Community Perspectives on Fuelwood Resources in East Africa: Enrichment and Extraction Along the Eastern Slopes of Mount Kenya

Communities living near protected forests rely on these areas to supply fuelwood among other extractive resources. This research was conducted in Kiang'ondu sublocation, within the eastern buffer zone of Mount Kenya Forest Reserve, and it addresses 2 research questions. (1) What is the diversity of fuelwood resources that communities extract from the forest reserve and enrich in their home areas? (2) What are the perceptions of community residents about the opportunities for a sustainable fuelwood supply? Mixed participatory exercises revealed 32 fuelwood plants, native and nonnative, which are acquired from the forest reserve or from people's homes and farmlands. These plants differ by their other material uses, attributes as a fuelwood, and ease of propagation. Use practices and perceptions vary with distance from the reserve, but people are not fuelwood limited at either location. Adaptive resource management can build from a local understanding of fuelwood that enhances conservation practices toward a sustainable supply.