Land cover change and fertility in West-Central Africa: rural livelihoods and the vicious circle model

This study provides a unique test of both theories by examining the relationship between land cover change and fertility across hundreds of rural communities in four West-Central African countries. The findings reveal a complex relationship between natural capital a nd fertility. In communities where natural capital was initially low, a further decline in that capital is associated with both higher fertility preferences and levels. However, we find that fertility preferences and behavior are often discordant, with notable within-community differences in respons e to decline in natural capital across levels of household wealth.
Source: Population and Environment - Category: Environmental Health Source Type: research