Forest Management Strategies And Biodiversity Conservation In Calabar Education Zone Of Cross River State, Nigeria.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the contribution of forest regulation strategy and participatory forest management strategy to biodiversity conservation in the Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. The study was guided by Skinnerian environmental reinforcement theory. A multistage sampling technique and a sample size of 1,230 household was adopted in the study. A structured questionnaire (FMSBCQ) was used to facilitate data collection. The instrument was analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics, and the hypotheses were tested with the use of Simple Linear Regression analysis with the help of SPSS version 27. Findings revealed that forest regulation strategy contributes significantly to biodiversity conservation (T-value = 28.229, P<0.05). Participatory forest management strategy contributed significantly to biodiversity conservation (T-value = 27.626, p< .05). It is recommended that adequate forest regulatory measures should be put in place and adequately enforced by forest agencies. This will help to promote sustainable forest behaviour in the communities, and thus enhance biodiversity conservation in the communities. Forest management agencies should ensure adequate involvement of community members in formulating and enforcing forest conservation policies in forest communities in the Zone, as this motivates community members to maintain the policies, which will lead to sustainable forest practices in the communities.