Consequences of Different Intensities of Deforestation on Total Household Income in Rural Communities within the Tropical Rainforest Areas of Ikom Local Government Area, Nigeria

This study aimed to identify the causes and consequences of deforestation in the Ikom Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State, Nigeria. The objectives included assessing the causes of deforestation, evaluating its impact on rural household income, and proposing solutions to the socio-economic issues related to deforestation. A review of relevant literature provided insights into related variables. Data were collected using a open-ended questionnaire, with 136 copies distributed and 129 retrieved through simple random sampling. The communities studied for income data collection include Alok, Okuni, Alesi and Ekunde. Pearson correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were employed to test the hypotheses. The ANOVA analysis shows F-value of 58.24223, Pvalue (2.567896) and F- crit value of 2.662569. Given the (p˃0.05) observation, the null hypothesis (Ho) which states that there is no significant variations in household incomes from tropical rainforests with varying levels of deforestation, was accepted. The Pearson correlations show dwindling correlation values in relations with total household incomes as the level of intensity increases. Data from questionnaire, though not largely included in this study, were utilized for the corroboration of other collected data and information presented. Based on the findings, recommendations include greater involvement of stakeholders, particularly nongovernmental organizations, in biodiversity conservation efforts, and the provision of alternative livelihoods for forest communities to reduce their dependence on forest resources.