Trees on farms: diversity, carbon pool and contribution to rural livelihoods in Kanchanpur District of Nepal

Abstract

Trees and shrubs are important component of rural farming system in Nepal. This paper assesses tree diversity and carbon pool of trees and shrubs outside forests as well as their contribution in the rural economy of the study area. In the land use classification map derived from the high resolution ALOS Pan-sharpened imagery, random selection was made among systematic grid in the agriculture class to find out the inventory plot. The plot was designed as nested plot. Firstly, tree measurement was done and then leaves, branch samples as well as soil samples were collected from each sample plot. Structured questionnaire survey was used to assess the contribution of trees and shrubs on rural livelihoods. The biomass and soil samples were analyzed using dry combustion method to estimate the carbon content. The amount of carbon stock difference between farmland with TOF and without TOF was found 26.56 Mg (megagram) ha -1 . There was 350,714.6 Mg above ground carbon, 35,103.36 Mg root carbon and 84451.18 Mg soil carbon accumulated by total trees and shrubs on farms in the District. Hence, the total carbon pool of the District in different agroforestry systems was estimated to be 470,269.18 Mg. Homegarden system was found to be a good agroforestry system in terms of having higher species richness, tree diversity and relatively higher amount of above and below ground carbon per unit area. The results also showed that the trees on farms contributed16.4% (NRs. 3689 per household/year) and 17.1% (NRs. 2613 per household/year) of farmland income and livestock income respectively. The results, thus, indicate that trees on farms have visible impacts on rural livelihoods, harboring rich plant diversity and sequestering substantial amount of carbon.

Evaluating Contribution of Trees Outside Forests for Income of Rural Livelihoods of Terai Region of Nepal

“…The finding of our study showed that there is significant contribution of TOF in total income of household which is also justified by study done by Regmi (2006). Baral et al (2013) stated that contribution of farmland tree (TOFs) was 16.4% per household per year in the Kanchanpur district in Terai region which falls in the same region of Nepal but our study showed 20.57% contribution of TOFs. It is quit difference in value, the reason behind this may be due to less percentage of TOF in the western part of Nepal in comparison to eastern part Nepal (Siraha district) (DFRS, 2014).…”

High carbon stocks in roadside plantations under participatory management in Bangladesh

“…Our recorded 36 tree species in 34 genera and 17 families from roadside plantations was higher than recorded (19 species) from roadside plantations in Kanchanpur District, Nepal (Baral et al, 2013), but fewer than recorded (62 species) from a national highway plantation in Taiwan (Wang, 2011), or in homestead plantations in Southwestern Bangladesh (146 species; Kabir and Webb, 2008;58 species;Motiur et al, 2006). These differences may reflect geographic and physiographic coverage, environmental gradients and the purpose of plantation management.…”

Contribution of integrated forest-farm system on household food security in the mid-hills of Nepal: assessment with EnLiFT model

“…It is well-recognised that forests and trees on agricultural landscapes provide rural populations goods and services necessary for sustenance of livelihoods (Sunderlin et al 2005;Foli et al 2014;Reed et al 2017). In Nepal, trees and forest are prominent features of the food production and livelihood systems where farmers for generations have been heavily reliant of the goods and services they provided (Amatya 1990;Gilmour & Nurse 1991;Amatya & Newman 1993;Garforth et al 1999;Malla 2000;Nuepane & Thapa 2001;Nuepane et al 2002;Pandit & Thapa 2004;Acharya 2006;Lamichhane 2009;Pandey et al 2009;Degen et al 2010;Palikhe & Fujimoto 2010;Regmi & Garforth 2010; Baral et al 2013;Balla et al 2014;Pandit et al 2014). With the increasing worldwide effort to curb hunger globally, the economic function of trees and forests in agricultural landscapes is highlighted anew in achieving sustainable development goals (McNeely 2004;World Agroforestry Centre 2013, p. 7;Mbow et al 2014a;Mbow et al 2014b;van Noordwijk 2019).…”