Homestead Forest Research Articles

Assessment of Ecosystem Services at Hathazari Upazila and Analyzing its Impacts on Human Wellbeing

The overall objective of this research was to quantify provisioning services, assess regulatory services and investigate the cultural services provided by different ecosystem in Hathazari Upazila. The dominant land use type in Hathazari is Settlement with Vegetation which covered an area of 9949.59 ha (39.06%) comprising the homestead forest, 6921.45 ha (27.18%) of forest land, 4330.08 ha (17%) of Agricultural land, degraded forest 1762.56 ha (6.92%), Barren Land 1282.05 ha (5.03%)& Water body 1223.64 ha (4.80%). The study depicted that Hathazari Upazila has a growing stock of 2.19 million m3 (316.87 m3/ha) in plantation forest & 2.81 million m3 (282.23 m3/ha) in homestead forest. Quantitative structure reveals that Acacia auriculiformis&Swietenia mahagoni are dominant in plantation forest & homestead forest respectively. Acacia auriculiformis possess highest value for basal area per hectare (6.26 m2/ha), IVI (82.92%), volume per hectare (64.71 m3/ha) & density (216 stem/ha). On the other hand,Swietenia mahagoni possess highest value for basal area per hectare(5.88 m2/ha), IVI (80.25%), volume per hectare (65.24 m3/ha), density (169 Stem/ha) in homestead. The study regarding regulating services depicted that the total living biomass (779.50 ton/ha) & carbon stock (366.37 ton/ha) for plantation forest is greater than the total living biomass (694.28 ton/ha) & carbon stock (326.31 ton/ha) for homestead forest. An amount of about 93.075 ton of fuelwood is collected from this ecosystem per year. Gross expenditure value of recreation services may be valued more than Tk. 34.50 million per year & almost 82.72% of the visitors were agreed to pay willingly which will be Tk. 2.70 million annually. During the survey people’s perception on ecosystem services was quite positive in improvement of the nearest forest &80.67% of them think homestead forests are increased over the time. From their perspective most vital ecosystem service obtained are food (72.69%) followed by wood, fiber, bio-fuels & plant oils (72.27%), oxygen (48.32%), climate & air quality (21.43%), carbon sequestration & storage (15.13%), aesthetic (9.24%), medicinal resources (7.56%), fresh water (5.46%), recreational (3.78%) and tourism (1.68%).

Role of Homestead Forests in Adaptation to Climate Change: A Study on Households' Perceptions and Relevant Factors in Bandarban Hill District, Bangladesh.

Homestead forests play an important role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. This study investigated homestead forest owners' perceptions on climate change and associated impacts, as well as the role that homestead forests could play to enhance households' climate adaptation in Bandarban hill district of Bangladesh. Methods involved randomly surveying a total of 176 homestead households at three different hill altitudes: low, medium, and high. We also analyzed the meteorological data on local rainfall and temperature for the period of 1990 to 2019. Results showed that most (76-94%) of the homestead forest owners perceived an increasing erratic pattern of annual temperature and rainfall which was supported by the analysis of local meteorological data. Forest owners´ perceptions towards changes in tree phenology, increase in food insecurity, landslides, and pest infestation, and decrease in crop production, soil fertility, and seasonal streamflow were revealed as pieces of evidence of climate change impacts that varied significantly with hill altitudes and associated ecosystems. About 66% to 97% of the housheolds perceived that homestead forests could play a pivotal role in enhancing their capacity to adapt with the changing climate by supplying diverse products, services, and environmental benefits. Understanding and perceptions of the environmental benefits of homestead forests also significantly varied with the type of households´ construction, income, and literacy of the household members. Our results will help policymakers to ensure these small-scale homestead forests are conserved since they could also provide multiple environmental benefits e.g., carbon sequestration in addition to enhancing community climate adaptation.

