Impact of population pressure on forest resources depletion in Yayo coffee forest Biosphere Reserve, Southwest Ethiopia

An increase in population density amplifies the demand for forest products, which in turn drives deforestation and the exhaustion of forest resource. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of population pressure on forest resource depletion in the Yayo Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve, Southwest Ethiopia. A mixed-methods research design, integrating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data was collected from selected households, focus groups and key informant through semi-structured interview, group discussion and field observation. A systematic random sampling technique were used to collect the data. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively by SPSS and Microsoft office excels. Land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes over the past forty years were analyzed using satellite imagery to assess the impact of population growth on forest dynamics. Results indicated that the major livelihood strategies were contributed by the combination of crop production, livestock and forest product collection (36.2%) and followed by crop production and livestock (27.5%). Agricultural expansion (23.13%), overgrazing (17.9%), timber extraction (15.27%) and urbanization (14%) were the main direct drivers of forest loss. Satellite analysis revealed that forest cover declined from 120,087.2 hectares in 1982-100,772.9 hectares in 2024 an 11.6% reduction over four decades with a strong negative correlation (r = -0.998, p < 0.05) between population growth and forest area. Overall, both local practices and systemic pressures drive the conversion of forests to agricultural land in the Yayo Biosphere Reserve. This calls for district-specific interventions that engage indigenous institutions such as Shane, Xuxee, and Tuullaa in the management of coffee forests and enforcement of the law, encouraging alternative sources of energy, and ensuring that forest resources are not overexploited.