Review on the Role of Parkland Agro Forestry in Agricultural Landscapes of West Africa and Lessons Draw for East Africa

Belayneh Bayu

doi:10.7176/jnsr/9-13-05

Abstract

Parkland agroforestry practice can provide different environmental services, especially for biodiversity conservation. This practice gets big attention with agroforestry and conservation scientists. The main purpose of this paper was to explore what are the main ecosystems services and livelihood strategy of parkland agroforestry provide to farming communities in West Africa region and the main challenges faced in conservation and management of the diversity of these trees in agricultural landscapes. What are the best practices and concerns towards parkland agroforestry in West African countries have and what lessons can be drawn to their counterparts in East African farming communities.The contributions and challenges of parkland agroforestry practices were described by different scholars. In West Africa`s region parklands as anthropogenic landscapes with a rational land use system developed by farmers over many generations and farmers select and protect tree species to diversify production for subsistence and income as well as to minimize environmental risks related to climatic variability. The contribution to the conservation of biodiversity through in situ conservation of tree species on farm, reduction of pressure on remnant forests, and the provision of suitable habitat for a number of plants and animal species on farmlands. Besides, planted trees and shrubs contribute significantly to farmers’ livelihoods by supplying food, fodder, wood and medicine. The main challenges are poor survival rate of seedlings due to moisture stress and browsing, careless field clearing and weeding, and the presence of seedlings seemed to be determined mainly by moisture availability and seed availability. In conclusion parkland in West Africa covers wide part of the agricultural landscapes providing enormous services and products to the farming communities of the region. Then the best practices accumulated in West Africa have to be transfered to East Africa through linking the agroforestry expertes and the farmers of the two regions. Keywords: Biodiversity Consrvation, Ecosystem Service and Antropogenic landscapes DOI : 10.7176/JNSR/9-13-05 Publication date :July 31 st 2019

Highlights

1.1 Definition of parkland agro forestry One of the essential strategies to conserve trees biodiversity is dealing with the scattered trees existed in agricultural landscapes
Many authors defined parklands as scattered multipurpose trees occur in cultivated or fallowed fields (Pullan, 1974; Nair, 1985; Boffa, 1999).Others defined parklands from the ecological and economical perspective: according to Bonkoungou et al (1994), defined the ecological and economical role of parklands in the farming system as” parklands are land-use systems in which woody perennials are deliberately preserved in association with crops and/or animals in a spatially dispersed arrangement and where there is both ecological and economic interaction between trees and other components of the system
The main purpose of this paper was to explore what are the main ecosystems services and livelihood strategy of parkland agroforestry provide to farming communities West Africa region and what are the main challenges faced in conservation and management of the diversity of these trees in agricultural landscapes

Summary

Introduction

1.1 Definition of parkland agro forestry One of the essential strategies to conserve trees biodiversity is dealing with the scattered trees existed in agricultural landscapes. Biodiversity conservation Traditional agroforestry parkland system practices contribute to the conservation of biodiversity through in situ conservation of tree species on farm, reduction of pressure on remnant forests, and the provision of suitable habitat for a number of plant and animal species on farmland (Fifanou et al, 2011; Atta-Krah et al, 2004; McNeely and Schroth 2006; Acharya, 2006) This diversity will make agroforestry practices more sustainable and productive as well as helping to conserve local biodiversity by supporting farmers in their choices will assist them in their livelihood strategy (Ard GL., 2003). 5. Cultural values and amenities of parkland trees Parkland trees used the local community as for handicraft, and medicinal purposes; for instance in Mali of the 20 species, five were used in handicraft production, 11 yielded traditional human foods, and 11 had medicinal uses (Gunnar Gusted et al, 2004). The other pressing challenge sahlean farmers faced is anthropogenic climate change has significant consequences for the sustainability and productivity of parkland agroforestry ecosystems upon which millions of smallholders in the tropics depend and that provide valuable global services (Dawson, 2010)

Conclusion

Findings

8.References