Abstract:
Understanding the key drivers and barriers to sustainable conservation of protected and unprotected
forests, heavily utilised by humans and wildlife, is essential in sustainable forest management
and law enforcement. This study aimed to: i) evaluate fringe community perceptions towards
forest biodiversity sustainability across villages; ii) establish the key drivers and barriers of biodiversity
conservation, and iii) develop an integrated conservation framework for the Gwaai Forest in
Zimbabwe. Data were collected from 143 respondents using questionnaires, key informant interviews
and direct observations. Locals, simultaneously, preferred and exerted negative pressure on
clusterleaf Terminalia sericea and African teak Baikea plurijuga for carving, roofing and furniture
making increasing the distance travelled to collect forest products. Human population increase,
poaching, veld fires and overexploitation were the key barriers whereas tangible and intangible
benefits for local people and improved management systems were the key drivers of sustainable
conservation. Gwaai Forest access and utilisation is heavily regulated by the forest authorities
whose policies are not human centred but rather aimed at maintaining the resilience and stability
of the forest. There is a need to explore suitable alternative livelihoods such as farming of drought
resistant small grains less dependent on the Gwaai Forest ecosystem services to reduce pressure
on tree species and other natural resources. An in-depth understanding of the ecological, economic,
and social factors that influence forest resilience is necessary for planning and managing
Gwaai Forest operations efficiently.
