Adoption of agroforestry practices: a case study from Andhra Pradesh,India

This study analyzes factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry practices using logit analysis. In particular, the proposition that agroforestry practices have not been adopted by poor households is tested using data from West Godavari in the province of Andhra Pradesh, India. Innovation-decision process was used to guide the selection of variables used in the analysis. The results support the criticism that higher income farmers are the main beneficiaries of agroforestry if only farm forestry is considered. The results, however, do not support the criticism in the case of adoption of home gardens.     

Utilization of non-timber forest products in humid tropics: Implications for management and livelihood

Community dependence on forest resources for diverse needs has high implications for long term management of forests. Sustainable extraction of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) is considered best feasible strategy for forest conservation in biodiversity rich areas. This paper examines the heterogeneity of NTFPs use by tribal communities in northeast India, a global hot spot by examining diversity of NTFPs at-large, its consumption pattern, and contribution to rural income and forest revenue. A total of 343 NTFPs recorded used for diverse purposes by tribal communities. When species choice grouped as per use category, utilization for medicinal (163 species), edible fruits (75 species) and vegetables (65 species) purposes was reasonably high. Community dependence on forest resources was 100% for firewood and house construction material. 76 plant species were sold in three major local markets while an additional 22 species traded at commercial scale mainly outside the state. NTFPs contributed 19-32% of total household income for different tribal communities, which was significant. Illicium griffithii, Rubia cordifolia, Oroxylum indicum, Swertia chirayita, Litsea sebifera, Taxus wallichiana, Valeriana jatamansii, Thalictrum foliolosum, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Everniastrum cirrhatum, Cordyceps sinensis, Aconitum fletcherianum, Nardostachys jatamansi, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Gymnadenia orchidis, Calamus, Quercus and Pinus roxbughii were important commercial species. NTFPs also generated substantial revenue to the State government, though it is falling year after year, which is alarming. To meet community livelihoods, income and forest revenue from NTFPs, it desires a thorough management plan and policy guidelines for these resources from all line departments. The knowledge on diversity, its consumption pattern, and contribution to rural income and forest revenue may enable planners to accurately plan sustainable management of NTFP resources and community development in near future.     

Soil erosion under a successional agroforestry sequence: a case study from Idukki District,Kerala, India

The Western Ghats of Kerala have been settled over the past 40 years by landless immigrants. Natural forests and cardamom (planted under forest canopy) have been widely replaced by small-holder cultivation. Settlers plant cassava and other annuals in the initial 3–5 years following clearing of the forest canopy. These crops are gradually replaced by black pepper, the dominant crop 5–15 years after clearing. Finally, other perennial crops, planted during the period when pepper was dominant, mature. A highly mixed “home garden” cropping phase is most common on sites 15–20 years after the forest canopy was removed. Soil erosion on sites cleared 1–3 years previously averaged 120 t/ha in the 1988 monsoon season. Over the same period, soil erosion under mature cardamom, pepper and mixed cultivation averaged 0.65, 3.5, and 1.45 t/ha respectively. Erosion levels appear to be related to cover at ground and intermediate (1–4 m) heights above the surface. Soil organic matter is high in the cardamom areas, declines rapidly when the forest canopy is cleared, remains low in pepper, and appears to rebuild to levels as more mixed agroforestry systems become established. Overall, there appears to be a succession in which high erosion and declining organic matter levels are temporary features associated with the conversion of sites from forests and cardamom to other phases.     

