Indigenous Agroforestry Practices Research Articles

Examining Woody Plant Diversity Across Indigenous Agroforestry Practices in the Kellem Wollega Zone, Western Ethiopia

Growing woody plants on farmland not only promotes biodiversity conservation but also supports the livelihood of local communities by offering essential ecosystem services. The present study aimed to assess the woody species diversity within indigenous agroforestry practices in Kellem Wollega Zone, western Ethiopia. From Kellem Wollega, three districts: Dale Sadi, Gawo Qebe,and Sadi Canqa were purposively selected. A total of 135 plots were surveyed, with 45 plots per district across various land use classes, documenting species diversity, evenness, richness, frequency, and important value index. Fifty six (56) woody species from 29 families were counted. Fabaceae family was identified as the most dominant, comprising 7 species (12.5%), followed by Moraceae and Euphorbiaceae families, each with 4 species (7.17%). About 71.43% of species identified species were categorized as trees, while 28.57% were classified as shrubs. This finding confirmed that the indigenous home garden agroforestry exhibited the greatest diversity of woody species, while woodlots exhibited the lowest diversity. Furthermore, the results indicate significant variations in species diversity across different land use categories (p<0.001). These results underscore the contribution of indigenous agroforestry practices in enhancing biodiversity and supporting a number of woody species within their ecosystem.

Soil organic carbon stocks and fertility in smallholder indigenous agroforestry systems of the North-Eastern mountains, Tanzania

Soil organic carbon and soil fertility are critical components of soil health and play a significant role in sustaining agricultural productivity. Indigenous agroforestry practices have been identified as an interesting avenue to sequester carbon and enhance soil fertility in tropical smallholder farms. However, that potential remains poorly quantified. To better understand the dynamics of soil organic carbon stocks and fertility, this study evaluated and compared 4 different smallholder indigenous agroforestry systems (i.e., Kihamba, Ginger, Miraba, and Mixed spices) in the northeastern volcanic and block mountains of Tanzania. Specifically, we compared old and young agroforestry systems in terms of soil organic carbon stocks and soil fertility (proxied by effective cation exchange capacity (eCEC)). In each agroforestry system, a network of old and young tree farm plots were selected for soil sampling at different depths and physico-chemical parameters were analyzed (soil organic carbon, texture, bulk density, pH-H2O, and eCEC). Our findings showed that there was no significant difference between young and old agroforestry systems in terms of soil organic carbon stocks, except in the Kihamba system on the slopes of Kilimanjaro. The highest soil carbon sequestering potential was found in the old Kihamba (located on Nitisols) compared to other systems on Acrisols. Young agroforestry in Ginger and Miraba appeared to have a higher capacity to sequester soil carbon than Mixed spices. Regarding eCEC levels, there was a significant difference between old and young agroforestry systems in both the Kihamba and Miraba system. At the 0–10 cm depth, the highest eCEC levels were found in young agroforestry for Kihamba, Miraba, and Mixed spices. Our results implied that specific management and restoration strategies should focus on optimizing soil fertility and carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems in the South Pare and Usambara Mountains characterized by low-fertility Acrisols.

Agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in drylands of Ethiopia

Agroforestry practices have gained attention as a means to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers to climate threats. However, their role in building resilient livelihoods and adapting to climate change is not well studied in Ethiopia. Through our study, we evaluated the significance of indigenous agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and livelihood resilience in different agroecologies of Northern Ethiopia. We interviewed 197 households to gather insightful data, and statistical analyses, including Chi-square, Pearson’s correlation, ANOVA, and multinomial regression, were employed to analyze the data. Our findings reveal that farmers are proactively responding to the impacts of a changing climate by making strategic shifts in crop varieties, livestock types, and tree species, which they believe strengthen their adaptive capacity. Indigenous agroforestry emerged as the third most preferred climate change adaptation option among farmers, following livestock and off-farm activities. Additionally, on-farm trees were identified as the third most significant livelihood asset for farming households, underscoring the pivotal role of indigenous agroforestry in bolstering livelihood resilience. Indigenous agroforestry practices offer a multitude of benefits, including wood, livestock fodder, and crucial ecosystem services, particularly during periods of climate shocks. This not only enhances farmers’ adaptive capacity but also alleviates pressure on neighboring natural forests. Notably, on-farm trees exhibited a substantial positive impact on crop productivity, household income, and overall climate change adaptation capabilities. Despite variations observed across different agroecologies, on-farm trees accounted for an impressive 34.35% of the household’s total income, further highlighting their significance in fostering long-term livelihood resilience. In conclusion, our study emphasizes the urgent need to scale up indigenous agroforestry practices as a means to enhance short-term adaptive capacity and foster long-term resilience.