Composition of homestead forests and their contribution to local livelihoods and environment: A study focused on Bandarban hill district, Bangladesh

This study investigates the composition of homestead forests and the role they play in rural livelihoods with a focus on Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. We also assess the potential environmental contribution of the forests to avoid carbon emissions from fossil fuels replaced with fuelwood. Methods involve randomly surveying a total of 176 homestead forests and relevant households of the study area at three different hill altitudes: low, medium and high. Results show a total of 71 tree and bamboo species of specific or multipurpose value, representing a rich reservoir of tree floral composition and diversity in the homestead forests. The study finds an even distribution of species in the forests with an evenness index of 0.91. The higher tree species diversity and tree density per homestead forest are ascribed to higher literacy, livelihood, and experience (age of respondents) of the households in mid-hills compared to the households of the other two hilly altitudes. The harvests and sales of fuelwood, timber, and bamboo in diverse mid-hill homestead forests are higher compared to the other hills, significantly contributing to the total income of the households. Data analysis also shows that there is a potential of avoiding fossil fuel emissions of 0.22 Mg CO2 e HH−1 a−1 by using fuelwood collected from the forests at the household level. The contribution of homestead forests in the hilly rural economy and their potential of environmental amelioration by avoiding emissions warrant future policy consideration and actions in a changing climate.

Household Biomass Fuel Consumption Pattern in Rural Areas of Bangladesh

Biomass fuels contribute to the largest share of the energy uses in Bangladesh. The present study determines the household biomass fuel consumption pattern in the rural areas of Titas Upazila under Comilla district in Bangladesh using the stratified random sampling technique through semi-structured questionnaires. Data were collected from 84 households under three household land categories – poor (land area <0.10 acre), middle (land area 0.10-0.25acre) and well-off household (land area >0.25 acre). Households were found to depend largely on biomass fuel including firewood, branches, leaves and twigs, bamboo, agricultural residue (rice husk, rice straw) and cow dung mainly for cooking. Firewood was the dominant biomass fuel for well-off and middle households (28% and 25%) and branches of the tree were dominant fuel for poor households (24%). More than 40% well-off households collect major amount of fuelwood from their own homestead forests while 32% middle and 37% poor households collect tree biomass from agricultural lands. Villagers preferred mostly Albizia procera, Mangifera indica, Cocos nucifera, Tamarindus indica as fuelwood tree species. Households across three categories (poor, middle, well-off) spend 19%, 12% and 11% of their total income for buying biomass fuels, respectively. All of the three households used a traditional wood-burning oven. Among them 39% well-off households and 18% middle households used LPG. Decreasing forest resources impose threats on the availability of biomass fuels. About 70% of households think that fuelwood was a scarce resource because of the degradation of homestead forest and fuelwood production unsustainability. Villagers suggested for alternative fuel items to decrease the pressure on biomass fuel energy sources. They also prescribed inclusion of fast-growing tree species into plantation program at the homestead level. Moreover, they demanded their involvement in this plantation program. The outcome of this study might be helpful to formulate policies to meet future challenges in fuel consumption and their sustainable utilization.

Monitoring dynamic land-use change in rural–urban transition: a case study from Hathazari Upazila, Bangladesh

ABSTRACTThis study evaluates land-use/cover change (LULCC) and urban expansion in Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong, between 1977 and 2017 using satellite images. Spatial and temporal dynamics of LULCC was quantified using three Landsat images, a supervised classification algorithm, and the post-classification change detection technique through geographic information system. The overall supervised classification accuracy of the Landsat-derived land-use/cover maps ranged from 74% to 91%. The analysis revealed substantial growth of settlement (146%) and agricultural land (124%) in Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong, over the study period which resulted in significant decrease in the area of water bodies (68.9%), homestead (54.4%), and hill forest (43.3%). The research quantified the patterns of LULCC for the last 40 years for Hathazari Upazila, Chittagong, that might contribute to both development of sustainable urban land-use planning decisions and probable growth patterns.

