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Homestead Agroforestry in Bangladesh: Dynamics of Stand Structure and Biodiversity

MAHBUBUL ALAM
The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan

SWAPAN K. SARKER
Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The cultivation of different plants around homesteads for subsistence and cash income has been a long tradition in Bangladesh. This study explores stand structure, composition, and biodiversity within the homestead agroforests of the drought-prone, northwestern region of Bangladesh. In 96 randomly selected homesteads within 3 study villages, we identified 56 tree species. Among those, Mangifera indica (mango) was the most popular fruit-bearing species. Four non-parametric diversity indices were derived to provide a characterization of biodiversity. The Sørenson similarity index was also used to compare the similarity of species among different landholding size classes. The overall Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index and Pielou’s evenness index values were 1.82 and 0.45, respectively. This study confirms that the farmers had a strong preference for fruit species over timber yielding ones, and because of better growth performance natives were preferred over exotics.

Keywords: DOI: 10.1080/10549811.2011.571606

Location: Porsha thana (subdistrict) in the Naogaon district

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Homestead Agroforestry

Objectives:

This study provides valuable information for improving forest cover. We evaluate species richness and their structural characteristics, spatial, temporal and vertical distribution, management techniques, utilization, and farmers’ preferences and attitudes for promotion and development of home gardens.

Methodology:

The Study Area and Data Collection The study area is Porsha thana (subdistrict) in the Naogaon district, located between 24⁰ 54' and 25⁰ 06' north latitudes and between 88⁰ 24' and 88⁰ 39' east longitudes. The total area of Porsha thana is 252.83 km², and it has a total population of 123,160 where the male is 64,760 and female is 58,400 (BBS, 2003). The occupations of the area include agriculture (48.27%), agricultural labor (29.01%), wage labor (3.28%), commerce (5.2%), service (3.6%), and others (10.64%; Banglapedia, 2008). Agroecological, the study area belongs to High Barind Tract (AEZ-26; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO], 1988), which is the largest Pleistocene physiographic unit of the Bengal Basin covering an area of about 7,770 km². It has long been recognized as a unit of old alluvium, which differs from the surrounding floodplains. The sampling unit of this study was each individual household, and a multistage sampling technique was employed to locate these households. Porsha thana consists of a number of villages out of which three were selected randomly. Using the holding tax registers and information gathered in an exploratory phase, 32 households were selected from each village. Thus, in total, 96 households were selected for a detailed botanical survey. To collect household data, slightly modifying the criteria of the BBS (2001b), households were classified into four-landholding size classes— namely marginal (<0.4 ha), small (0.41–1.01 ha), medium (1.02–3.03 ha), and large (3.03 ha). Two methods were employed for data collection: structured questionnaire interviews with the farmers and botanical surveys in the homesteads. The questionnaire was tested in a nearby village before it was finalized. Local community leaders were contacted for cooperation prior to starting the field survey. During the botanical survey, all trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) >10 cm that was under the possession of the households were identified, and the number of trees in each species was counted. For bamboos, which are typically grown in clusters, the species to which bamboos of a clump belonged were identified and then all matured culms of all clumps were counted and recorded. Theoretical Framework Quantitative stand structural characteristics were analyzed using various stand structures such as relative density (RD), frequency (F), relative frequency (RF), abundance (A), and relative abundance (RA). These characteristics were calculated using the following formulas: RD = (Total number of individuals of a species)/ (Total number of individuals of all species) × 100, F = (Total number of samples in which the species occur)/ (Total number of samples enumerated) × 100, RF = (Frequency of the species in the stand)/ (Sum of the frequencies of all species in the stand) × 100, A = (Total number of individuals of the species in all the samples)/ (Total number of samples in which the species occurred), RA = (Abundance of the species in the stand (Sum of abundances of all species in these and) × 100.

Source of Information: Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 30:584–599, 2011

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

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Achievement/Findings:

This study communicates information on home garden structure and biodiversity in Bangladesh. The findings of the study suggest that the biodiversity of home gardens is not a random phenomenon; the species are, rather, selected based on the farmers’ preferences for a particular end-use such as timber, fruit, fodder, and medicines. Change of home garden species composition is characterized by gradual incorporation of exotic species, especially in larger households and in combination, inclination toward monoculture of exotics could be considered as a potential threat to the biodiversity of native species. The study indicates that home gardens are an important reservoir of the biodiversity of native species. It is, thus, important that the government recognizes the farmers’ role in biodiversity conservation and encourage them by supplying high-quality planting materials, facilitating extension services for education and training, and providing small loans and grants for farmers who significantly contribute to the conservation of biodiversity in their home gardens.

Knowledge Management: Journal