Impacts of indigenous agroforestry practices and elevation gradient on ecosystem carbon stocks in smallholdings’ farming system in South-Central Ethiopia

Impacts of indigenous agroforestry practices and elevation gradient on ecosystem carbon stocks in smallholdings’ farming system in South-Central Ethiopia

The “Guamúchil” cultivation in a Mexican cultural landscape: A wild food source for people and birds

Indigenous management of biocultural resources can influence behavior of non-target animals. Hence, identifying shared resources between indigenous communities and fauna is essential to understand the ecological relationships that occur within cultural landscapes and promote sustainable practices. In this ethnoecological research we analyzed the feeding importance of a wild food that is used by both people and birds. We employed unstructured interviews and a survey to learn about food resources used by people of a Nahua community in western Mexico. Trees were frequently mentioned by locals; thus, we determined salience and cultural meaning of arboreal feeding sources for the indigenous community. The “Guamúchil” or Manila tamarind (Pithecellobium dulce) was the most bioculturally salient tree for the feeding and economy of local people, and we evaluated its significance for birds too. We analyzed avian foraging behavior to estimate the number of species that used the tree as a food source, the relevance of Guamúchil as foraging substrate, food types provided by this tree, and the avian feeding use of Guamúchil when it was locally employed as a live fence. We observed that local people tracked fruiting Guamúchil across the landscape and cultivated it in homegardens to facilitate fruit access. Seed pods were locally appreciated for direct consumption by households and commercialization. Guamúchil’s cover was low in the surrounding forest (mean: 0.4, standard deviation: 0.7), but much higher in homegardens (mean: 20.9, standard deviation: 16.3). We estimated that about a fourth of the avian species that foraged across the cultural landscape during our sampling feed on Guamúchil. Birds prey on invertebrates associated with this tree, but Guamúchil was mostly important to avian foraging for the fruit it produces. We determined that live fences of Guamúchil functioned as complementary food sources to birds. Our research shows how humans and birds share key feeding resources within cultural landscapes. Also, we depict how indigenous agroforestry practices positively impact wildlife foraging, which should be promoted as conservation and restoration tools to support sustainability. Identifying key foods and analyzing their use might facilitate the development of activities aimed to benefiting both humans and animal communities.

An Overview and Future Outlook of Indonesian Agroforestry: a Bibliographic and Literature Review

Indonesian agroforestry has been developed along the history, since been reported that home garden was practiced from 3,000 BC in Java Island. However, agroforestry practices were recognized to have less contribution to people welfare and environmental sustainability. Bibliometric and literature studies extracting baseline information from thousands of publications were done to analyse history and future projection of Indonesian agroforestry. Research and publication on Indonesian agroforestry is steadily increasing in number and quality. Topics related with traditional land use system and ecosystem services were frequently found, and therefore classified as motor themes. There were 16 most attractive commodities stated in the publications, including palm oil and rubber. Rubber agroforest was the only system that pay interest in several decades. There were many researches on indigenous agroforestry practices in the islands, but mostly (77%) concentrated in Java Island, especially studying private forest and home garden. The research on the issues of population pressure on forestland and efficient use of resources are the most popular topic in the decades. In the recent decade, broader theme of research was found including climate change and long-term livelihood. Based on the study, indigenous agroforestry is still important subject to study, but future roadmap of agroforestry must be developed by integrating forestry and agriculture approaches.

