Farming Practices and Sustainability of Forest Ecosystems in Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria

Agricultural Expansion Remains One Of The Most Significant Drivers Of Forest Ecosystem Degradation In Sub-Saharan Africa. This Study Examined The Relationship Between Farming Practices And Forest Ecosystem Sustainability In Ikom Education Zone, Cross River State, Nigeria. Specifically, The Study Investigated The Predictive Influence Of Agroforestry Practices And Deforestation/Slash-And-Burn Agriculture On Forest Sustainability. A Survey Design Was Adopted, And Data Were Collected From 309 Farmers Using A Validated Questionnaire (Test–Retest Reliability = .89). Simple Linear Regression Analysis Was Conducted At The .05 Significance Level. Results Indicated That Agroforestry Significantly Predicted Forest Ecosystem Sustainability, R = .704, R² = .495, F(1, 307) = 805.80, P < .001, Explaining 49.4% Of The Variance. Conversely, Deforestation/Slash-And-Burn Practices Significantly Predicted Reduced Forest Sustainability, R = .796, R² = .634, F(1, 307) = 1424.02, P < .001, Accounting For 63.4% Of The Variance. Findings Suggest That While Agroforestry Enhances Ecological Stability, Slash-And-Burn Practices Substantially Undermine Forest Resilience. The Study Recommends Scaling Up Agroforestry Extension Services And Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks To Discourage Destructive Land-Use Practices. The Findings Contribute To Sustainable Land Management Discourse In Tropical Forest Ecosystems.