A novel carbon payment scheme for improved livelihoods and better management of swidden

fallow secondary forests in the developing tropics

Sharif A. Mukul

John Herbohn

Background – Swidden agriculture

• Also known as - shifting cultivation or slash-and-burn;

• 1/3 of the tropics is under some kind of swidden practice (Dove 1983);

• About 40 million-1 billion people rely on swidden agriculture for food security and livelihoods (Mertz et al. 2009);

• Considered as the major drivers of forest degradation in the

tropics;

• Consequently, secondary forests regenerating after SC are becoming prominent forest types in the tropics;

A general negative view !

Alternative to slash-and-burn (ASB) initiative by

ICRAF

Figure: Likely global distribution of swidden practice

A swidden landscape in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh (Photo credit: MR Hasan)

• Forest area – 7.17 million ha (24% of the total land);

• One of the worlds ‘17 mega-biodiversity countries’/‘34 global biodiversity hot-spots’ with about 20,000 endemic species;

• Experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation in the Southeast Asia;

• A pioneer countries to introduce massive reforestation program to address the issue of forest loss and degradation (Chokkalingam et al. 2006);

• 7620 plant species (77% endemic) (Sodhi et al. 2004)

Case study: the Philippines

Trends of forest decline in the Philippines

Source: RMPFD 2003

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1575 1863 1920 1934 1970 1980 1990 2001 2003

Fore

st c

ove

r (m

illio

n h

a)

92%

70%

64%

57%

36%

25% 21%

18%

24%

Year

•Locally known as – kaingin;

•Blamed for majority of the country’s deforestation and forest degradation in upland areas (Kummer 1992);

•Major forestry policies (e.g. kaingin Management and Land Settlement Regulation, 1971), tried to impose restriction on it assuming a minor or negative consequences on ecosystem and the environment (Harrison et al. 2004).

•AT least 3-5 million people depends on kaingin (Mertz et al. 2009)

Swidden in the Philippines

Research question

~o~

“What opportunities swidden fallow secondary forests provides for biodiversity and carbon co-benefits, and how they can be incorporated ton an unique carbon payment scheme (under

REDD+)?”

~o~

Conceptual framework

Methodology

• Modified Gentry plot approach: transect (50 m x 5 m) surveys in 20 kaingin sites (> 1 ha), and in old-growth forests (n=5);

• 4 transects from each sites of the following fallow categories,

• Less than 5 years

• More than 5 years and less than 10 years

• More than 10 years and less than 20 years and

• More than 20 years and less than 30 years under fallow

Study area

Barangy Gaas, Ormoc City, Leyte Island

A newly opened site for kaingin in the area A ~ 20 years kaingin fallow site

A ~ 30 years kaingin fallow site A secondary forest site without any kaingin

Methodology – cont.

Vegetation survey (@ transect level) -

- diameter of standing tree (≥ 5 cm at dbh); (N = 2918)

- height of individuals, and respective position in transect (X/Y);

- diameter and length of dead trees (freshly cut; moderately

decomposed, rotten, burnt; standing/lying on ground) with dbh ≥ 5 cm (N = 1281);

Site parameters –

- fallow age, patch size, GPS coordinates, elevation, distance, slope, LAI,

topographic position, adjacent land-use/cover, disturbances.

Considerations for forest carbon budget

Above ground Below ground

Allometric relationships Standing trees (≥ 5 cm dbh) (N= 2918) Dead/burnt trees (≥ 5 cm dbh) (N=1281) Tree ferns (> 5 cm dbh) (N = 184) Abaca (> 5 cm dbh) (N= 124) (Brown 1997, Chave et al. 2005; Ketterings et al. 2001)

Destructive sampling Seedlings Saplings Leaf litter and Woody debris

Laboratory analysis Soil (0-30 cm) (N = 900) Fine roots (0-5 cm) (N= 300) Coarse root (15% of AGB)

Study finding

- 131 species belonging to 86 genera and 46 families;

- 12 late successional/climax; 58 intermediate; 61 pioneer species

- Moraceae (14 species); Dipterocarpaceae (10 species)

0 50 100 150

SA0-5

SA6-10

SA11-20

SA21-30

SF

Species

0 50 100

Genus

0 20 40 60

Family

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

SA0-5

SA6-10

SA11-20

SA21-30

SF

Endemic Native Exotic

Biogeographic origin

0 5 10 15 20 25

SA0-5

SA6-10

SA11-20

SA21-30

SF

Critically endangered Endangered Vulnerable Lower risk

Species of conservation concerns

Biomass carbon

Soil organic carbon

250

200

150

100

50

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

SA0-5 SA6-10 SA11-20 SA21-30 SF

Above ground live tree biomass carbon Above ground dead tree biomass carbon Soil organic carbon

Carbon storage at the landscape level (Mg C ha -1)

Biodiversity and aboveground carbon stocks in common upland land-cover/use in the Philippines uplands

Land-use Biodiversity1 Carbon2

Additionality3(∆) Age4 C sequestration (Mg C ha-1)

Source ∆ Biodiversity ∆ Carbon

Old-growth forest 79 321.3 - - - NA 1 Post-kangin forest

New fallow 28 160.3 -51 -160.9 5 - 1,2 Young fallow 84 101.1 +5 -220.2 10 - 1,2 Middle-aged 95 122.4 +16 -198.9 20 - 1,2 Oldest fallow 106 132.5 +27 -188.8 30 - 1,2

Dipterocarp forest NA 221 - -100.3 NA - 3

Grasslands

Imperata sp. 0 8.5 -79 -312.8 1 0* 3

Sacharrum sp. 0 13.1 -79 -308.2 1 0 * 3

Plantations Swietenia macrophylla

1 264 -78 -57.3 NA - 4

Acacia sp. 1 81 -78 -240.3 NA - 3

Oil palm 1 55 -78 -266.3 9 6.1 5

Rice paddy 0 3.1 -79 -318.2 1 0* 3

Findings and implications

- Comparable biodiversity in kaingin fallow areas and low biodiversity value of other land-use/restoration options;

- In kaingin areas C sequestration and storage mainly determined by fallow age, and it may take as much as 30 years to recover ~40% C as in the undisturbed forests;

- Regenerating secondary forests can be a cost effective forest management strategy in the Philippines and may provide superior benefits than other land-use/state supported restoration;

FELT Forests

• Fallow Enrichment for Livelihoods and Tropical Forests;

• Longer fallow length;

• No (or limited) burning of vegetation;

• Limited subsistence cropping during early years (horticulture or common forest sp.);

• Support for assisted natural regeneration;

• Community based management and monitoring;

SWOT

Strength -Targeted to small-holders; -Clear biodiversity/carbon benefits; - Prospects for poverty reduction;

Opportunities - Forest/biodiversity conservation; - Promoting natural regeneration in tropical secondary forest;

Weakness -Land-tenure; -Boundary issues/difficulties in land identification;

Threats -Likely misuse; - Funding availability; -Potential conflict with policy makers!

Ongoing works

• Global evidences of biodiversity and carbon co-benefits from regenerating forest after swidden/shifting cultivation use;

• Livelihood options, land-use transition issues;

• Elaborated policy frameworks;

• Suggestions ???

Acknowledgments

• IFRI

• PROFOR/World Bank Group;

• Uni Michigan

• ACIAR

Thanks

Photo credits: S.A. Mukul