Community Use and Product Valuation of Forest Resources in Maasai Mau, Kenya
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal
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Abstract: Forests play an important role in the livelihoods of local people in most developing countries. Local communities depend on forest resources for various products such as fuel wood, construction materials, medicine, and food. An estimated 1.6billion people depend to varying degrees on forests for their livelihoods and about 60million forest dwellers are almost fully dependent on forests. Furthermore, 350million people who live adjacent to dense forests depend on them for subsistence and income (World, 2004). It is estimated that 20-25% of rural peoples’ income is obtained from environmental resources in developing countries (Vedeld et al., 2007) and provide food reserve for use in periods of crisis or during seasonal food shortages (Langat, Maranga, Cheboiwo & Aboud, 2015). The ecological and economic significance of forest ecosystems in Kenya is widely acknowledged.