Abstract

The 21^st century is faced with the challenges of environmental conservation, population explosion, desertification, soil erosion, pollution, other environmental threats and increased use of science and technology. It would therefore, be vital to strengthen research and education in forest and environmental protection to equip the public and the rural inhabitants adequately for survival. This review up established that forestry extension has great implications for forest protection and conservation as the importance of the environment and forest ecosystem to human survival can never be underestimated. It is emphasized that existing and emerging scientific information about biodiversity need to be communicated and new concepts and technologies in conservation need to be conveyed if sustainable forest management and development is achievable and if the present heightened loss of genetic diversity must be curtailed. The challenges of forest extension workers as identified by this paper include lack of professional and managerial capacity, serious financial crisis due to overdependence on federal government, lack of public understanding and support and non inclusion of the women folk as most extension services are directed to men who are the heads of  households. The paper concluded that the ways forward among other things are reinforcement of forestry extension services, restructuring of existing forestry professional levels and strengthening of missing linkages across institutions needed for forestry extension among others.

Key words:  Forest depletion, forestry extension, implications, forest protection, environmental conservation.