Household dynamics and small timber consumption in rural Kashmir (J&K), India

Abstract

The study examined the extraction and consumption pattern of small timber and its socioeconomic and forest resource determinants among the rural people in district Ganderbal of Kashmir. The results showed that the total extraction of small timber from different sources in the sample villages was 39.46 tons annum-1, which is mostly consumed in housing and roofing (39.63%) followed by cattle shed/ store house (15.25%), rural furniture/ packing cases (14.75%), agricultural implements (13.25%), fencing (12.50%) and others (4.62%). The total small timber demand was 47.88 m3 annum-1, which is mostly procured from agroforestry (42.57%) followed by forests (26.09%), homestead forestry (17.05%) and social/ community forestry (14.29%). The people were destitute with respect to socioeconomic attributes while they are well-off regarding forest resource characteristics. Correlation and multiple regression analysis established a robust relationship between small timber consumption and socioeconomic and forest resource parameters. The small timber flow from forests to the sample villages is excessive as compared to the national estimates, creating threats to the biodiversity conservation and ecological stability of the adjoining forests. The over-utilization of forest biomass by the local people is leading to degradation of forest resources and diminished biomass productivity, which in turn induce socioeconomic and livelihood stress. Therefore, some alternative interventions are essential to be implemented efficiently to keep pace with current development and future challenges.