Contribution of Forestry Provisioning Ecosystem Services to the Household Income of Small Holder Farmers Adjacent Chyulu Hills Forest, Makueni County, Kenya

Abstract

This study set out to investigate contribution of forestry provisioning ecosystem services (FPES) to the household income of small holder farmers living adjacent Chyulu Hills Forest and assess factors influencing utilization of the FPES. A survey research design was used and a sample size of 60 households was randomly selected from two study sites which were purposely selected to enable a comparative analysis. The study area was stratified into the two sites on the basis of ease of access to the forest. Mangelete and Kiu sub-locations were consequently selected. Mangelete was separated by a fence from the forest while there was no barrier between Kiu sub-location and the forest. An interview schedule having closed, and open-ended questions was used to elicit responses from the respondents on the issue of FPES. Results indicated that FPES contributed a significant amount of income to the respondents.