FUEL WOOD CONSUMPTION: A MATTER OF CHOICE OR ECONOMICALLY CONSTRAINT ALTERNATIVE; AN ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PREFERENCES IN GOMBE METROPOLIS

Abstract

The continuous dependence of human on fuel wood has resulted in serious degradation of the
fragile forest ecosystem. We evaluated the scale of fuel wood usage as well as preference for
other alternative sources of fuel and energy within the study area. We investigated the
ecological implications of over-dependence on some preferred tree species that are harvested
daily for use as fuel. Our results were drawn from Two hundred (200) structured
questionnaires administered to willing respondents in the study area of Gombe metropolis
and environs. Energy preference differed among household users, with (54.44 %) of 180
respondents favoring fuel wood, (17.22 %) gas, (10.56 %) kerosene, (10.56 %) electricity,
(6.11 %) charcoal, and (1.11 %) preferred saw dust. Twenty (20) respondents drawn from
bulk users were found to depend exclusively (100 %) on fuel wood. Anogeissus leiocarpus,
Parkia biglobosa, and Detarium microcarpum were among the three most preferred and
harvested of the nine known economic tree species recorded in this study, and may be the
most vulnerable to local extinction in the near future. Affordability, availability and
efficiency are the key drivers of fuel wood preference. Our results suggest that respondents
prefer to use fuel wood exclusively rather than as an option. We found that conversion of
woody tree species to fuel wood in the study area is unsustainable and unregulated, and pose
severe consequences for biodiversity in Gombe and by extension the North – East region.