This thesis analyzes the contested struggles for fuelwood extraction and protection around the Borjomi-Kharagauli Protected Areas (BKPA) of central Georgia in light of wider debates over the reconciliation of biodiversity conservation and livelihood security in the developing world. Particular focus is given to conflicts over local peoples’ struggles in accessing fuelwood and the ways and extentto which these struggles are influenced by broader forces. In endeavoring to answer these questions, interviews were conducted with local people living on the margin of BKPA as well as with conservation authorities involved in the development and ongoing management of the park. The results of theresearch suggest that considerable obstacles to fuelwood access remain despite BKPA policies permitting fuelwood extraction in several of the studied villages. Furthermore, the association of nonstate actors in the development of BKPA coupled with the lack of participation of local people inongoing management provoke questions of legitimacy and governance. The study underscores that incontexts of widespread poverty and highly subsistence-based livelihoods, participatory management embodies the most effective and socially just approach to conservation.

The thesis presents a thorough, in-depth study that fills some of the gaps in the knowledge of the impacts of woodland utilisation in communal areas. The chosen case study villages are in Bushbuckridge, a government gazetted Integrated Sustainable Rural Development programme node, making the results pertinent to sustainable energy policy reform in South Africa. A case-study of two villages was used to investigate the spatial and structural changes in fuelwood supply in response to fuelwood extraction as well as the changes in use-patterns over time. A survey of the structure and composition of the woody vegetation and wood harvesting patterns around the villages was conducted and compared against historical data, spanning 17 years. Total wood stock in the communal woodlands of both villages declined over the study period; the loss being greater in Welverdiend. Significant, negative change in the structure and species composition, particularly of species that are commonly harvested for fuelwood has occurred in Welverdiend but not in Athol. The absence of negative impacts in Athol implies that harvesting regimes here are more sustainable but it is more likely that this is due to the lower human population and lower fuelwood extraction pressure. The changes in woodland structure were linked to landcover change patterns that occurred in the villages over the last 44 years, from their creation through forced resettlements on old farms in the area. Landcover change patterns were similar in both villages since 1965 but there was significantly greater woodland loss in Welverdiend (48% woodland loss) in comparison to Athol (25% woodland loss). The systematic loss of woodland areas to agricultural fields was linked to expanding residential areas due to human population growth. Deforestation occurred where woodlands were already impacted through selective harvesting. The physical changes in woodland structure and landcover were linked to a detailed socio-economic analysis of the two villages, providing critically important data for the sustainable management of woodlands in South Africa. The impact of access to electricity on fuelwood consumption rates was carried out through analysis of the economic, time and opportunity costs of fuelwood collection, compared against the different fuelwood availability in each village. In Welverdiend demand for fuelwood has so far proved inelastic; households have adjusted their fuelwood collection regimes, going on fewer collection trips but spending longer times for each trip but ultimately household investment is similar to that in Athol. Fuelwood demand is maintained in Welverdiend by the availability of purchased fuelwood and harvesting in new sites. A model to predict the socio-economic factors at the household and per capita level which affect fuelwood consumption was developed. Revealing in the process that households with access to electricity used less fuelwood annually and the amounts of fuelwood used were influenced by the household perceptions of fuelwood scarcity in the village, Household population size had a direct bearing on the likelihood of households switching to electricity with every addition to the household size decreasing the likelihood of switching by 48%. This study has major implications for the government’s on-going rural electrification programme. Interventions are required that raise awareness about fuelwood availability trends, based on landscape developments and targeting women as the main users of fuelwood.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Idaho, 2005. / Abstract. "December, 2005." Includes bibliographical references. Also available online in PDF format.

Fuelwood is an important source of domestic energy in rural regions of Brazil. In the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, native species from the Atlantic Forest are an important source of fuelwood, supplemented by wood from eucalyptus and coffee plantations. The use of native species is complicated by their increasing scarcity and the recent enforcement of forest policies that prohibit the felling of even dead natives trees without a permit. In this study, the factors contributing to the use of fuelwood in this region, despite the simultaneous use of liquid petroleum gas in most households, are explored by examining fuelwood use patterns in four small rural communities in the Zona da Mata Mineira using household surveys and semi-structured interviews. Two hypotheses were tested using a Jacknife regression. The first hypothesis, based on the energy ladder model, tested the predictive power of socioeconomic status in relation to fuelwood use. Two dependent variables were used to represent the importance of fuelwood to a household: the amount of time a household spent collecting fuelwood (Effort) and the number of purposes a household used fuelwood for (Class of Fuelwood Use). Socioeconomic status did explain a statistically significant percentage of the variance in Effort, but not in Class of Fuelwood Use. The second hypothesis tested for a moderating effect of the availability of fuelwood on the relationship between the socioeconomic status of a household and the dependent variables. The interaction between access to fuelwood and socioeconomic status was shown to explain a significant percentage of the variance in Effort, thereby indicating that the effect of socioeconomic status on time spent collecting fuelwood depends on access to fuelwood. However, there was no statistically significant interaction found between Class of Fuelwood Use and fuelwood availability. The Atlantic Forest Policy was found to have little influence on domestic energy decisions made by surveyed households. Few research subjects had a good understanding of the basic tenets of this policy and the Forest Police do not have adequate resources to enforce the policy at this level.

