Malians continue to depend on forests and trees, using them in different but overlapping ways: as a source of household fuel and food, as fodder, bedding and fertiliser in agricultural production, and as a source of revenue and employment. Nationwide, wood is the main source of energy, but it is under increasing pressure as forest reserves dwindle and the population expands. Tradional natural resource management systems can no longer cope with the effects of the intensive commercial exploitation of firewood and other forest products, which is prevalent around urban areas. There is an urgent need to consider how best to satisfy the requirements of the growing population while maintaining the quality and quantity of the country's woodlands. This paper looks at a new approach to managing community forests.

Soil fertility is one of many factors influencing farmers’ choices regarding agricultural production, fertilisation and soil and water conservation. However, before we can study the effects of soil fertility, we need to measure it. We use the QUEFTS model (Quantitative Evaluation of the Fertility of Tropical Soils Janssen et al, 1990) which predicts crop yields from chemical soil characteristics, as an indicator of soil fertility. We then compare these predictions with actual yields as well as farmers’ own estimates of soil fertility

The Evaluating Eden project aimed to address three overall research questions: What has CWM achieved for wildlife and for people? How do social, political, economic and environmental factors influence the efficacy of CWM? And, what are the key characteristics of successful CWM and how can these be spread? This document summaries the overall conclusions of the project, and synthesises and compares the discussion papers and regional reports (from Central and West Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, South Asia, South East Asia, Central America, South America, Canada and Australia).