ABSTRACT
Over three billion people throughout the world rely on traditional fuels such as fuelwood. In Ethiopia, 90 percent of energy consumption comes from biomass. Such heavy reliance on this form of energy is a threat to forest ecosystems.
This study was carried out to assess the amount of wood fuel consumption, factors affecting wood fuel consumption rate, and assess the awareness of the community on the impact of wood fuel production and consumption on forest resources, in Liben Zukala district Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. The study was based on questionnaires from randomly selected households, focus group discussion, and market survey. The inventory was conducted in Zukala forest to determine the biomass and volume of the standing trees in a systematically laid plot and compare it with the household charcoal and firewood consumption. In each plot, data were collected on tree species, plant height, diameter at breast height (DBH), number of saplings, and seedlings. The study revealed that 8,108.8 tons of firewood and 6,472 tons of charcoal per annum had been extracted from the forest while the forest Biomass was 292 tons per ha on 3649.35 ha of total forest area implying that due to charcoal and firewood 116.7 ha and 0.07 ha of forest degraded per annum, respectively. The regression result revealed that family size and total land size owned were found to be significant and positively correlated with the probability of wood fuel consumption rate while total income was found to be 1% level significant and negatively correlated. The findings revealed that the majority of people were unaware of how forest cover depletion is a result of wood fuel production and use. The most preferred and extracted tree species from the forest for charcoal were Acacia tortillas, Acacia Parasinata, Combretum Terminalia, and Cordia Africana the species preferred for firewood were Acacia tortillas, Juniperus procera, Olea Europaea, Erica Arborea, and Hypericum revolutum. In order to address the forest resource degradation of the area, use of efficient energy-saving technologies, planting Eucalyptus, and establishment of energy plantation are recommended.
Keyword: wood fuel, wood fuel consumption and production, forest resource degradation, and energy-saving technology
