Abstract

The study was conducted in Golaghat Forest Division of Assam with an objective to determine the extent of utilization of forest resources by the people in forest villages and their behaviour associated in forest resource utilization. The study reveals that a sizeable proportion of respondents had shown medium (45.32%) and low (42.86%) levels of utilization of forest resources. People in general, involved different utilization activities such as harvesting, conversion and consumption/domestic use of forest resources. However, selling activity was comparatively low among the people in forest resources as evidenced by 30.54% respondents had involved in selling of minor forest products. The study further shows that age, family type, family size, possession of forest implements, localitiness-cosmopoliteness, economic motivation and scientific orientation had shown positively significant relationship with the extent of utilization of forest resources. While the variable – main occupation, social participation, decision making ability and attitude towards forest resource conservation were found to have negatively significant with the extent of utilization of forest resources.

Keywords