Integrated harvesting for conventional log and energy wood assortments: a case study in a pine plantation in Western Australia

Biomass or energy wood harvesting can be integrated with conventional log harvesting (saw log or pulpwood production) to allow more cost-effective energy wood supply. The efficiency of an integrated energy wood harvesting system was evaluated and compared with conventional log harvesting in a 32-year-old Pinus radiata plantation (radiata pine) located in south-west Western Australia. The harvesting system consisted of a harvester and a forwarder. The study included two treatments: a conventional log-harvesting operation where merchantable sawlogs and pulp logs were produced at the stump by the harvester and extracted by the forwarder; and an integrated energy wood operation where the harvester produced sawlogs, pulp logs and energy wood at the stump that were extracted by the forwarder. In the integrated energy wood harvesting plot, 37 m3 ha?1 of energy wood was extracted in addition to the sawlog and pulp log volumes. Extracting the additional energy wood reduced the productivity of the forwarder and increased the cost of extraction (AU$2.7?m?3) compared with the control plot (AU$2.2?m?3). Harvesting system cost was not significantly impacted, with a cost of AU$3.18?m?3 in the control plot and AU$3.23?m?3 in the integrated energy wood harvesting plot. Diameter at breast height (DBH) was a significant factor influencing the working time of the harvester, whereas load volume, extraction distance and extraction type (sawlog, pulp logs, and pulp log/energy wood) significantly impacted forwarding time. Increasing DBH resulted in longer working cycles for the harvester. Heavier loads and longer forwarding distances increased forwarding cycle time, while extracting sawlogs was least expensive and energy wood extraction was the most expensive. The marginal cost of the energy wood was approximately AU$10.2?m?3 (AU$7.0 extraction and AU$3.2 harvesting), which is about double the cost of the sawlogs. Additional material recovered in the integrated energy wood plot resulted in less residual residues on the plot (103.2 green metric tonnes per hectare [GMt ha?1]) than the control plot (144.2 GMt ha?1).     

Ethnicity, land use and woody vegetation: a case study from south-western Burkina Faso

Woody vegetation in cultivated landscapes in Burkina Faso is influenced by agricultural activities that are in turn influenced by institutional arrangements. Research was undertaken in a village in south-west Burkina Faso to investigate the relationship between species composition, diversity, density, species accumulation and land use category. Additionally the relationship between number of trees, size of farmed land and farmer ethnicity was investigated. Indigenous Tiéfo farmers had on average more than double the number of large (>4 m) trees of Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn. f., Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R. Br. Ex G. Don and Anacardium occidentale L. than farmers belonging to other ethnic groups, but this was partly explained by a larger area being available. Differences between ethnic groups were not significant when expressed per ha. Botanical inventories of fallows more than 4 years old, cultivated parklands and plantations of Mangifera indica L. and A. occidentale showed that tree density and Simpson’s index of diversity for trees were highest in the fallow. Simpson’s index was not significantly different for regeneration, but sample-based species accumulation curves indicated that species accumulation in parklands was faster than in plantations when expressed per individual. The average regeneration density was 12,605, 1,995 and 6,772 seedlings ha^-1 for fallow, parklands and plantations, respectively. This low density for parklands means that species accumulation is slow compared to the other land uses when expressed per unit area. Fallow seems the most efficient way of keeping tree diversity in the agricultural landscape.     

Assessing forest fragmentation in north-western Himalaya: a case study from Ranikhet forest range,Uttarakhand, India

The northwestern Himalaya harbors high levels of biodiversity due to its unique topography, climatic conditions and heterogeneity. Forest fragmentation is one of the major threats causing a decline in biodiversity in the Himalayan region. We assesses forest fragmentation and changes in land use land cover(LULC) patterns using multi-temporal satellite data over a time span of four decades(1976–2013). Fragmentation analysis using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool(LFT) reveals a decrease in core and edge areas by 14 and 2.3 %, respectively; while an increase in non-forest, patch area and perforation area by 2.1, 0.4, and 14 %, respectively. The LULC dynamics show that the areas under dense forest and scrub forest have decreased by 2.8 % and 1.9 %, respectively; and there is an increase in open forest, crop land and fallow land area by 2.6, 1.7 and 2.1 %, respectively. The quantification of landscape heterogeneity is undertaken with the help of landscape metrics computed using FRAGSTATS at class and landscape level, showing signs of increased fragmentation. Our study provides baseline database that can support the future biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management initiatives.     

