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UNIVERSITY COPENHAGEN. Forest dependency in lowland Bolivia. Patricia Uberhuaga, Carsten Smith Olsen & Finn Helles Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen. Objectives.
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UNIVERSITY COPENHAGEN Forest dependency in lowland Bolivia Patricia Uberhuaga, Carsten Smith Olsen & Finn Helles Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Objectives • To determine the importance of forest income at the rural household level in lowlands Bolivia. • To analyse and explain the variation of economic dependency of forest resources among households
Context – study area • Tropical Forest (closed canopy, similar semi-valuable timber species) under 200 masl • Population: indigenous groups, & in-migrants from Bolivian highlands • Small & scattered villages. • Six villages (formal FMP, low coca production, willingness to participate, located relatively close to each other) • Households n=118 • Avg. HH size 5.5
Relative Forest Income • Forest income is important to all groups (20%) • For the top group (24%) timber is the main source as cash • For the poorest group (19%) game meat, medicinal plants, tree leaves, wild animals are important as subsistence income • Fuelwood comes in second (11%)
Income sources and seasonality • Q3 and Q4 represent timber harvesting (rainy season) • Q1 & Q2 present some relationship between agriculture and forest • Q3 agric. & forest income
Determinants of forest dependency RFI / R=0.24 '* significant at 1%, # non-expected sign
Conclusions • The most well off HHs have the highest absolute forest income • Overall HHs derive 20% of their income from forest and 6% from non-forest environment. • The forest dependency is highest for the top income group (timber), but lowest income group is only 5% points less • The poorest group depends a lot on subsistence income (unprocessed forest products), and rely on fuelwood & game meat • Important determinants of low forest dependency are inter alia high education level and high self-sufficiency in food production
Acknowledgements • Field assistance Gilda Jauregui, Xavier Velázquez, Freddy Zubieta (CERES) Freddy Cruz, Jankiel Sainz, Harry Soria, Sergio Miranda (CERES) • Regional partners • Funding sources • Advisors Carsten S. Olsen (LIFE) / Rosario Leon (Bolivia) • Villages and local organizations Cochabamba SANREM Project