ABSTRACT
The loss of tropical moist forests (TMF) is widely accepted as a global environmental problem. Despite conflicting accounts of the global extent, rates and accuracy of estimates of TMF loss, there is no doubt that the remaining TMF cover in many countries represents a tiny fraction of the natural vegetation cover. It is evident that forests continue to disappear for agricultural purposes throughout the humid tropics, with both immediate and potentially large long-term consequences for climate change and loss of biodiversity, both of which are of significant environmental interest to the international community (Tomich et al.9 1999; Laurance, 1999). Within the context of developing countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa, several authoritative sources attribute deforestation to the actions of the rural poor, while others argue that this is tantamount to blaming the victim and directing attention away from the fundamental causes of deforestation. This is so even though there is little agreement on the definition of deforestation used to test hypotheses on the problem (Rock, 1996). Furthermore, conventional wisdom and thinking about the causes of deforestation is increasingly and vigorously challenged (Angelsen and Kaimowitz, 1999). Yet, many TMF conservation projects have been designed and implemented without an adequate understanding of the specific local processes and causes of deforestation. This has significant implications for the livelihood systems of communities adjacent to protected forest areas, especially National Parks in developing countries.
