Socio-economic Impacts of Ecosystem Service Degradation in Southern Ecological Zone of Taraba State Nigeria

The degradation of ecosystem services poses a critical threat to rural livelihoods and socio-economic stability in resource-dependent regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This study investigates the perceived socio-economic impacts of ecosystem service decline across five Local Government Areas (LGAs); Bali, Gashaka, Sardauna, Takum, and Ussa—in the Southern Ecological Zone of Taraba State, Nigeria. Employing a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 450 randomly sampled households using a structured questionnaire with a 5-point Likert scale, complemented by 15 key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and thematic analysis were utilized to analyze the data. Findings reveal a hierarchy of perceived impacts, with declining community well-being ranked as the most severe (Mean = 3.69), followed by disproportionate impacts on women (Mean = 2.10) and heightened youth unemployment (Mean = 2.09). Spatial analysis identified Ussa LGA as experiencing the highest socio-economic stress (Mean = 2.86), attributable to its high forest dependence and ecological fragility. While perceived severity varied across LGAs, statistical tests indicated no significant differences in perceptions between groups for most impact indicators, underscoring a universally shared concern. The study concludes that ecosystem degradation is a pervasive driver of socio-economic vulnerability, exacerbating gender disparities, limiting livelihood options, and undermining community resilience. The results advocate for context-specific, gender-sensitive interventions that integrate ecological restoration with sustainable livelihood programs to mitigate these cascading impacts and support the achievement of local and global sustainable development goals