Comparative Contribution of Crops and Homestead Forest Enterprises to Rural Household Economy: A Case Study of Keshorita Village in Bangladesh

Comparative Contribution of Crops and Homestead Forest Enterprises to Rural Household Economy: A Case Study of Keshorita Village in Bangladesh

Above Ground Carbon Stock Through Palm Tree in the Homegarden of Sylhet City in Bangladesh

An explanatory survey was conducted to assess the contribution of palm species in carbon sequestration in the homegarden of the Sylhet Metropolitan City Corporation of Bangladesh. Assessment was done by means of two stage random sampling. A total of 10 housing area were selected randomly for the study and 4 common palm tree species were found abundantly. From the observations abundance of palm trees [Areca catechu (175/housing area), Cocos nucifera (145/housing area), Borassus flabellifer (124/housing area) and Phoenix sylvestris (27/housing area)] were found higher in all homesteads in comparison with other species. Study revealed that total organic carbon (MTOC mt/ha) was highest in Cocos nucifera (12.48 mt/ha), followed by Areca catechu (4.20 mt/ha), Borassus flabellifer (3.02 mt/ha) and Phoenix sylvestris (0.59 mt/ha). Total amount of organic carbon stored by palm trees in homestead areas was found 20.28 metric ton/ hector in the study area. Study revealed that palm trees of homestead forest accumulate a good amount of biomass and is a good sinker of organic carbon from the atmosphere. Proper management of palm trees will help to improve the local, national and international community through carbon sequestration.

MO‐D‐BRD‐01: Memorial to Bengt Bjarngard – Memorial Lecture

We lost a legendary medical physicist, Dr. Bengt Erik Bjarngard, to angiosarcoma an aggressive type of cancer. He devoted his life to providing improved methods of radiation treatment for this devastating disease over the last 36 years. Bengt was born in a rural village of Bjarnum in southern Sweden, located near forest and is known for its furniture making. He migrated to USA at the age of 35 and was recruited by Dr. Samuel Hellman to lead a group of physicists that became the “mecca of medical physics” known as the Joint Center of Radiation Therapy (JCRT) at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Bengt mentored some of the best physicists in the country, and many of our modern treatments go back to the early days of research at the JCRT. These accomplishments, dating from 1969–1989, include: dose optimization using computer control; soft wedges; stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS); total‐body irradiation (TBI); CT‐planning; and radiation dosimetry. Bengt worked at Brown University in Rhode Island and at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he provided major contributions in radiation dosimetry, specifically with the head scatter model. He advocated superior calculation algorithm through the Helax treatment planning system that was on par from most commercial systems. Bengt served as AAPM president in 1979 and was a recipient of the Coolidge Award in 1998. He had a lifelong love of nature, retiring in 2000 from the University of Pennsylvania to take care of his 200 acres of homestead forest in Maine. His legacy continues through his contributions to radiation dosimetry. This session, on small field dosimetry, is a small tribute to his memory. Further details can be found in his obituary in Med Phy, 41(4), 040801, 2014.

Economic dependence of rural people on homestead forestry in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Homestead forests contribute substantially to the rural economy of Bangladesh. Rural people depend on trees and plants for their energy usage, housing, food and other forms of subsistence livelihood. In order to identify the potential role of forests on homestead dwellers, an empirical field investigation was conducted in the four Upazilas of Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. It was found that land holdings of the respondents within the four sites are the highest in Mymensingh. The study made an important observation that among all homestead vegetation between 5–6 years old, tree species are generally preferred over plants. This is perhaps due to the efforts of the social forestry extension service to demonstrate that planting trees is an important long-term investment. In all four Upazilas, there was a significant correlation between household annual income and homestead forestry, agriculture and fisheries practice, suggesting that higher income families tend to have larger holdings of homesteads, farms and pond areas. Three Upazilas displayed a strong positive relationship (nearly 45%) between homestead forest areas and annual family income; however, the Fulbaria Upazila showed a very poor relationship (0.2%) in this regard. The results of this study suggest that homestead forests play a positive role in the rural economy, in addition to helping mitigate the increasing problem of deforestation in Bangladesh.

