Role of Forest Resources to Local Livelihoods: The Case of East Mau Forest Ecosystem, Kenya
Table 1
Socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of sampled households ().
Variable
Location
Kapsimbeywo
Silibwet
Kapkembu
Nessuit
Mariashoni
Sig (LSD)
Gender (HH) %
Male
73.3
85.4
67.2
72.0
60.5
NS
Female
27.7
14.6
32.8
28.0
37.4
NS
Ethnicity (%)
Indigenous
0.0
0.0
7.5
50
65
0.05
Nonindigenous
100
100
92.5
50
35
0.05
Education level (%)
Primary
66.7
60.4
62.7
87.9
89.3
0.05
Secondary
33.3
27.1
22.4
9.7
5.8
NS
Postsecondary
0.0
12.5
14.9
2.4
4.9
NS
Primary
66.7
60.4
62.7
87.9
89.3
0.05
HH size
Number
9.0 ± 2.4
10.1 ± 3.1
9.8 ± 2.6
8.9 ± 3.0
7.3 ± 3.6
NS
Adult equivalent
4.9 ± 1.4
6.0 ± 1.8
5.7 ± 1.5
5.1 ± 1.9
3.3 ± 1.6
NS
Land size and use
Land size (Ha)
2.5 ± 1.2
2.1 ± 0.8
2.1 ± 0.9
1.7 ± 1.4
1.9 ± 1.5
NS
Natural forest
0.4 ± 0.3
0.4 ± 0.2
0.4 ± 0.2
0.3 ± 0.2
0.4 ± 0.3
0.00
Planted forest
0.4 ± 0.2
0.3 ± 0.1
0.3 ± 0.1
0.3 ± 0.3
0.4 ± 0.2
NS
Food crops
0.8 ± 0.4
0.7 ± 0.3
0.7 ± 0.3
0.8 ± 0.7
0.8 ± 0.5
NS
Cash crop
0.5 ± 0.2
0.4 ± 0.3
0.4 ± 0.2
0.3 ± 0.2
0.6 ± 0.7
0.017
Pasture land
0.6 ± 0.6
0.3 ± 0.1
0.3 ± 0.2
0.6 ± 0.6
0.8 ± 0.7
0.00
Wastelands
0.4 ± 0.3
0.3 ± 0.1
0.3 ± 0.2
0.3 ± 0.2
0.4 ± 0.2
NS
Resident years
24.8 ± 2.0
23.0 ± 1.8
13.6 ± 5.4
14.8 ± 2.7
16.2 ± 4.5
NS
Food months
3.6 ± 0.4
4.7 ± 0.3
4.4 ± 0.3
4.3 ± 0.2
4.0 ± 0.2
NS
Age of HH (years)
44.8 ± 2.0
48.5 ± 1.9
40.3 ± 1.6
42.3 ± 1.4
42.4 ± 0.7
0.05
Household cash incomes (KES)
Total
170,075.85 ± 19,237.75
259,363.80 ± 21,404.55
203,385.34 ± 9,506.64
212,286.69 ± 10,677.74
247,952.86 ± 9,448.39
0.01
Agriculture
48,965.52 ± 7,841.79
56,545.45 ± 7,899.30
65,530.30 ± 5,140.01
73,305.08 ± 4,626.89
58,817.39 ± 4,161.96
0.05
Livestock
60,644.82 ± 7,599.54
86,521.67 ± 8,955.22
62,231.34 ± 4,571.41
37,007.90 ± 3,642.59
51,899.66 ± 4,710.23
0.01
Forest product
18,666.67 ± 15,666.67
7,937.50 ± 2,161.15
5,100.00 ± 1,805.55
25,982.14 ± 8,182.06
19,720.00 ± 3,335.93
NS
Off farm
127,789.65 ± 15,021.36
141,563.11 ± 12,708.57
130,873.13 ± 6,702.83
119,698.18 ± 7,509.90
114,714.56 ± 6,988.97
NS
LSD is least significant difference; NS denotes no significant difference at % level. Household incomes means (row) with a common superscript imply the mean difference is not significant at % level. “” refers to significance level at 5%; “” denotes significance at 1%.
