University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
Abstract: (182 Views)
Extended Abstract
Introduction and Objective: Forests are one of the renewable natural resources and national capitals of every country that provide a wide range of goods and services. Considering that the lives of local communities and their livelihood are directly and indirectly dependent on forest ecosystems, management and protection of these natural habitats is an important issue for planners and decision-makers. Today, these valuable resources are threatened by numerous human and natural factors, so in recent years, with the development of technology, industry, and also the significant growth of the population, the exploitation and destruction of these natural areas to provide raw materials, space and food are increasing day by day and it has left irreparable damages. Accordingly, the present study was carried out to identify the type of use and the degree of dependence of local communities on the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm, as well as analyze the relationship between the livelihood dependence of local communities and the extent of exploitation of these forests. Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests are considered as reserves, shelters, feeding and nursing places for many plants and animals, and also these natural habitats are the main source of providing ecosystem services for local communities and residents of the edges of these forests. In this way, the ecosystem services of mangrove forests in the studied area are an important tool to show issues such as livelihood dependence of communities living on the edge of the habitats, the importance of food security, income, health, and sustainable development of human activities. In this regard, the present study complements other studies in terms of the importance of the exploitation of natural mangrove habitats and the use of each of these services in the lives of local communities and residents of the edges of forests, especially in the areas that are closer to the villages, they are not in good quality and need more protection.
Material and Methods: The current research is of descriptive and analytical type and data and information collection was done through questions and interviews with local communities. The statistical population of the research includes local communities, and the sample size calculated in the studied area was 380 people, which was sampled by cluster method and considering the population of each village. The validity of the research to measure the appropriateness of the questionnaires prepared by structural and formal methods was determined through the opinion of experts and specialists, and its reliability was also measured using Cronbach's alpha in SPSS software. The result is equal to α = 0.9 and it is statistically confirmed and acceptable.
Results: According to the obtained results, the most use of Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests is related to food consumption, including harvesting wild honey, catching aquatic and edible invertebrates (for home use, restaurants, and selling in the market), hunting birds, and Harvesting fodder is for feeding livestock (camel). On the other hand, the lowest amount of consumption is related to harvesting wood from mangrove forests for the construction of pavilions and residential houses. According to the obtained averages, the highest priority in the use of Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests is assigned to food consumption, and after that, in order from the highest to the lowest priority, tourism, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals, fuel consumption, and construction are mentioned. In other words, in this region, food consumption, especially fishing, and aquaculture, is the first priority, and other activities such as tourism, due to the limited time suitable for tourists to be in the region, making handicrafts, pharmaceutical consumption, fuel consumption, and construction. Due to the low market demand and necessary facilities, it has a lower efficiency and priority. In addition, the employment of the residents of the area shows the level of livelihood dependence of the local communities on the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm, who exploit these natural habitats for their livelihood and daily needs. In general, the income of most local communities is provided by fishing, although they also engage in other activities such as boating, tourism, boat building, and creating ecotourism lodges and beach restaurants. The results of the analysis of the relationship between subsistence dependence and the amount of exploitation of these forests indicate the existence of a significant and direct relationship between these two factors. This means that with the increase in demand and livelihood needs of local communities, the amount of exploitation of these forest habitats will also increase. Mangrove forests as one of the most important natural resources have a direct relationship and an undeniable place in providing livelihood, welfare and comfort to human societies. On the other hand, these forests should always be given the attention of planners and decision-makers due to their essential role in strengthening the livelihood and development of human societies.
Conclusion: Considering the protection status and biological sensitivities of the studied area, the continuation of this type of exploitation causes a lot of damage to the forests of the area and endangers their survival for future generations, therefore, management policies and arrangements should be considered to reduce the exploitation of mangrove forests by local communities and to protect and sustain these natural habitats. In addition to this training, informing and empowering local communities in the development of local businesses and increasing their income can help reduce people's livelihood dependence on forests.
