This empirical study measured the community's level of awareness toward forest use rights and the socioeconomic attributes influencing the community's awareness within three villages surrounding the Kawang Forest Reserve, Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 149 respondents were selected by stratified random sampling from the selected villages. A total of 29 scale-based queries related to community awareness from eight major categories (e.g., the forest resources utilization, forest resources extraction, access to forest, knowledge, encouragement, involvement, willingness and interest) were made to attain the objectives. Overall, the respondents possess moderate level of awareness on their rights as forest users with mean value of awareness of about 2.83. The respondents had a higher awareness of forest resources utilization, forest resources extraction, access to forest, encouragement and interest. However, their knowledge, willingness and involvement level in forestry activities were poor (mean awareness value ranges from 1.50 to 2.99), suggesting a need for forestry extension and motivation. There were several negative correlations among the attributes, for example, knowledge about the role of forest to community with r = −0.233. It is suggested that appropriate policy and organizational steps to integrate the local community in the forestry activities through community-based natural resources management in the buffer zone of the Kawang Forest Reserve can be a win-win situation for the local community and the forests in the long run.

Decades of forest management has shown that Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) is the key viability. In such management, the local community is involved in the planning, site-preparation, monitoring, decision-making, and benefit-sharing. Although this seems to be a practical and respectful method for forest management, some problematic issues still arise. One of the much debated subjects include the contribution of CBFM to household income and land encroachment. Hence, this study aims to provide an in-depth discussion of this matter where part of the study’s goals is to determine whether CBFM contributes to household income. In addition, the current case study also seeks to evaluate the household perception on land encroachment in Mangkuwagu Forest Reserve. A mixed methodology based on the triangulation method was employed in this research, including household surveys, face-to-face interviews, and observations of the forest and farm land. The respondents were a random selection of 174 households. Overall, the findings demonstrated that households in Mangkuwagu Forest Reserve have benefited from CBFM through labour wage and the sale of non-wood forest products. It was also discovered that perceptions on land encroachment differ according to the household’s interest and need of the land. Based on the thorough analysis of the data, the local community generally has generally gained considerable benefits from CBFM. Nonetheless, other land issues on land should be acknowledged in future studies to optimise CBFM.

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The diversity status and sustainable uses of some Minor Forest Products in Ban Thung Soong Community Forest in Krabi Province were evaluated based on Important Value Index (IVI) analysis, utilizing method and quantitative ecological data based on local wisdom. The studies were found that at the highest level of 200-300 m altitude, the number of trees and total basal area was the highest than at level elevations of 0-100 m and 100-200 m from 12 stands (20x50 m²/stand). From IVI analysis, there were 65 species of plants found in Ban Thung Soong Community Forest (BTSCF). Analysis of IVI were found that the Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub. var. kerrii (Craib & Hutch.) I.C.Nielsen shows the highest IVI with 22.37%. The highest percentage of relative density, relative frequencies and relative dominance were found in Homalium undulatum King with 7.50%, and 7.55% with Xylia xylocarpa (Roxb.) Taub. var. kerrii (Craib & Hutch.) I.C.Nielsen respectively. The numbers of species in BTSCF were 49+65 species ha^-1 and comprises of number of trees, saplings and seedlings ha^-1<...

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