The potential of Amazon indigenous agroforestry practices and ontologies for rethinking global forest governance

This article explores the potential of Amazon indigenous agroforestry practices and forest understandings for making global forest governance more nuanced and thus rethinking the value of forests in the context of multiple global crises. Indigenous forest practices and their inherent knowledge are included in current global governance in very limited ways. Onto-epistemological openings in forest policies are needed in the face of converging climate, food and health crises. The indigenous forest relations and practices analyzed here may offer possibilities for such onto-epistemological openings. The current FAO and UNFCCC forest definitions are contrasted with indigenous forest understandings. While the current national and global definitions of forests contain a wide range of discrepant definitions, making the application of a shared forest policy difficult and even impossible, most institutional definitions share a positivist and technical approach to forest defining and governance. National and global discrepancies in definitions exist within the politics-as-usual process of forest defining, politics that could be challenged by the political ontology of forests that questions the deeper level of how forests should be conceptualized, placing greater emphasis on care, reciprocity, and the type of relational approach present among Amazon indigenous communities.

Carbon Stock of Indigenous Agroforestry Practices in Dellomenna District Southeast Ethiopia: Implication for Climate Change Mitigation

Trees in agroforestry systems are potential sinks of atmospheric carbon (C) due to their fast growth, productivity, high and long-term biomass C stock. Soil under forest and agroforestry also plays a major role in global C sequestration. This study was initiated to assess woody species and soil C sequestration of traditional agroforestry practices. Three study sites (namely: Buriketu, Chire and Erba) were systematically selected based on the presence of traditional agroforestry practices. Forty eight sample quadrats (16 quadrats in each site) having an area of 20m x 20m (400 m 2 ) were used for vegetation biomass estimation. Soil organic carbon (SOC) was sampled by using “X” design at depths of 0-30cm within each quadrats. Woody species biomass carbon stocks were estimated using an allometry equation of Y (Kg) = 34.4703 - 8.0671 DBH + 0.6589 DBH 2 . The types of agroforestry practices found in the study area are scattered trees in farm lands (parkland agroforestry), homegarden and live fence system. The mean AGBC stock showed an increasing trend from DBH ≥ 5 cm to 71 cm while a decreasing trend was noticed greater than 71 cm diameter classes. The mean carbon stocks (Means±Std) of different carbon pools in the indigenous agroforestry practice were 47.82±10.09, 11.96±2.52, 59.77±12.61, 150.61±6.9, 210.39±14.1 for AGBC stock, BGBC stock, TBC stock, SOC and TCSD, respectively. CO 2 assimilation by total biomass of woody species ≥ 5cm DBH in traditional agroforestry practices was estimated to be 219.15ton/ha. Estimation of CO 2 sequestration indicated that indigenous agroforestry practices of the area have been sequestered (772.02 ton/ha). The results of the present study confirmed that indigenous agroforestry practice play a major role in climate change mitigation. This study was focused on the biomass carbon stock of woody species ≥5 cm DBH, however, woody species &lt;5cm DBH, dead wood, dead standing trees, fallen branches and litter-fine woody debris were also have a potential for C stock, thus further study on these components is recommended to provide reliable information. Keywords Biomass carbon, Ecosystem services , Global warming, Soil organic carbon. DOI : 10.7176/JEES/9-5-03 Publication date :May 31 st 2019

Carbon Stock of Indigenous Agroforestry Practices in Dellomenna District Southeast Ethiopia: Implication for Climate Change Mitigation

