Community preferences for agroforestry patterns in supporting future forestry development

Abstract

Through the selecting cropping patterns can be used as a strategy to regulate the success rate of land management it can contribute to deciding the level of the earth’s temperature through the selection of plant species. The high level of the earth’s temperature causes various impacts such as an increase in drought, which affects the agricultural industry, changes in weather that affect the success of planting, to the food crisis. Therefore, the selection of plant species must be done correctly and in accordance with the preferences of farmers. The choice of plant types that are by following the wishes of farmers can increase the motivation of farmers to maintain and caring for plants so that the success rate of planting will be higher. Therefore, it is essential to research farmers’ preferences in choosing crop types and agroforestry cropping patterns (simple agroforestry and complex agroforestry) because the amount of carbon stored by plants will depend on farmers’ preferences. The purpose of this study is to determine the preferences of farmers in choosing types of crops and agroforestry cropping patterns by using decision-making analysis methods. The study was conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 at the Batutegi Forest Management Unit, Tanggamus Regency, and Lampung Province. Research results show that the aspects considered by farmers are the aspects considered by farmers in choosing plant types and cropping patterns were production orientation (100%), time and labor (95.65%), biophysical conditions (80.43%), knowledge (80.43%) and the ability to invest in plants (36.96%). The reasons for farmers choosing crop types and cropping patterns are income (100%), productivity (88.89%), production speed (82.22%), and ease of harvesting (37.78%). As many as 73% of farmers who choose complex agroforestry cropping patterns have a more significant role in minimizing the impact of global warming. This happens because complex agroforestry cropping patterns are able to minimize the effects of global warming more optimally with larger stored carbon stocks of 765.61 tons/ha when compared to simple agroforestry planting patterns with carbon stocks of 356.21 tons/ha.