Stand Characteristics and Perceptions of Local Communities on the Management of Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Forests in an Unstable Region of Afghanistan

ABSTRACT

Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) forests support livelihoods in communities within Afghanistan’s Pistachio Belt, a region characterized by extreme poverty and chronic insecurity. In this study, we used ecological data, as well as survey data to characterize standing attributes and resource user perceptions about local pistachio forests and their management. The survey questionnaire was verbally administered to 507 household representatives in remote communities that were chosen from eight districts in northern and northwestern Afghanistan based on accessibility and their location within the Pistachio Belt. Stand density and tree form varied widely between sites and as a function of elevation. Partial harvesting for fuelwood collection was positively correlated with stand density. The survey data also showed that pistachio forests support a variety of livelihood activities among respondents and their households. However, suboptimal nut collection timing and use of damaging nut harvesting methods were widespread with little effort to accommodate natural regeneration. Forest users typically recognized the degraded condition of the pistachio forest and the negative impacts of grazing and fuelwood collection on forest density. Respondents also recognized the impacts of nut collection practices, fuelwood collection, and grazing on forest regeneration status. These results suggest that efforts to sustainably manage pistachio forests must recognize considerable variation within and between communities regarding forest physical condition, accustomed uses by associated communities, and existing or potential mechanisms regulating forest uses. All of these necessitate context-specific forest management planning. We discuss challenges inherent to collecting baseline data needed for planning multiple-use community-based natural resources management in highly insecure environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Pistachio belt
• forest exploitation
• forest degradation
• insecurity
• stand density
• natural regeneration
• sustainable forest management
• site-specific management

Acknowledgments

This research did not receive any specific grant from the public, commercial, or non-profit organizations. All aspects of this study involving human subjects were approved by the appropriate authorities at Badghis and Kabul Universities, Afghanistan. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study. We would like to thank Badghis University's current and former students and employees Mohammad Fakor, Mohammad Edris, Mohammad Israel, Mohammad Rahmani, Qous Mohammad, Mola Mosa, Nasir Ahmad, Fazal Ahmad, Haji Amir, Ebrahim, Sebghatullah Rahmani, Abdul Basir, and Gulzaman for helping collect the forest stand and user survey data. We appreciate their efforts while risking their lives for collecting the data for this study. JWG and KA received support through the McIntire Stennis Cooperative Forest Research Program for their roles in manuscript preparation.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplemental data

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