Indigenous Plant Utilization and Farming System of Garo Tribe in North-East Bangladesh: a Means of Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation

A special type of indigenous knowledge on plants utilization and farming system was explored by the Garo tribe community in the North-East region of Bangladesh, which correspond to the severe dependence on homestead forest. Results show that the Garo are totally dependent on the natural resources and that the extent of their dependency is faithfully reflected in their ethno-botanical knowledge. Dependencies that the study addressed focused on various aspects of food, fruit, energy, timber and health care on plants products. Garo tribe community in Bangladesh followed agrosilvipastoral system in their homesteads. They have indigenous hunting procedure to trap the animal in the forest. A total of 9 foods, 15 fruits, 12 energy-producing and 11 timber species was found and recorded that the Garo used in their daily life. Moreover, Garo used 23 medicinal plants species and have vast indigenous knowledge about using herbal medicine in daily health care practices. The Garo women do mostly the household activities, managing homestead forest and helping agricultural field where men perform all hard working activities like ploughing, cutting trees, digging the soil, preparation of horticultural and agricultural land, hunting, etc. The overall quality of life of the Garo could be considerably upgraded if ethno-botanical issues and their own indigenous knowledge will complement with scientific knowledge. The findings of the study conclude that the conservation of the indigenous knowledge of the Garo tribe related to plants utilization can also be turned to good account in forest conservation and is an important tool in this tribal area of Bangladesh.

Preference and Consumption Pattern of Horticultural Species in the Offshore Homestead Forest of Bangladesh

An explanatory survey was conducted to assess preference and consumption pattern of horticultural species, their sources, location-wise planting preferences and diversity of these species in the rural homestead forest of the offshore island of Bangladesh. Assessment was done through multistage random sampling. Based on homestead size respondents were categorized into small (0.25 ha) and twenty from each category were selected randomly for the study. The study revealed that most of the farmer (75.5%) preferred to plant fruit tree species for future plantation followed by timber species (62.2%). But fruit-bearing plants were being gradually replaced by some exotic timber species such as Swietenia mahagoni, Acacia auriculiformis, Tectona grandis, Eucalyptus spp., etc. Diversity and abundance of fruit species was found higher in almost all homestead. A total of 41 horticultural species were identified and seven horticultural species among them were recognized as the most preferred ones in the study area. Consumption pattern was chiefly to meet the nutritional demand and to gain a quick monetary benefit. Average annual income from horticultural species was 7,183.33 Taka (US$102).

Floral composition and biodiversity conservation in homestead forests in Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Continued denudation of forest vegetation in national forests and protected areas of Bangladesh, due to increasing population and other biotic and abiotic pressures, poses a threat to forest productivity and biodiversity. Homestead forests, although mostly in scattered areas, provide most of the total supply of timber and timber products in Bangladesh. This study investigated the biodiversity of homestead forests in the Mymensingh District, Bangladesh. We studied the composition, diversity and structure of homestead forest species through empirical field research. A total of 43 woody perennials and 38 vegetables species were found in the study sites. Banana, betel nut, jackfruit, mango, mahogany, teak and acacia constituted the major floral composition. The abundance of horticultural species was higher than that of the timber species in all the study sites. However, among the newly planted homestead plants, timber species are gradually increasing. This trend of floral dynamics indicates a probable change in future homestead plant structure and composition. This study confirms that the homestead forests of Bangladesh are rich in plant species diversity even distributed sporadically in small areas. With appropriate models, based on both traditional and scientific knowledge, homestead forestry could emerge as an effective means for both economic well-being and biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh.

