Paper Details

The study was conducted to evaluate the public perception of the effect of deforestation in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. The objective of the study was to assess the public perception on the risk of deforestation in the area. Structured questionnaire and Key Informants Interview (KII) were used to collect primary data for the study. Six council wards were purposively selected for the study; 146 household were selected using systematic sampling technique to administer the questionnaire. The data were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. The results show that majority of the respondents perceived that extinction of indigenous trees are the most noticeable effects of deforestation. The results further indicate that logging is predominantly the causes of deforestation in the area. The study further discovered that awareness on environmental education should be the appropriate strategies to curb deforestation practices; massive awareness campaign leading to forest life support, preservation of flora and fauna diversities and sustainable use of biological resources ecosystem. Based on the findings, the study recommended that since logging and agricultural activities were identified as the primary cause of deforestation, Government and NGOs through extension agents should educate farmers to adopt system that bolster sustainable conservation leading to forest and environmental protection. Keywords: Deforestation; Effect; Environment and Perception.