Degradation, Species Invasion and Management Responsibility in Tanzanian Dry Forests: What Do Local People Say?

Forest policymakers and managers are increasingly being asked to develop forest land-use plans and policies that incorporate the general public’s views and more importantly public preferences (Bass, 2001). To do this, forest managers and policymakers need to understand the public’s attitudes towards alternative situations and options for the forest (Obiri and Lawes, 2002; Tindall, 2003; Elands et al, 2004; Flinkman, 2004). Here we have investigated attitudes of local forest stakeholders towards degradation, plant species invasion, regulation of tree harvesting and alternative structures for management responsibility in dry forests of east-central Tanzania. The current policies for reducing forest degradation are compared with the views of local communities to ascertain whether or not the two are in agreement.