Enhancing the value of multiple use plantations: a case study from southeast Queensland, Australia

In the 1990s, an expansion of small-scale (farm) forestry in medium to low rainfall areas was considered to be an important part of increasing the national forest estate but it remains a very minor source of timber, largely confined to the higher rainfall areas. In most areas, returns from timber are much less than for alternative land uses, even with low discount rates. If however, there are additional returns from plantation grazing and carbon sequestration and there are other potential management gains, multiple use plantations may be more attractive. The goal of this study is to estimate the net present values of multiple use spotted gum plantations in a medium rainfall area of southeast Queensland. For the case study, production, carbon sequestration and emissions data were supplemented by formal and informal interviews with landholders, sawmill staff and government extension personnel. Forest inventory, biomass and soil sampling, and stakeholder interviews were used as sources of primary data. The costs and benefits data were converted into monetary terms and discounted to produce net present values. Evaluations in this study identify the optimal rotation age of plantations to be 33–34?years. This is the case if including carbon and stock values, and using either farm- or factory-gate timber prices. The net present value increases significantly however if farmers harvest the trees themselves. In addition, at harvesting age, it was found that carbon and stock had the potential to account for 19.2 and 11.4?% respectively of the total returns from spotted gum plantations. Policy initiatives to support the farm forestry sub-sector should include pricing greenhouse gas emissions and developing and strengthening farmers co-operatives and marketing institutions to enhance farmers’ bargaining power.     

Evaluation of Populus deltoides clones under nursery,field and agrisilviculture system in subhumid tropics of Central India

Populus deltoides Bartr., a native of North America, is generally grown in India above latitude 28 °N. One hundred and six clones were evaluated for four years at Raipur situated at 21°12N latitude and 81°36E longitude. These were grown on vertisol soil. Based on growth and survival performance in the nursery for two successive years, nineteen clones were selected for field evaluation. The best five clones (G3, G48, 65/27, D121 and S7C1) were planted in an agrisilviculture system at a spacing of 4 × 4 m with soybean grown as an intercrop. After 4 years these clones had an increment of DBH by 66.5 to 77.5% and of height by 42.2 to 78.6% within one year when compared to that observed at 3 years of age. In rank order of growth the best five clones were 65/27 > G3 > D121 > G48 > S7C1. Total biomass varied between 20.9 to 35.8 Mg ha^–1 in different clones. Among the tree components, stemwood accounted for 52–61% of the total biomass, followed by branches (20–25%), bark (9–13%) and leaves (7–10%). No significant variation between net primary productivity and photosynthetic efficiency was found in different clones. Soybean productivity decreased as the trees aged, reaching 40.5 to 58.1% in 4-year-old trees.     

Litter production and decomposition in the forested areas of traditional homegardens: a case study from Barak Valley,Assam, northeast India

Homegardens are one of the oldest forms of managed land use systems characterised by high diversity and complexity of their species structure which in turn contribute to efficient nutrient cycling. Litterfall and decomposition are the two major processes that replenish the soil nutrient pools and endow sustainability to these agroforests. A study was carried out in the village Dargakona, Barak Valley, northeast India to understand the pattern of litter production and litter decomposition in the traditional homegardens. Annual litter production was 6.27 Mg ha⁻¹ with a bimodal distribution pattern and the nitrogen input through litterfall accounted for 48.17 kg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Litter decomposition studies for ten multipurpose trees revealed Sapium baccatum and Toona ciliata to be the most labile litter species and the decay rate coefficients varied among the species with differing rates of nutrient release pattern. Such studies can provide information regarding the litter quality of indigenous tree species and help validate farmers planting and management of multiple species which allows for efficient nutrient cycling of the system.     

