Quantifying the rate of subsistence wood harvesting from a tropical rainforest in Kenya

One of the major threats to tropical forests throughout the world is the frequency and intensity with which local people use forests for subsistence. Kakamega Forest in Kenya is one such forest, in which fuelwood harvest is a primary use. The Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service have tried to regulate subsistence harvesting in this forest. However, high human population density (c. 542 people per km²) and extreme poverty leave local people little choice but to use forest resources to survive. We investigated patterns of wood use by people across Kakamega Forest. Our results indicate that wood harvesters prefer indigenous as opposed to non-indigenous wood, as the former sells for a premium price. Harungana madagascariensis and Psidium guajava were the most harvested indigenous and non-indigenous woods, respectively. Our data suggest that because market economies seem to drive forest use, perhaps they can be used to incentivize forest conservation. Proper integration of economic forest conservation interventions, economic diversification, and effective forest management are needed to protect Kakamega Forest.