Farming Practices and Sustainability of Forest Ecosystems in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria
Main Article Content
Abstract
Agricultural Expansion Remains One Of The Most Significant Drivers Of Forest Ecosystem Degradation In Sub-Saharan Africa. This Study Examined The Relationship Between Farming Practices And Forest Ecosystem Sustainability In Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. Specifically, The Study Investigated The Predictive Influence Of Agroforestry Practices And Deforestation/Slash-And-Burn Agriculture On Forest Sustainability. A Survey Design Was Adopted, And Data Were Collected From 309 Farmers Using A Validated Questionnaire (Test–Retest Reliability = .89). Simple Linear Regression Analysis Was Conducted At The .05 Significance Level. Results Indicated That Agroforestry Significantly Predicted Forest Ecosystem Sustainability, R = .704, R² = .495, F(1, 307) = 805.80, P < .001, Explaining 49.4% Of The Variance. Conversely, Deforestation/Slash-And-Burn Practices Significantly Predicted Reduced Forest Sustainability, R = .796, R² = .634, F(1, 307) = 1424.02, P < .001, Accounting For 63.4% Of The Variance. Findings Suggest That While Agroforestry Enhances Ecological Stability, Slash-And-Burn Practices Substantially Undermine Forest Resilience. The Study Recommends Scaling Up Agroforestry Extension Services And Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks To Discourage Destructive Land-Use Practices. The Findings Contribute To Sustainable Land Management Discourse In Tropical Forest Ecosystems.
Downloads
Article Details
Section
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
All articles published in TJESDS are under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows others to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially
Under the following terms:
Attribution — Proper credit must be given to the original author(s) and source, including a link to the license.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
For more information, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
How to Cite
References
Aronsson, H., Hansen, E. M., Thomsen, I. K., Øgaard, A. F., Känkänen, H., & Ulén, B. (2016). The role of cover crops in mitigating agricultural nitrogen losses. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 71(2), 41A–45A.
De Koning, F., Aguinaga, M., Bravo, M., Chiu, M., Lascano, M., Lozada, T., & Suárez, L. (2011). Bridging the gap between forest conservation and poverty alleviation: The Ecuadorian Socio Bosque program. Environmental Science & Policy, 14(5), 531–542.
Ellis, E. A. (2008). Land-use and land-cover change in Mexico. Geography Compass, 2(5), 1559–1583.
Evans, J. (1992). Plantation forestry in the tropics. Oxford University Press.
Giardina, C. P., Sanford, R. L., & Dockersmith, I. C. (2000). Changes in soil phosphorus and nitrogen during slash-and-burn clearing of a dry tropical forest. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 64(1), 399–405.
Hagen, D., Svavarsdóttir, K., Nilsson, C., Tolvanen, A., Raulund-Rasmussen, K., & Aradóttir, Á. L. (2013). Ecological restoration: From theory to practice. Restoration Ecology, 21(3), 293–300.
Hands, M. (2021). The search for a sustainable alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture in the world’s rain forests: The Guama Model. Royal Society Open Science, 8, 201245.
Kuntashula, E., Van der Horst, D., & Vermeylen, S. (2014). Integrating agroforestry into conservation farming in Zambia. Agroforestry Systems, 88(2), 239–252.
Ladipo, D. O. (2010). The state of Nigeria’s forests. Nigerian Journal of Forestry, 40(1), 1–10.
Laurance, W. F., Alonso, A., Lee, M., & Campbell, P. (2006). Challenges for forest conservation in Gabon, Central Africa. Futures, 38(4), 454–470.
Liu, J., Bergkvist, G., & Ulén, B. (2015). Biomass production and nitrogen leaching under different cover crop systems. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 102(1), 57–68.
Meyfroidt, P., Rudel, T. K., & Lambin, E. F. (2010). Forest transitions, trade, and global displacement of land use. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107(49), 20917–20922.
Miluka, J., Carletto, C., Davis, B., & Zezza, A. (2010). The vanishing farms? The impact of international migration on Albanian family farming. Journal of Development Studies, 46(1), 140–161.
Okese, J. (2021). Slash and burn: The negative effects on agriculture and the environment. Journal of Environmental Management and Sustainability, 10(2), 45–58.
Owunubi, J. J., & Otegbeye, G. O. (2002). Agroforestry practices and soil conservation in Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Forestry, 32(2), 23–31.
Sobola, O. S., Anadi, C. C., & Jamala, G. Y. (2015). The role of agroforestry in environmental sustainability. Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, 7(2), 12–19.