Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves
Research Highlights: Landscape approach principles were developed to address competing claims on resources at local scales. We used the principles to address agricultural expansion in Ghana’s forest reserves. Background and Objectives: Agricultural expansion is a major cause of Ghana’s forest-cover...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/411 |
| _version_ | 1797571276758319104 |
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| author | Emmanuel O. Acheampong Jeffrey Sayer Colin Macgregor Sean Sloan |
| author_facet | Emmanuel O. Acheampong Jeffrey Sayer Colin Macgregor Sean Sloan |
| author_sort | Emmanuel O. Acheampong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research Highlights: Landscape approach principles were developed to address competing claims on resources at local scales. We used the principles to address agricultural expansion in Ghana’s forest reserves. Background and Objectives: Agricultural expansion is a major cause of Ghana’s forest-cover loss. Cultivation has totally deforested some forest reserves. The situation in Ghana illustrates the trade-off between attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 1—reduction of poverty, and 2—achieving food security, are in conflict with SDG 15—protecting and restoring forests. We examined how farmers in forest fringe communities could be engaged in restoring degraded forests using the landscape approach and whether their livelihoods were improved through the use of this approach. Materials and Methods: The Ongwam II Forest Reserve in the Ashanti region of Ghana is encroached by farmers from two communities adjacent to the reserve. We employed the 10 principles of the landscape approach to engage farmers in restoring the degraded reserve. The flexibility of the landscape approach provided a framework against which to assess farmer behaviour. We encouraged farmers to plant trees on 10 ha of the degraded reserve and to benefit through the cultivation of food crops amongst the trees. Results: Access to fertile forest soils for cultivation was the main motivation for the farmers to participate in the reforestation project. The farmers’ access to natural and financial capital increased and they became food secure in the first year of the project’s operation. Conclusions: Effective implementation of several small-scale reforestation projects using the landscape approach could together lead to a forest transition, more trees in agricultural systems and better protection of residual natural forests while improving farmers’ livelihoods, all combining to achieve the SDGs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:38:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a91878e268644487babd02f1e6e72102 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:38:03Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-a91878e268644487babd02f1e6e721022023-11-19T20:53:07ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072020-04-0111441110.3390/f11040411Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded ReservesEmmanuel O. Acheampong0Jeffrey Sayer1Colin Macgregor2Sean Sloan3College of Science and Engineering, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, AustraliaForest Sciences Center, Forest and Conservation, Faculty of Forestry Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, CanadaCollege of Science and Engineering, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering, Division of Tropical Environments and Societies, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD 4878, AustraliaResearch Highlights: Landscape approach principles were developed to address competing claims on resources at local scales. We used the principles to address agricultural expansion in Ghana’s forest reserves. Background and Objectives: Agricultural expansion is a major cause of Ghana’s forest-cover loss. Cultivation has totally deforested some forest reserves. The situation in Ghana illustrates the trade-off between attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 1—reduction of poverty, and 2—achieving food security, are in conflict with SDG 15—protecting and restoring forests. We examined how farmers in forest fringe communities could be engaged in restoring degraded forests using the landscape approach and whether their livelihoods were improved through the use of this approach. Materials and Methods: The Ongwam II Forest Reserve in the Ashanti region of Ghana is encroached by farmers from two communities adjacent to the reserve. We employed the 10 principles of the landscape approach to engage farmers in restoring the degraded reserve. The flexibility of the landscape approach provided a framework against which to assess farmer behaviour. We encouraged farmers to plant trees on 10 ha of the degraded reserve and to benefit through the cultivation of food crops amongst the trees. Results: Access to fertile forest soils for cultivation was the main motivation for the farmers to participate in the reforestation project. The farmers’ access to natural and financial capital increased and they became food secure in the first year of the project’s operation. Conclusions: Effective implementation of several small-scale reforestation projects using the landscape approach could together lead to a forest transition, more trees in agricultural systems and better protection of residual natural forests while improving farmers’ livelihoods, all combining to achieve the SDGs.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/411forest restorationmulti-functional forest landscapeslandscape approachrural Ghanaforest-dependent communitiesUN Sustainable Development Goals |
| spellingShingle | Emmanuel O. Acheampong Jeffrey Sayer Colin Macgregor Sean Sloan Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves Forests forest restoration multi-functional forest landscapes landscape approach rural Ghana forest-dependent communities UN Sustainable Development Goals |
| title | Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves |
| title_full | Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves |
| title_fullStr | Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves |
| title_short | Application of Landscape Approach Principles Motivates Forest Fringe Farmers to Reforest Ghana’s Degraded Reserves |
| title_sort | application of landscape approach principles motivates forest fringe farmers to reforest ghana s degraded reserves |
| topic | forest restoration multi-functional forest landscapes landscape approach rural Ghana forest-dependent communities UN Sustainable Development Goals |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/11/4/411 |
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