Physical and mechanical properties of plantation grown Mahogani (Swietenia macrophylla King.) from Bangladesh

The study was undertaken to present mainly some physical and mechanical wood properties of Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King.) grown in homestead forest of Bangladesh. The study was carried out following the standard test methods and comparing the finding with those of standard Chittagong Teak (Tectona grandis L.f.) reported earlier. Both the physical and mechanical properties were studied in different age classes and height positions. It has been found that the average green moisture content was 39.83%, volumetric shrinkage was 6.62% and densities in green, air-dry and oven-dry conditions were 0.53, 0.55 and 0.56 gm/cm3 respectively. The average MOE and MOR valued for air-dry and oven-dry conditions were 7712.71 and 7912.12 MPa, and 71.15 and 73.59 MPa respectively. The compression parallel to grain and perpendicular to grain in air-dry and oven-dry condition were 52.65 and 55.90 MPa, and 13.45 and 14.42 MPa respectively. The effect of age and height of the tree was significant for most of the physical and mechanical properties. Some of the properties of S. macrophylla were found relatively and reasonably lower than Chittagong Teak.

Nature, Profitability and Sustainability of Murta (Schumannianthus dichotoma (Sal.) Willd.) Based Small-Scale Enterprises in North-Eastern Bangladesh

A study was conducted on small-scale enterprises based on murta (Schumannianthus dichotoma (Sal.) Willd.) in Gowainghat upazila (sub-district) to investigate their nature, profitability and sustainability. The study area was selected purposively while a general random sampling method was followed to select individual respondents. About 94% people are involved in murta-based enterprises and there is a clear division of labour between males and female. Almost 80% of the manufacturing work is done by females. The average annual income of the artisans is Tk.65733 (USD 939) and 62% of the total income comes from murta-based small enterprises. Fresh water swamp forest and homestead forest are the major sources of raw materials and cost of raw materials ranges from Tk.127 for simple dining mats to Tk.188 for coloured bed mats. Net average profit per article ranges from Tk.127 to Tk.250. However, the sustainability of these enterprises is at risk, due in particular to shortage of raw materials and lack of supportive government policy.

Role of homestead forests in household economy and factors affecting forest production: a case study in southwest Bangladesh

Empirical information regarding the role of homestead forests in household economy is essential in understanding the importance of these resources. Identification of the factors that affect homestead forest production and understanding forest owners' attitudes toward key forest management issues have great significance in making appropriate policy responses to manage these resources on a sustainable basis. In Bangladesh, homestead forests are claimed to play an important economic role in rural livelihoods, but no reliable quantitative information exists. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of homestead forests in the household economy, examine if forest production and income vary across landholding size classes, to explore the relationships of homestead forest production with species richness, education level, and household size, and to assess the attitude of homestead forest owners toward key forest management issues. Results show that homestead forests contribute 15.9% of the household income and generate 51.4 man-days of employment per household per year. Production of homestead forests significantly varies across landholding size classes. It was observed that forest production depends significantly on species richness of homestead forests and the education level of forest owners. However, no such relationship was found between forest production and household size. The study revealed that farming families depend more on forest income than nonfarming families. Attitudes of forest owners toward key forest management issues differ significantly across landholding size classes. For example, although the majority of the forest owners prefer fruit species to timber species, the percentage of respondents decreased as the landholding size class increased, while the opposite trend was observed for timber species. The findings of this study suggest that diversification of forests and extension of education amongst forest owners would improve forest production. Furthermore, forest policy should address the concerns of the forest owners in different landholding classes and focus on their specific requirements to enhance sustainable forest management.

