Can gender appreciation of trees enhance landscape multifunctionality? A case of smallholder farming systems on Mount Elgon

Trees provide livelihood support functions and environmental services that contribute to the multifunctionality of landscapes. The presence or absence of trees is influenced by the interactions between ecological, social-economic and cultural elements. The role of gender in land use perceptions and changes involving trees have received little attention. In Africa, gender differentiated access, use and decision-making related to trees are common features. Divergent control and access to resources by men and women are likely to influence their perceptions and preferences for trees in the landscape. This paper discusses the results of an assessment of men’s and women’s appreciation of trees in Kapchorwa District, on the slopes of Mount Elgon in Uganda. While men and women were found to have differences in their access to tree products, decision-making powers and agroforestry practices, their land use preferences and perceptions of environmental services were similar. The paper provides recommendations on community forest management, agroforestry programmes and conservation agreements.