ABSTRACT The importance of biodiversity cannot be overemphasized. Thus, the study assesses the effectiveness of community participation in biodiversity conservation in Serere Sub-county Local Forest Reserve in Serere District in Uganda. Data were collected through primary and secondary data employing questionnaire and interviews. Through the study, it was revealed that the major human activities that impact on the biodiversity of the study area were hunting, fuel wood harvesting, cattle grazing and farming. It was also discovered that fuel wood harvesting pressure has increased over the years, against the back-ground of waning resilience of traditional conservation practices in the study area.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DECLARATION .1

APPROVAL

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

LIST OF TABLE

LIST OF FIGURES

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE 1

I Introduction 1

ii Statement of the problem 6

iii Objectives of the study

iv Specific objectives

v Research questions 9

vi Purpose of the study 9

vii Scope of the study 10

viii Geographical scope 10

ix Content scope 10

x Time scope 10

xi Significance of the study 10

xii Justification of the study 11

CHAPTER TWO 12

Literature Review 12

xiii Introduction 12

iv Direct-use value 12

vi Food 13

Biological control 14

2.1.3 Industrial materials 14

2.1.4 Medicine 16

2.1 .5 Recreational harvesting 19

2.1.6 Ecotourism 20

vi

2.2 Indirect-use value .20

2.2.1 Some of the ecosystem services provided by biodiversity 21

2.2.2 Biodiversity and ecosystem function 23

2.2.3 Non-use value 24

2.3 Human impacts on biodiversity 27

2.3.1. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation 27

2.3.2. Introduced species 28

2.3.3. Extinction cascades 31

2.3.4. Genetic modification 32

CHAPTER THREE 34

3.0 Introduction 34

3.1 Description of the study area 34

3.2 Topography of the study area 34

3.3 Climate and rainfall of the area 34

3.4 Soils 35

3.5 Vegetation 35

3.6 Population 36

3.7 Social economic life 36

3.8 Sampling size 36

3.9 Data sources 36

3.9.1 Primary data 36

3.9.2 Secondary data 37

3.10 Data Collection Methods and Instruments 37

3.10.1 Questionnaire 37

3.10.2 Interview 37

3.10.3 Observation 38

3.11 Procedure for data collection 38

3.12 Data management and analysis 38

3.13 Ethical consideration 38

CHAPTER FOUR 39

4.0 Analysis and Presentation of Data 39

4.1 Materials and Methods 39

VII

4.2 Focus group discussions ~

4.3 Definition of Biodiversity 42

4.4 Importance of Biodiversity to the Environment 42

4.5 Examples of products obtained from forest biodiversity 43

4.6 The uses of flora and fauna of Serere local forest reserve 43

4.7 Human activities carried out in Serere local forest 45

4.8 Impacts of human activities on the local forest reserve of Serere 46

4.8.1 Hunting as an activity 46

4.8.2 Fuel wood harvesting as an activity 47

4.8.3 Farming as an activity 47

4.9 The barriers to community participation in biodiversity conservation in Serere local forest reserve

community 48

4.10 The causes of biodiversity loss in Serere at the local forest reserve 49

4.11 Socioeconomic benefits of biodiversity in Serere local forest reserve neighbourhood 50

4.12 Threats to biological diversity of Serere forest reserve 51

4.12.1 Overharvesting / over-exploitation of biological resources 52

4.12.2 Introduced species / biological invasions 52

4.12.3 Climatic changes 52

4.12.4 Population 52

4.12.5 Institutional / policy failure 53

4.13 The current state of community participation in biodiversity conservation of respondents 53

CHAPTER FIVE

Discussions, Conclusions and Recommendations 55

REFERENCES

APPENDIX 63

QUESTIONNAIRE 63