place. If the aim of the Swedish policy on outdoor recreation (i.e. Right to Public Access) is to increase the frequency of trips to nature areas, facilities that could help reduce travel costs to these areas should be provided. Nature areas should be managed towards meeting societal preferences and demands for recreation. The findings could assist ecosystem managers in land use planning processes and in designing a sustainable nature-based recreation strategy.

In most developing countries policies and frameworks that govern solid waste management strategies have often been directed at the waste management service providers and less attention is often given to the demand side of the problem. This paper reports a study regarding householders' willingness to pay for improved residential solid waste management. The data for the study originated from a contingent valuation survey that was conducted in 236 households in Ilorin city in Kwara State, Nigeria. A binary logit model was used to account for some factors influencing the respondents' willingness to pay. The results show that more than 80 % of the respondents were in support of the residential waste management. The respondents were willing to pay an average of 3,660 Nigerian Naira (US $24) each year. Income, education, dwelling type and whether the respondent is satisfied with private sector participation in provision of waste management service positively influenced the respondents' willingness to pay. The price, gender, household size and activities of sanitary inspectors had negative influence. The findings from this study could contribute to the knowledge regarding the design of a more sustainable residential waste management strategy in Nigeria and other countries that have similar conditions.