Trees in agroforestry systems are potential sinks of atmospheric carbon (C) due to their fast growth, productivity, high and long-term biomass C stock. Soil under forest and agroforestry also plays a major role in global C sequestration. This study was initiated to assess woody species and soil C sequestration of traditional agroforestry practices. Three study sites (namely: Buriketu, Chire and Erba) were systematically selected based on the presence of traditional agroforestry practices. Forty eight sample quadrats (16 quadrats in each site) having an area of 20m x 20m (400 m 2 ) were used for vegetation biomass estimation. Soil organic carbon (SOC) was sampled by using “X” design at depths of 0-30cm within each quadrats. Woody species biomass carbon stocks were estimated using an allometry equation of Y (Kg) = 34.4703 - 8.0671 DBH + 0.6589 DBH 2 . The types of agroforestry practices found in the study area are scattered trees in farm lands (parkland agroforestry), homegarden and live fence system. The mean AGBC stock showed an increasing trend from DBH ≥ 5 cm to 71 cm while a decreasing trend was noticed greater than 71 cm diameter classes. The mean carbon stocks (Means±Std) of different carbon pools in the indigenous agroforestry practice were 47.82±10.09, 11.96±2.52, 59.77±12.61, 150.61±6.9, 210.39±14.1 for AGBC stock, BGBC stock, TBC stock, SOC and TCSD, respectively. CO 2 assimilation by total biomass of woody species ≥ 5cm DBH in traditional agroforestry practices was estimated to be 219.15ton/ha. Estimation of CO 2 sequestration indicated that indigenous agroforestry practices of the area have been sequestered (772.02 ton/ha). The results of the present study confirmed that indigenous agroforestry practice play a major role in climate change mitigation. This study was focused on the biomass carbon stock of woody species ≥5 cm DBH, however, woody species &lt;5cm DBH, dead wood, dead standing trees, fallen branches and litter-fine woody debris were also have a potential for C stock, thus further study on these components is recommended to provide reliable information. Keywords Biomass carbon, Ecosystem services , Global warming, Soil organic carbon. DOI : 10.7176/JRDM/54-01 Publication date : April 30 th 2019

Various patterns of retaining trees in indigenous agroforestry practices in the mid-hills of Nepal

Abstract available on the PDFBanko Janakari Vol.12(1) 2002: 35-41

Indigenous agroforestry in a changing context: The case of the Erumanen ne Menuvu in Southern Philippines

Research on indigenous agroforestry, especially its role in enhancing food security among the indigenous peoples confronted with degraded environments and market forces, is of paramount importance. Employing qualitative research methods, this study documents the pengengewiran, a type of indigenous agroforestry system practiced by the Erumanen ne Menuvu, an indigenous group in Southern Philippines. Based on existing form of classification, the study revealed that pengengewiran is an “integral” form of swidden system which is also a type of agroforestry. Further analysis of the data showed that the Erumanens' adherence to the customary practice of pengengewiran is influenced by existing communal resources, social relations, and high regard for deities. On the other hand, recent changes in their farming practices, including the shortening of fallow period and the incorporation of lowland rice into indigenous farming system, are attributed to the changing ecological condition of the uplands and the socio-economic process upon which they are embedded. The paper contends that socio-economic and environmental factors trigger changes in indigenous agroforestry practices and these dynamics have to be understood and better appreciated if just and effective policies and programs on forest resource management are to be crafted.

Indigenous Agroforestry Systems in Amazonia: From Prehistory to Today

Understanding the historical development of indigenous systems will provide valuable information for the design of ecologically desirable agroforestry production systems. Such studies have been relatively few, especially in Amazonia. The agroforestry systems in Amazonia follow a trail that begins with the arrival of the first hunter-gatherers in prehistoric times, followed by the domestication of plants for agriculture, the development of complex societies rich in material culture, the decimation of these societies by European diseases, warfare, and slavery, the introduction of exotic species, and finally, the present-day scenario of widespread deforestation, in which agroforestry is ascribed a potential role as an alternative land use. Despite the upheavals which occurred in colonial times, greatly reducing the population of native tribes, a review of anthropological and ethnobiological literature from recent decades indicates that a great variety of indigenous agroforestry practices still exist, ranging from deliberate planting of trees in homegardens and fields to the management of volunteer seedlings of both cultivated and wild species. These practices result in various configurations of agroforestry systems, such as homegardens, tree/crop combinations in fields, orchards of mixed fruit trees, and enriched fallows. Together they constitute a stock of knowledge developed over millenia, and represent technologies that evolved along with the domestication of native forest species and their incorporation into food production systems. This knowledge is the basis for the principal agroforestry practice employed by farmers in Amazonia today, the homegarden, and has potential to contribute to the development of other agroforestry systems.

