International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 10(9): 179-189, 2020; Article no.IJECC.59232 ISSN: 2581-8627 (Past name: British Journal of Environment & Climate Change, Past ISSN: 2231–4784) Biodiversity Conservation Friendliness Status of Rural Farmers in Abak Agricultural Zone of Akwa Ibom State J. T. Ekanem1*, N. U. Okorie1 and J. Ibanga1 1Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, Akwa Ibom State University, Obio Akpa, Campus, P.M.B. 1167, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Authors’ contributions This work was carried out in collaboration among all authors. Author JTE designed the study, performed the statistical analysis and wrote the protocol. Author JI wrote the first draft of the manuscript. Authors JTE and JI managed the analyses of the study. Author NUO managed the literature searches. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Article Information DOI: 10.9734/IJECC/2020/v10i930239 Editor(s): (1) Dr. Anthony R. Lupo, University of Missouri, USA. (2) Dr. Hani Rezgallah Al-Hamed Al-Amoush, Al al-Bayt University, Jordan. (3) Dr. Wen-Cheng Liu, National United University, Taiwan. Reviewers: (1) Madhulika Sahoo, Vellore Institute of Technology, School of Business, India. (2) Bulbul G. Nagrale, Maharashtra Animal & Fishery Sciences University, India. (3) Aditya Pratap Singh, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), India. Complete Peer review History: http://www.sdiarticle4.com/review-history/59232 Received 14 June 2020 Original Research Article Accepted 19 August 2020 Published 28 August 2020 ABSTRACT Consolidating on farmers’ agro-ecological knowledge to design environmental-friendly agricultural systems is crucial given the environmental impact of commercial agriculture. The study aimed at assessing the awareness level of the respondents on biodiversity conservation, their biodiversity conservation information source(s), respondents’ information seeking behaviour and their perception towards biodiversity conservation. A survey was conducted on 120 respondents using simple random sampling procedure. Data collected were analysed using frequency distributions, and composite index analytical technique. Findings revealed that all of the respondents had average to high level of awareness of biodiversity conservation practices. Findings also revealed that the information on biodiversity conservation were mostly gotten from friends/neighbors, other farmers, radio/television and internet/electronic mails. The respondents had very positive or favourable perception of biodiversity conservation but biodiversity conservation information seeking behaviour of the respondents was not quite high. Six (6) independent variables contributed a _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Ekanem et al.; IJECC, 10(9): 179-189, 2020; Article no.IJECC.59232 multiple correlation influence (R= 0.606) on the respondents’ perception on biodiversity conservation. However, awareness of biodiversity conservation ( = 0.598, t = 6.882, P = 0.000) was found to significantly and statistically influence the respondents’ perception on biodiversity conservation. These findings are crucial for policy orientations, research and development to efficiently support the implementation of more environmental-friendly farming systems in the study area. Keywords: Biodiversity conservation; friendliness status; farmers; agricultural zone. 1. INTRODUCTION the degradation and destruction of habitats by human actions [4]. Biodiversity also known as biological diversity refers to the degree to which individual Human activities on ecosystem are steadily organisms differ from one another. [1] defines transforming them into poor system as they have biodiversity as a comprehensive umbrella term altered the global environment [5]. Alterations in for the extent of nature’s variety or variation biodiversity and ecosystem properties affect the within the natural system; both in number and cultural, intellectual, aesthetic and spiritual frequency. Biodiversity as a concept was first values that are important to society. As observed defined at the United Nations Convention on by [6] some major threats to biodiversity Biodiversity, 1992 as the variability among living conservation in Nigeria include poverty, organisms from all sources including inter alia, economic development, incomplete or non terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems implementation and non ratification by and the ecological complexes of which they are government of international treaties and part: this includes diversity within species, conventions on conservation issues, ambiguous between species and ecosystems [2]. governmental laws on biodiversity, climate change, pollution, invasion by alien species etc. Biodiversity is important to agriculture at both the subsistence and commercial levels. As observed This is in addition to economic impacts related to by [3] biodiversity and most of its interactions are the reduction of food resources, fuel and an integral part of agriculture’s productivity and structural materials, medicinal or genetic sustainability. Human beings’ survival depends resources as well as abundance of other species largely on biological resources. Africans and that control ecosystem processes leading to indeed Nigerians livelihood is dependent on further changes in community composition and having free and open access to a great variety of vulnerability to extinction [5]. biological resources for food, fibre, fuel, medicines, housing materials and economic Agriculture in Nigeria and particularly Akwa Ibom security [4]. According to [4] biodiversity State is largely based on traditional technology. represents an indispensable resource Continuous farming and shifting cultivation endowment as most rural Nigerians depend on remains a major farming system which are the herbal remedies for their primary health care, fuel primary cause of habitat destruction. These wood and charcoal for energy sources and local farming methods destroy vegetation alongside plants materials as necessary farming Indiscriminate bush burning and overgrazing. implements, housing and craft. Possible remedies include concerted effort towards the implementation and ratification of Maintenance and sustainable utilization of treaties and conventions on biodiversity, biological resources are beneficial to humans educating the populace to forgo cultural practices while exploitation of same threatens human that are inimical to conservation of biological benefits. There is need to conserve biodiversity resources [6] and possible empowerment of local in view of its importance on socio-economic lives people who depends largely on the ecosystem and survival of human beings. Conservation of for their survival. biological resources is to avoid extinction of species and ecosystem for all time benefit to There seems to be a rise in national, regional, human beings. and international policy mechanisms aimed at biodiversity conservation [7]. Formation of It has been recorded that biodiversity is under protected areas, species protection and recovery serious threat today. It is being destroyed at an measures for threatened species, ecosystem alarming rate. The principal cause of this threat is restoration, ex-situ and in-situ conservation 180 Ekanem et al.; IJECC, 10(9): 179-189, 2020; Article no.IJECC.59232 services, incorporating consideration of willingness to voluntarily seek for biodiversity biodiversity conservation into management conservation information so that they could take practices in sectors such as agriculture, forestry relevant actions. and fisheries, capture of benefits by local communities, public awareness, communication Nsengimana et al. [5] noted that the majority of and education, integration of biodiversity the rural population in developing countries are conservation and development are some of the poor and illiterate and are economically and actions taken for biodiversity conservation [5] socially disadvantaged and their information cited among others. needs have not been receiving much attention. It is not clear whether farmers in Abak agricultural Behavioural adjustments can be seen as an zone of Akwa Ibom State are familiar with and outcome of effective awareness efforts and the conscious of biodiversity conservation; what their awareness processes can be driven intrinsically perception is on biodiversity conservation and and extrinsically. [8] propounded a behavioural how they source for information about change theory which states that when knowledge biodiversity conservation practices. This study is increases, environmentally favourable attitudes therefore an attempt to provide answers to these that lead to responsible environmental actions unanswered questions by assessing biodiversity are developed. This directly implies that if people conservation friendliness status among rural were better informed, they would become more farmers in Abak Agricultural Zone of Akwa Ibom aware of environmental problems and State. consequently be motivated to behave in an environmentally responsible manner. Biodiversity The study specific objectives were to identify the conservation practices as conceptualized in this socio-economic characteristics of the rural study are concerned with the preservation, farmers, assess the respondents’ awareness maintenance, sustainable use, recovery and level of biodiversity conservation practices, enhancement of the components of biological