Factors that influence human behavior in fuelwood use and their implications for biocultural conservation

Abstract

A set of investigations has attempted to identify patterns in human resource use behavior to drive conservation strategies. However, it is still necessary to advance the understanding of the factors that influence human decision making in the use of resources. In this research, we assessed whether there are drivers of the differential consumption of plant resources. We also searched for socioeconomic predictors of firewood consumption. We adopted the use of fuelwood as research model in a rural settlement in northeastern Brazil. Resource availability was the main variable that directed the frequency of use of the species, and the number of people in the residences was the main predictor of the total firewood weight consumed monthly by the families. No variables predicted per capita monthly consumption. These findings can provide important insights for the elaboration of biocultural conservation strategies because they present the mechanisms that can direct the behavior in the use of certain resources and the greater consumption of firewood by certain families.