Evaluation of coastal sandy soils and their saline ground waters for afforestation: A case study from India

A study was conducted in coastal Andhra Pradesh to evaluate current practices and suitability of coastal sandy soils for raising tree plantations. Poor soil moisture retention characteristics of these soils make irrigation an essential, but costly silvicultural practice for obtaining desirable establishment and growth. Saline ground water is the only available source of irrigation. Its use seems safe and successful in such soils. The farmers have adopted a specialized manual splashing technique (Doruvu) of seepage pits for irrigating tree plantations in their establishment phase. This technique was observed to be well suited to the sandy soils. Casuarina equisetifolia and Eucalyptus tereticornis were the two most popular species being afforested. E. camaldulensis is also in an introduction phase. Comparison of growth performance and biomass accumulation by C. equisetifolia and E. tereticornis plantations at different growth stages showed the former to be significantly better than the latter. Build up of the soil organic carbon was also found to be markedly more in comparable C. equisetifolia plantations than those of E. tereticornis. Similarly, the blanketing influence of C. equisetifolia plantations was observed to modify soil temperature extremes considerably more than in the case of E. tereticornis. The findings, indicated a vast scope for utilization of coastal sandy soils for afforestation with the successful use of saline ground waters.     

Profitability of farm-scale management strategies against the boll weevil in the tropics: case study from the Colombian Caribbean

Journal of Pest Science - Decision making in pest management is a challenging task. While pest dynamics are often quite uncertain, such decisions are often based on tenuous assumptions of certainty...     

Impact of community forest program in protection forest on livelihood outcomes: A case study of Lampung Province,Indonesia

The global to local-level importance of Indonesian forests for the environment and development is now very well documented. However, how to govern these forests to achieve the diverse and, at times, conflicting interests is still an open question. Hutan Kemasyarakatan (HKm) is a community forest (CF) that is being implemented to contribute to local development while creating sufficient incentives for conserving the forest. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential of HKm to conserve forests. This study analyzed the changes in the five major types of capital for HKm farmers. The results indicated HKm to have contributed positively to the improvement of natural, physical, and human capital. In addition to its direct impact, HKm was also found to improve the financial capital of the farmers by avoiding patron–client relationships and side payments between the pre-HKm illegal encroacher farmers (now legal land cultivators) and government officers. Although the results support the possibility of HKm producing a win-win situation between forest conservation and rural development, its future applicability, especially with consideration of population growth and associated increase in demand for cultivation land, needs to be given due emphasis.     

Litter dynamics and soil properties under different tree species in a semi-arid region of Rajasthan,India

Litterfall and decomposition are the two main processes accounting for soil enrichment in agroforestry. The extent of enrichment in soil properties depends on the tree species, management practices and the quantity and quality of litter. A field investigation was carried out to study litterfall production, decay rates, release of nutrients and consequent changes in soil physicochemical properties under crowns of four multipurpose tree species (MPTs) in irrigated conditions in farm fields. The species were Prosopis cineraria (L.), Dalbergia sissoo (Roxb.) ex DC, Acacia nilotica (L.) Del. and Acacia leucophloea (Roxb.) Willd. Annual accretion of litter ranged from 36 to 54 kg tree⁻¹ year⁻¹ and was highest under D. sissoo and lowest under A. nilotica. Total litterfall production was in the order: P. cineraria > A. leucophloea > A. nilotica > D. sissoo. P. cineraria showed the highest NPK concentration in litter. For all MPTs, a large pulse of litterfall coincided with the winter season (November to February). Litter of P. cineraria decomposed fastest while that of A. nilotica was slowest. More than 95% of the leaf litter of P. cineraria decomposed in 6 months, of D. sissoo in 7 months and A. leucophloea and A. nilotica in 9 months. Decomposition rate of litter was highly correlated with neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (r = −0.94) and P (r = −0.91) concentration. N, P and K release were best correlated with NDF, acid detergent fibre (ADF), P, lignin, lignin/N and C/P ratios and NDF alone explained 88% to 94% of the variability in litter decomposition and nutrient release rates. There was significant build up of soil organic carbon and available NPK in the agrisilvicultural systems but also a decrease in soil pH. Build up in soil fertility was significantly correlated with litterfall and soil improvement was greatest under P. cineraria.     

