Household dependency on forest resources in the Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), India: Implications for management

ABSTRACT

Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) is a virtual ecological island influenced by both anthropogenic pressures and a significant cattle population from the villages located there. The government has initiated voluntary relocation of villages, but this action has not yielded desired results as most of the residents depend on the surrounding forest for their livelihood. This study used a logit model to identify the influential factors that predict forest dependency. The results indicate that livestock population and the agricultural land per household as the two major determinants of dependency. Alternative sources of livelihood or vocational training may help in reducing villager’s forest dependency.