Forest utilization patterns and socio-economic status of the Van Gujjar tribe in sub-Himalayan tracts of Uttarakhand,India

The present study was conducted on the Van Gujjar tribe inhabiting a sub-Himalayan tract in the North Western Himalayas of Uttarakhand State, India. The Van Gujjars have been practicing transmigration over hundreds of years. They migrate each year with their households and livestock between summer and winter pastures. A few years ago with the announcement of the establish- ment of the Rajaji National Park, the tribe has been forced out of the forest area and rehabilitated outside the park, which has affected their lifestyle. The newly established rehabilitation colony in the Gandikhata area of Haridwar District of Uttarakhand State was taken as a case study. The aims of the present study were to understand and evaluate the socio-economic status of the Van Gujjars in their newly established rehabilitation colony, the utilization pattern of forest resources by the tribe and their relative preference for selec- tive trees for various uses. A total of 176 households were interviewed （giving equal weight to all economic classes and family every size） by using pre-structured questionnaires. The education level was very low （12.9%） and the average income per household was recorded as Rs. 36000 （approximately $ 803） per year. The major source of income was dairy production （80.6%） followed by labor employment （13.9%）, NTFPs （4.2%） and agricultural production （1.4%）. More than 90% of fuel wood and fodder is extracted from the forest. The average fuel wood and fodder consumptions per household per day were recorded as 25.86 and 21.58 kg, respectively. A total of 35 species of cultivated plants and 89 species of wild plants were found to be utilized as food sources. Selectively 25 wild tree species are well known as being used by the Van Gujjars as fodder, fuel wood, agricultural implements, household articles, dye, medicine, fiber and other products. According to their utility value, the most preferred and useful tree species is Ougeinia oojeinensis, followed by Terminalia alata, Bombax ceiba, Shorea robusta and Dalbergia sissoo,

Revisiting development potential of riverain sunt(Acacia nilotica) forest reserves-A case study in Sinnar State,Sudan

The present study is an attempt to find a solution central authoritarian forest services in Sinnar State, Sudan for the forest management conflicts existing between local people and the Sinnar was purposely selected as a study area because 9% （496.4×103 ha） of the forest reserve area of the entire country is located in this state. A comprehensive survey consisting of field observations, questionnaires and interviews was carried out specifically in the Alsabonabi area for its heterogeneous local community. The results show that the existing management system of the sunt forest reserve （the Alumbwa forest） has failed to support the local people, both residents and semi-nomads. Hence, the present study proposes a series of strategic and organizational changes in order to help in showing the way for integrated and participatory forest resource management and improving the welfare of all impoverished rural communities.