In order to examine the effects of forest resources exploitation on the economic well-being of rural households, in Delta State, Nigeria, data were collected from 306 households in 12 rural communities in Ughelli South Local Government Area. The results showed that income from forest resources exploitation contributed 41.3% to 67.2% of total household’s income; the proportion being greater for poorer families than high-income groups. The mean annual income per household was N,= 36,688.80 (US$ 286.63) while the mean income from forest products collection was N,= 14,009.93 (US$ 109.45). Forest resources extraction also provided 139.8 mandays of employment and supplied 78.2% of all households’ energy requirements. The results of the econometric analysis indicated that household size, educational status, prices of products, distance of forest from home and income affected volume of forest products exploited in a manner consistent with economic theory, and were statistically significant; though the impact of the variables on the various forest products was mixed. The adjusted R2 values were 0.40, 0.60, and 0.78 respectively for rattan cane, firewood and wild fruits.
