The illegal harvesting of wood resource is a major global problem, which affects the economy, local fauna, and most importantly our climate. In developing countries where poverty is rampant, this practice is even more present. Since they can’t afford to pay for legally harvested wood resources or don’t have a natural gas link in their homes, most residents take it to themselves to run amok forests. Also, whenever poverty and a disorganized system are involved, corruption is also omnipresent – which leads to the world’s forests being sold for personal gain.
Scientists from the Kenya’s University of Nairobi and Japan’s Yokohama National University and Yokohama City University now claim that by analyzing the ecological sleuthing left behind, they can assess “patterns and preferences” of the poachers, and thus aid the creation of better management policies that are helpful to both humans and wildlife.
Near the Ngong Road Forest Reserve in Nairobi, Kenya, approximately 80% of the 300,000 inhabitants are below the national poverty line. These residents often go forests in take whatever they want. Forest rangers constantly patrol this region, however it’s a common sight for them to spot fresh tree stomps. The scientists hypothesized that an analysis of these stumps could provide information about the poachers’ motives and could also help researchers predict the potential ecological outcomes of continued illegal harvesting.
By dividing a large area of the forest into grids, which were analyzed, the researchers were able to know what kind of trees poachers prefer, including their size, location, type and so on. The researchers point out that wood harvesting preferences can change quickly as a result of variations in resource availability and socioeconomic circumstances.
A solution to the problem, proposed by the forensic forest scientists is to engage the local communities from the slum, and install a responsibility and awareness problem. The second goal is to remove invasive lantana before it completely chases native vegetation out of the forest. Finally, the researchers emphasize the need to develop more sustainable techniques of harvesting fuel.
These solutions all look fine and dandy, however the main issue at hand is absolute poverty. How can you really blame or prosecute a person for taking wood, from the lands he grew up in, to keep his family warm and relatively civilized (i.e. fire). Forest poaching is an issue which will go on to persist for ever if action by the local government isn’t in place. Fix poverty, and the rest will soon be better too.
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