Ecosystem Services Type and Use in Soddie Natural Forest in Daramalo District, South Ethiopia

The study attempted to explore ecosystem service type and use in Soddie natural forest in Daramalo District, southern Ethiopia. Soddie natural forest ecosystem services provides tangible and non-tangible to human well-being and environmental sustainability. However, local people’s perceptions of these ecosystem service uses vary considerably depending on socio-economic, cultural, geographic contexts. Therefore, this study is aimed at identifying the type and use of forest ecosystem services and analyzing socio-economic factors that influence the perception of the local community on forest service uses. Primary data is collected through field surveys, household interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews and secondary data is collected from kebele registration book in agricultural office for this study. For the study, 135 households are randomly selected for the interview. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis approach are used. The finding show that, responses are spread out, with the highest share in moderate use (31.5%) using forest provisional services, regulating services as strongly recognized, with 56.3% high use and 41.8% moderate use, cultural services the perceptions are more divided-40.4% low use, while only 27% high use and Supporting services with 59.4% high use and only 0.2% not used. The overall level of forest service use ratio for local community is calculated. The high use ratio (37.6%), moderate use ratio (31.2%), low use ratio (16.9%) and 14.3% reported not using forest services. Level of education (p = 0.017), income source (p = 0.012), the distance of households from the forest (p = 0.040), land size (p = 0.014) and wealthy status (p = 0.004) significantly affected respondents perceptions on forest ecosystem service uses. Factors such as; level of education and income source have positively influenced and others like distances of household from the forest and wealth status have negatively influenced perception of respondents on forest ecosystem service uses. The forest provides various ecosystem service uses to the local community. Hence, there is a need to balance local community livelihood interests and conservation needs to ensure sustainable management of the forest.