Fuelwood is an important source of domestic energy in rural regions of Brazil. In the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, native species from the Atlantic Forest are an important source of fuelwood, supplemented by wood from eucalyptus and coffee plantations. The use of native species is complicated by their increasing scarcity and the recent enforcement of forest policies that prohibit the felling of even dead natives trees without a permit. In this study, the factors contributing to the use of fuelwood in this region, despite the simultaneous use of liquid petroleum gas in most households, are explored by examining fuelwood use patterns in four small rural communities in the Zona da Mata Mineira using household surveys and semi-structured interviews. Two hypotheses were tested using a Jacknife regression. The first hypothesis, based on the energy ladder model, tested the predictive power of socioeconomic status in relation to fuelwood use. Two dependent variables were used to represent the importance of fuelwood to a household: the amount of time a household spent collecting fuelwood (Effort) and the number of purposes a household used fuelwood for (Class of Fuelwood Use). Socioeconomic status did explain a statistically significant percentage of the variance in Effort, but not in Class of Fuelwood Use. The second hypothesis tested for a moderating effect of the availability of fuelwood on the relationship between the socioeconomic status of a household and the dependent variables. The interaction between access to fuelwood and socioeconomic status was shown to explain a significant percentage of the variance in Effort, thereby indicating that the effect of socioeconomic status on time spent collecting fuelwood depends on access to fuelwood. However, there was no statistically significant interaction found between Class of Fuelwood Use and fuelwood availability. The Atlantic Forest Policy was found to have little influence on domestic energy decisions made by surveyed households. Few research subjects had a good understanding of the basic tenets of this policy and the Forest Police do not have adequate resources to enforce the policy at this level.

This study concentrates on indoor air pollution, specifically particulate matter, as a result of woodburning in the home. Three single-family residences in Richmond, Indiana, equipped with identical airtight woodburning stoves and using a controlled wood supply, were monitored for a 49-day period in 1987. Particluate matter samples were collected during periods of active wood combustion and periods absent of wood combustion using low-volume samplers. Significant differences were found in two of the three houses when wood combustion and non-wood combustion periods were compared. No relationship was found between particle levels and time of day, ambient air temperature, pounds of wood burned, refueling duration or refueling frequency. It was concluded that woodburning can affect the quality of indoor air in particulate matter levels. / Department of Natural Resources

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiii, 151 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-107).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-111).

Thesis (M.E.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-112). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (MTech (Environmental Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019. / Forests are being depleted and the land becoming bare, with little to no vegetation in the Etayi constituency and in Namibia at large. People rely on the resources of forests for different reasons. Areas that had trees years back have turned into a desert-like environment due to deforestation. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact that the cutting of natural forests has had in the Etayi constituency in the Omusati Region, Namibia. This examination has become necessary because forests in the Omusati region have undergone a rapid depletion over the past years. However, it should be noted that these environmentally degrading activities have contributed to the household income in the form of employment to the indigenous people. Forests has an important role to play in terms of the conservation of biodiversity. They also harbour unique and endemic species that are mainly adapted to extreme ecological conditions. They provide vital benefit to the ecosystem, such as wood for fuel, medicine, fodder for animals and tradable goods, like furniture. Furthermore, forests provide the soil with nutrients and reduce wind velocity, thus controlling wind erosion and the retardation of water and moisture depletion. With increasingly uncertain climatic conditions and their related impact across the continent at large, there is a need for new approaches towards the management of indigenous forests that support and promote land-users’ resilience to climatic variability and change. The role of forests in climate change mitigation is important as it sustains the ecosystem. The maintenance of ecological systems has been acknowledged as one of the most important facets of sustainable development. Subsequently, the involvement of several international and local policies and regulations has been established to ensure that natural resources, such as forests, are sustainably utilised. In rural areas/villages, overdependence on wood for fuel has been identified as one of the biggest threats to the forests. This has led to environmental degradation that includes, among others, deforestation, desertification, the extinction of species and soil erosion. Based on the many issues caused by the over-reliance on wood for fuel, this research sought to investigate the impact of the over-exploitation of natural forests in the environment. Ninety-seven (97) respondents, comprising of 51 females and 46 males, were used in this study. Four (4) villages in the Etayi Constituency were chosen for the study. The study employed a qualitative and quantitative approach, which included the following methods of data collection: questionnaires, observation and interviews with respondents in the Etayi community. A quantitative method enabled the researcher to ask questions such as how many and how often? It helped the researcher further to plot the responses into graphs and diagrams. Government representatives from the Constituency Council and Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry and Traditional Authorities in the four villages were interviewed. The study identified key threats to the forests as a result of high fuelwood collection. These threats include high levels of poverty, overdependence on the forests, a lack of understanding about the importance of forests for the environment, little or a lack of information regarding other alternative sources of energy and the lack of coordination in the management of fuelwood resources. Apart from fuelwood being used as a source of energy for cooking and lighting, the exploitation of local fuelwood has become commercialised to supplement household income. Since there is a lack of coordination in the management of natural resources, fuelwood resources are not being managed at all. A main argument identified by this study is that forest management must be a combined approach by all stakeholders. The roles of traditional leaders in forest management should be made public. The lack of an awareness campaign on the importance of forests, a lack of management coordination as well as poverty, makes it difficult for the forests policies to be implemented and for the traditional authorities to manage the forests efficiently. The study recommends that educational programmes, proper coordination between key stakeholders and awareness campaigns regarding the environmental importance of forests to residents would alleviate deforestation and over-exploitation of forests resources. Additionally, an emphasis on the relationship between traditional and local governance in the management of forests as sources of fuelwood and the physical environment should receive attention.