Introduction and Objective: Forests are one of the renewable natural resources and national capitals of every country that provide a wide range of goods and services. Considering that the lives of local communities and their livelihood are directly and indirectly dependent on forest ecosystems, management and protection of these natural habitats is an important issue for planners and decision-makers. Today, these valuable resources are threatened by numerous human and natural factors, so in recent years, with the development of technology, industry, and also the significant growth of the population, the exploitation and destruction of these natural areas to provide raw materials, space and food are increasing day by day and it has left irreparable damages. Accordingly, the present study was carried out to identify the type of use and the degree of dependence of local communities on the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm, as well as analyze the relationship between the livelihood dependence of local communities and the extent of exploitation of these forests. Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests are considered as reserves, shelters, feeding and nursing places for many plants and animals, and also these natural habitats are the main source of providing ecosystem services for local communities and residents of the edges of these forests. In this way, the ecosystem services of mangrove forests in the studied area are an important tool to show issues such as livelihood dependence of communities living on the edge of the habitats, the importance of food security, income, health, and sustainable development of human activities. In this regard, the present study complements other studies in terms of the importance of the exploitation of natural mangrove habitats and the use of each of these services in the lives of local communities and residents of the edges of forests, especially in the areas that are closer to the villages, they are not in good quality and need more protection.
Material and Methods: The current research is of descriptive and analytical type and data and information collection was done through questions and interviews with local communities. The statistical population of the research includes local communities, and the sample size calculated in the studied area was 380 people, which was sampled by cluster method and considering the population of each village. The validity of the research to measure the appropriateness of the questionnaires prepared by structural and formal methods was determined through the opinion of experts and specialists, and its reliability was also measured using Cronbach's alpha in SPSS software. The result is equal to α = 0.9 and it is statistically confirmed and acceptable.
Results: According to the obtained results, the most use of Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests is related to food consumption, including harvesting wild honey, catching aquatic and edible invertebrates (for home use, restaurants, and selling in the market), hunting birds, and Harvesting fodder is for feeding livestock (camel). On the other hand, the lowest amount of consumption is related to harvesting wood from mangrove forests for the construction of pavilions and residential houses. According to the obtained averages, the highest priority in the use of Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests is assigned to food consumption, and after that, in order from the highest to the lowest priority, tourism, handicrafts, pharmaceuticals, fuel consumption, and construction are mentioned. In other words, in this region, food consumption, especially fishing, and aquaculture, is the first priority, and other activities such as tourism, due to the limited time suitable for tourists to be in the region, making handicrafts, pharmaceutical consumption, fuel consumption, and construction. Due to the low market demand and necessary facilities, it has a lower efficiency and priority. In addition, the employment of the residents of the area shows the level of livelihood dependence of the local communities on the mangrove forests of Khamir-Qeshm, who exploit these natural habitats for their livelihood and daily needs. In general, the income of most local communities is provided by fishing, although they also engage in other activities such as boating, tourism, boat building, and creating ecotourism lodges and beach restaurants. The results of the analysis of the relationship between subsistence dependence and the amount of exploitation of these forests indicate the existence of a significant and direct relationship between these two factors. This means that with the increase in demand and livelihood needs of local communities, the amount of exploitation of these forest habitats will also increase. Mangrove forests as one of the most important natural resources have a direct relationship and an undeniable place in providing livelihood, welfare and comfort to human societies. On the other hand, these forests should always be given the attention of planners and decision-makers due to their essential role in strengthening the livelihood and development of human societies.
Conclusion: Considering the protection status and biological sensitivities of the studied area, the continuation of this type of exploitation causes a lot of damage to the forests of the area and endangers their survival for future generations, therefore, management policies and arrangements should be considered to reduce the exploitation of mangrove forests by local communities and to protect and sustain these natural habitats. In addition to this training, informing and empowering local communities in the development of local businesses and increasing their income can help reduce people's livelihood dependence on forests.
Keywords: Livelihood dependency, Local communities, Consumption prioritization, Khamir-Qeshm mangrove forests.
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