Considering biology when inferring range-limiting stress mechanisms for agricultural pests: a case study of the beet armyworm

Reliable niche models are a cornerstone of pest risk analyses, informing biosecurity policies and the management of biological invasions. Because species can invade and establish in areas with climates that are different from those that are found in their native range, it is important to accurately capture the range-limiting mechanisms in models that project climate suitability. We examined a published niche model for the beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua, to assess its suitability for bioeconomic analyses of its pest threat, and identified issues with the model that rendered it unreliable for this purpose. Consequently, we refitted the CLIMEX model, paying close attention to the biology underpinning the stress mechanisms. This highlighted the necessity of carefully considering how the different stress mechanisms operate, and to select mechanisms which align with knowledge on the species’ biology. We also identified the important role of irrigation in modifying habitat suitability. The refitted model accords with both distribution data and our understanding of the biology of this species, including its seasonal range dynamics. The new model identifies establishment risks to South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, and highlights that under current climate, Europe is only climatically suitable during warm seasons when crops are available. The modelling exercise reinforced the importance of understanding the meaning of a location record (e.g. persistent versus ephemeral populations) and of carefully exploring the role of habitat-modifying factors, such as irrigation, in allowing species to persist in otherwise inclement localities.     

Developing a quantitative index system for assessing sustainable forestry management in Heilongjiang Province,China: a case study

In this study, we developed a comprehensive index system for forestry sustainability of Heilongjiang Province, which includes forest resources sustainability,sustainable economic development, sustainable social development and sustainable advancement in science and technology. Based on this system and the regional forest development, we further evaluated the sustainability of Heilongjiang Province for year 2008–2013. The results show that even though the regional forestry has been preliminarily on the track of sustainable development, it is fragile. Four indicators, e.g. soil and water retention rate,forest stand growth(per unit area), the proportion of national investment and the annual carbon sequestration have important impact on the sustainability, with a weight of 39.0 % in all the indicators. We also analyzed the factors hindering the sustainable development. It turns out that soil and water retention rate, forest stand growth(per unit area),the proportion of science and technology funds, per capita GDP and the proportion of the tertiary industry production are the main factors hindering regional sustainable development, which accounts for 50.94 % of the total obstacle degrees in the system. At last, we discussed how to promote the regional sustainable development from the perspectives of forest resources sustainability, economic development sustainability, society development sustainability and the sustainable advancement of science and technology.     

Small-scale agroforestry for upland community development: a case study from Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

The potentialities of agroforestry are generally investigated through their biophysiological phenomena, cost–benefit analysis, and possible impact upon poverty reduction. There have been inadequate studies on the actual impacts of agroforestry intervention on small landholders and of farmers' attitudes toward these agroforestry programs. Drawing upon the findings of an empirical study, this article explores the effects of small-scale agroforestry on upland community development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. More specifically, the study clarifies the merits and demerits of different agroforestry systems as perceived by farmers, their impacts on the rural economy and the environment, farmers' attitudes toward the adoption of agroforestry, and impacts of various government policies. Field data were collected by administering questions to 90 randomly selected smallholders of the Upland Settlement Project (USP), as well as from project staff. The research tools employed were semistructured interviews, group discussions, and uncontrolled observations. The results indicated that the agroforestry interventions have in fact increased farmers' income through employment and the selling of farm products, as well as by improving the ecological conditions of these areas through reduction of soil erosion, increasing tree coverage, and maintaining soil fertility. The adoption of different agroforestry systems was governed mainly by the farmers' interests in following these techniques, their ability to cultivate the land in the prescribed manner, and the market demand for their products. The major obstacles that prevented increased agroforestry improvements included lack of confidence in new land-use systems, inappropriate project design (e.g., top-down innovation approach), and policy issues regarding land tenure. Recommendations are proposed to strengthen social capital in local organizations to enhance the livelihoods of the upland communities.     

