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Assessment of Local Forest Conservation Practices: The Case of Arudtse Forest, Ayehu Guagusa Woreda, Awi Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Arega Kebede,Lamenew Fenta

Published 2025 in International Journal of Forestry Research

ABSTRACT

Despite their numerous benefits, forests are currently under threat due to the rising of human population. This study assesses conservation practices in the Arudtse forest, Ayehu Guagusa Woreda, northwestern Ethiopia, focusing on household participation in forest management. A cross‐sectional research design with a mixed‐methods approach was utilized, employing purposive and simple random sampling to select the study site and 237 households, respectively. Data were gathered through household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, including binary logistic regression. Descriptive results revealed that 193 of 237 households (81.4%) participated in forest conservation, with 36.8% of participants being literate compared to 63.2% illiterate. Among nonparticipants, 40.9% were male‐headed and 59.1% female‐headed households. Inferential analysis showed a significant association between participation and conservation ( χ 2  = 93.67, p ≤ 0.001). Binary logistic regression identified the key determinants: male‐headed households ( B  = 2.795, p ≤ 0.007, Exp (B) = 2.214), older household heads ( B  = 2.191, p ≤ 0.000, Exp (B) = 8.949), and extension services ( B  = 2.819, p ≤ 0.0001, Exp (B) = 16.766) significantly increased participation likelihood. Livestock ownership ( B  = 0.328, p ≤ 0.026, Exp (B) = 1.389) had a positive effect, while larger farmland size ( B  = −0.361, p ≤ 0.017) decreased participation. Literacy, household size, income, and distance to the forest were not significant. Community perceptions underscored forests’ ecological (68% agreement) and cultural (49.5% strong agreement) roles. These findings emphasize gender, age, extension services, and resource ownership as critical for enhancing sustainable forest management.

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