Political Ecology and Cultural Change: Impacts on Swidden-fallow Agroforestry Practices among the Mopan Maya in Southern Belize

Little agroecological research examines indigenous agroforestry practices that appear to be unsustainable, and how such practices devolved from more environmentally sound land use strategies that have been documented by geographers and others. This paper discusses the political ecological factors that led the Mopan Maya to reject a diverse swidden-fallow management strategy for a system where an abandoned milpa provides few forest products. In doing so, this paper explains the process whereby cultural change, in this case rejection of certain agricultural traditions, leads to a less diverse agricultural landscape and ultimately a less diverse biological landscape.

Indigenous market-oriented agroforestry: dissecting local diversity in western Amazonia

This paper reports on a study of local diversity and variation in indigenous agroforestry practices among Amazonian peasants in a traditional community near Iquitos, Peru. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews with agroforestry-reliant households n = 36) on farming practices, demographic characteristics, income-expenditures and household wealth. Visits to crop fields and forest fallows n = 329) allowed the reconstruction of extensive cropping histories. More in-depth assessments of crop occurrence, density and diversity were conducted on 83 fields. Our results indicate considerable variation in field characteristics, agroforestry-cycles, and household agroforestry portfolios. Agroforestry practice is found to be strongly related to access to land within the community: households holding more land use both potentially more sustainable and more lucrative swidden-fallow agroforestry systems. Our results question the view of indigenous agroforestry systems as intrinsically ‘stable, equitable, and sustainable’, and underscore the importance of studying local variation in indigenous agroforestry practices. Promising avenues are discussed for future research on the factors related to the successful adoption of sustainable agroforestry systems.

Kikuyu agroforestry: an historical analysis

This paper provides a historical analysis of indigenous agroforestry practices among Ndia and Gichugu Kikuyu cultivators in Kirinyaga District, Kenya. The Kikuyu have long-devised agroforestry practices such as selective cutting, protection of woodland, and intercropping, in response to competing pressures for retaining and removing tree cover. Traditional religious beliefs, common property resource tenure, and farm forestry practices contributed to the conservation of trees. It is argued that indigenous agroforestry techniques and strategies mitigated the impact of deforestation by incorporating valued multipurpose trees in local production systems. The paper briefly examines how indigenous agroforestry was modified by state forestry, agricultural, and land use policies and programs. Although communal tree management strategies have collapsed, indigenous farm forestry practices remain a resilient and viable part of contemporary land use strategies.

Indigenous Kikuyu agroforestry: A case study of Kirinyaga, Kenya

This article analyzes agroforestry practices among the Ndia and Gichugu Kikuyu of Kirinyaga, Kenya, at the turn of the century, before the onset of colonial rule. It describes ways in which people adapted to competing pressures for retaining and removing tree cover. It shows how religious beliefs, tenure relations based on a communal property-rights regime, and farm forestry practices contributed to the conservation of trees. Such strategies were not aimed at reversing deforestation, but mitigating its impact by incorporating valued trees into local sociocultural and household production systems. The article points out that indigenous agroforestry practices need to be viewed in the context of local socioeconomic and ecological differences. It also considers the impact of the caravan trade on land use during the late 1800s. Tree scarcity in the late precolonial era is briefly contrasted with the area's “woodfuel crisis” of the 1980s.

Agroforestry in the arid zones of India

The arid regions of India cover over 300,000 km2 and are spread over six States, mostly in the northwestern parts of the country. In spite of the hostile environmental conditions, several indigenous agroforestry practices are being practised in this region. The Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI) has made considerable progress in improving these indigenous practices and also developing new land use technologies some of which involve agroforestry approaches. Notable among these include sand-dune stabilization, shelterbelt plantations, tree planting techniques in difficult land forms, silvopastoral and agrisilvicultural systems, introduction and improvement of fruit trees and other indigenous trees, etc. Some of these technologies are adopted on a large scale by farmers in the arid zone of India, and have attracted international attention in other arid parts of the world. This paper is a summary of the results of these agroforestry initiatives of CAZRI.