Conservation policy–people conflicts: a case study from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a World Heritage Site), India

Perceptions of local people towards conservation policy and related management interventions, nature and magnitude of policy–people conflicts and, possible options for conflict resolution were analysed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site in Indian Himalaya. People's perceptions were discerned through participatory discussions covering 419 households distributed in 10 villages in the buffer zone. Traditional uncodified rights of local people were substantially reduced through policy interventions set in since 1860s. Local people as well as tourists were excluded from the core zone covering an area of 625 km² since 1982. Deterioration of rural economy due to damage to crop and livestock by wildlife and, termination of opportunities of income from wild medicinal plant resources and tourism in the core zone were the key negative impacts of conservation policy felt by more than 90% of respondents. Mean annual economic loss per household was estimated as Rs 1285, Rs 1195 and Rs 156 due to damage caused by wildlife to food crops, fruit trees and beehives, respectively, Rs 1587 due to ban on collection of wild medicinal plants for marketing and Rs 7904 due to ban on tourism in the core zone. Reserve authority granted compensation of livestock killed by wildlife but it was hardly 5% of the market value of killed livestock as assessed by the people. People did not appreciate much the present benefits from the reserve management in the form of wages for carrying out afforestation work, partial compensation of livestock depredation and availability of solar power devices, wool, and spinning devices. Approximately 95% respondents identified empowerment of local people in respect of realising income from timber from dead/diseased trees in community forests, income from medicinal plants in buffer zone and opening of core zone for tourism as potential development options. Improvement in rural economy, the prime concern of local people, has not received as much attention as legal enforcement of protection by the reserve management. There is a need for developing policies and management actions that serve the economic interests of local people together with enhancement of environmental conservation goal.     

Optimizing management of goats and oak trees for sustainability and community's welfare: a case study from Zagros,Iran

A deterministic dynamic bio-economic model was used to analyse different management options for goats and charcoal production in a forest in Zagros, Iran. The study sought optimal management options from a local community point of view considering net present value (NPV) of income from sale of goats and charcoal under different restrictions on forest harvest imposed by the state. The model was run under six model scenarios: (1) business as usual (BAU), (2) no state intervention, (3) no forest harvesting, (4) strict quota, (5) medium quota and (6) loose quota on charcoal production. The scenarios' results were compared based on four numeric criteria (NPV of income from goats and charcoal, development of standing volume and tree size diversity in forest, interaction between goat population and oak forests) and one subjective criterion (state budget for managing forest). The results indicated that two main challenges exist in forest management in Zagros; (1) to determine the balance between local communities' welfare and biological stability of the forest and (2) to choose between a cheap management regime prohibiting wood harvest but implicitly accepting some illegal charcoal production and a more expensive, but legal, harvest regulation through charcoal production quota. We conclude that the BAU scenario, where forest harvesting was prohibited de jure, but some illegal charcoal production was still undertaken, was the only viable management, which also is practically acceptable by both state and local communities.     

Organizational dynamics of an information system： case study from the forestry sector

The Forest Department in the State of Uttar Pradesh, India developed Forest Management Information System （FMIS） for achieving organizational goals of improved financial and human resource management, improvement in the management of forests and wildlife, and for achieving responsive administration. This paper, based on field research, presents an assessment of the dynamics of FMIS in organizational context for a better understanding of such systems in forestry organizations. The paper also investigates the success of FMIS in assisting decision makers in achieving organizational goals. Based on the knowledge developed during the course of the study, key learning elements have been highlighted for the benefit of the stakeholders in information systems in forest sector.