Homestead forest resources and their role in household economy: A case study in the villages of Gazipur Sadar Upazila of central Bangladesh

This study examines the species composition, diversity and economic importance of homestead forests in the household economy of central Bangladesh. The study documents 57 homestead forest species and their main usage in 90 households across three villages of Gazipur Sadar Upazila. Homestead forests in Bangladesh comprise a mixture of fruit, timber and bamboo species. While superficially homestead forestry appears unimportant in rural livelihoods, in reality the contribution is huge, both as a source of food security and for other necessary household materials. A clear understanding of the physical characteristics and economic role of homestead forests in rural livelihoods is vital for ensuring sustainable resource management. Income and production of homestead forestry on a per hectare basis are found to vary widely between landholding size classes. Significant relationships are identified between forest performance (production and income) and species richness and education level. Homestead forestry appears to be a potential subsistence income generating land-use practice in the study area. The economic scope of homestead forestry can be further enhanced provided the appropriate species composition of the forest is achieved and the education of forest owners is ensured through targeted management and policy interventions.

Quantitative stand structure of woody components of homestead forests and its implications on silvicultural management: a case study in Sylhet Sadar, Bangladesh

This study determined existing quantitative stand structure and its implication on silvicultural management of homestead forestry. The results showed that fruit and timber species have importance values of 57% and 43%, respectively, in the study area, which is in contrast to the commonly held view of absolute domination of fruit species. The fruit species were only moderately dominant over timber species in relation to the quantitative stand structure of homestead forests. Two fruit species, Mangifera indica and Artocarpus heterophyllus, contribute about one third of the stand structure, while amongst the timber species Samanea saman and Albizia spp. are the most important species. A simulated evaluation of soil expectation value of homestead forest showed that the existing stand structure would not maximize the financial gain perpetually, in contrast, the quantitative stand structure could be effectively regulated to maximize grower benefit without compromising the existing biodiversity. Optimization of the quantitative stand structure of homestead forests could be achieved by changing the species composition, specifically by increasing the percentage of commercially valuable species like Michelia champaca, Tectona grandis, Artocarpus chapalasha, Gmelina arborea, Litchi chinensis, Citrus grandis, Psidium guajava, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Swietenia mahogany, etc., reducing the percentage of species like Mangifera indica, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Cocos nucifera, Samanea saman, Spondias pinnata, Phoenix sylvestris, etc., and eradicating species like Lannea coromandelica and Ficus benghalensis. It was estimated that the optimal relative density of fruit and timber species that would generate optimal financial benefit would be 40.4% and 59.6%, respectively.

Tree and shrub species preferences and planting materials used by sub-religious communities in the village groves of floodplain area of Bangladesh

An exploratory study of the traditional homestead forest of two different religious groups (Hindu and Muslim) in one selected floodplain area of Bangladesh was conducted over a period of six months from January to June 2002. The species' (both tree and shrub) preferences, similarities, use and sources of planting materials, spacing and location of species in the homesteads of both Hindu and Muslim communities were studied. It was found thatMangifera indica as tree species andOcimum sanctum as shrub species were the best preferred species of the Hindu community.Artocarpus heterophyllus as tree species andLawsonia inermis as shrub species were found best preferred by the Muslim community. Floristic similarities between the two groups were found 86.57% in tree species and 78.48% in shrub species. Both seed and seedlings of tree and shrub species as planting materials were used by the highest percentage of both the religious communities. For tree species, homegarden was reported to be the highest source (39%) and for shrub species, nature was the highest source (40%), which was found in the Hindu community.

Impact of Homestead Forestry on Domestic Energy Supply - A System Dynamic Approach

A microlevel study on the homestead forest and energy consumption for cooking was conducted covering three villages. A system dynamics model was developed to identify the impacts of present trend of cutting plant, plantation rate and energy consumption for cooking on the homestead forest for the next two decades from 1990. Two policies, enhanced plantation rate and a ban on cutting plant from outside homestead i.e. natural forest, were incorporated in the model. The results show that if the present trend of per capita consumption of energy continues, homestead forest will be declining. But with the adopted policies natural forest depletion could be stopped and homestead forest would be increasing. An increase of 7.6 per cent per capita energy is observed in the year 2010, though a ban exists on collection of fuel wood from natural forest. For national level planning it is proposed that the availability of energy and its use, and the consequences interfering availability and use can very well be modeled by applying the system dynamics methodology.