Ecosystem services valuation of homestead forests: A case study from Fatikchari, Bangladesh

Abstract

Homestead forests (HF) have significant importance for its economic and ecological contribution. This study tried to evaluate ecosystem services (ES) derived from HF of Fatikchari Sub-district of Bangladesh. A total 80 HF were selected as sample following a multi-stage random sampling technique. Vegetation and socio-economic data were recorded through bio-physical and semi-structured questionnaire survey, respectively from each HF. Respondents were asked to score each individual ES indicator on a 5-points Likert scale according to their relative importance, then the average score for three main ES were calculated. HF were classified into four classes based on its possessed area. The provisioning services (PS) people usually get from HF were fruits, fuelwood, and bamboo. On an average, total economic value of PS derived from each household was USD 80.96 ± 25.52. Typically, each HF could produce annually 0.7 ± 0.25 quintal seasonal fruits, 3.79 ± 1.73 quintal fuelwood, and 5.64 ± 9.31 culms of bamboos. Average total biomass and total carbon density of a HF were found 9.33 and 4.57 ton ha−1. Results of the study partially suggest that ES production increases with HF size. Discretely, marginal HF were found producing the highest average amount of fruits and had maximum carbon density potential where large HF were found with maximum average amount of fuelwood and bamboos. Meanwhile, provisioning services (4.09) were found most perceived valued ES over regulating (3.75) and cultural services (3.52). Valuation pattern was pretty similar for all HF size classes with exception to large HF. The findings will encourage the people and policymakers for promoting such household-based forest management to tackle future environmental challenges and rural poverty.