Livelihood Dependence and Forest Reserve Management in Ijaiye Forest Reserve, Oyo State, Nigeria

Forests are land areas above 0.5ha with a complex ecosystem consisting of a variety of plants, wild animals and microbes which interact with non-living abiotic factors FAO(2007). Forests are vital for rural livelihoods, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, energy supply, soil, water and wildlife protection Ajake and Anyadike (2012).They contribute significantly to the overall global energy supply particularly in rural areas; provide building materials and paper products; non-timber forest products including food, fodder and medicines, as well as cultural, spiritual and recreational values to Abstract: Rural households living in the fringe villages of forest reserves depend primarily on agriculture and forest gatherings. High rate of dependency results from their efforts to secure and sustain livelihood. Consequently the forest reserve resource is faced with a decline in quality and quantity. However, due to excessive use, it will be difficult to expect that these resources will be available in the nearest future. In order to address this menace, this paper examines the effect of livelihood activities on sustainable management of Ijaiye Forest Reserve in Oyo state. It specifically evaluated land use/land cover changes in the reserve between 1984 and 2016, identified livelihoods tied to the resources in the Reserve, determined the factors affecting exploitation of forest resources in the Reserve, and assessed the sustainability of the forest resources management in the Reserve. Remote sensing techniques were used in evaluating land use/land cover change pattern in the study area over 32 years, employing LANDSAT satellite imageries of 1984 (TM), 2000 (ETM+) and 2016 (OLI). Supervised classification was done to unveil the land use/land cover characteristics. Crosssectional data were obtained from a sample of 321 household heads. In addition, In-depth Interviews and Key Informant Interviews were conducted for the Zonal Officer and other forest reserve officials. The data obtained were analysed using GIS tools, Descriptive statistics, Probit Regression model and Criteria and Indicator method of measuring sustainability. The results showed that there have been significant changes in land use which in every sense indicate resource degradation, over the study period. For example, fallow land, farmland and bare surfaces increased by more than 50% while „thick forest cover” decreased in comparable magnitude over the period. The result also showed that farming (89.1%), non-timber resources gathering (34.6%) and fuelwood collection (33.3%) were the major livelihood activities of the people living in the area. Results showed that gender (p>0.05), marital status (p>0.01), primary occupation (p>0.01), and frequency visit of the reserve (p>0.01) increased the probability of exploiting forest resources while age (p>0.10), educational status (p>0.01), and distance of respondents‟ houses from the reserve (p>0.10) decreased the probability of exploiting forest resources. High rate of vegetation loss and conversion, lack of management plan and inventory, paucity of funds for effective management, among others implied that the management of the Forest Reserve did not meet the criteria for sustainable forest reserve management. Coordinated actions involving for example, encouragement of the use of improved farming techniques, use efficient cooking appliances, enhancement of non-forest based activities in the area together with the development of a welltargeted and implementable forest reserve management plan are crucial to attaining sustainable forest management in the reserve. In this light, it is recommended that forest community members especially the young and active should be involved in the management of the forest reserve. Environmental education campaign should be undertaken involving the local communities. Funds, training and operational facilities should be made available for Forestry department and staff to foster effective management of the forest reserve.