Agroforestry as strategy in dryland restoration: experiences in India

Tree Diversity Day11 October 2012, 1030 – 1830 hrs, Rio Pavilion CBD COP 11

at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP 11)

Rengaian GanesanAshoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE)

Bangalore

India with diverse forests and equally diverse vegetation types

Out of 17000 species of flowering plants 2863 species are trees

About 69 percent (228 million ha) of India is • dry land – arid, semi-arid and dry sub-

humid• heavily populated• livelihood and food security

Three major programs on tree diversity at ATREE

1. Mapping and monitoring tree diversity and estimating value of ecosystem services

2. Understanding and enhancing  the role of tree diversity in livelihoods , using participatory approaches.

3. Restoring tree diversity, also  using participatory approaches

picture

MONITORING TREE DIVERSITY AND ESTIMATING VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Changing plant species composition and growth rates –Indicators of climate change

Permanent Monitoring Plot

Hemi-parasite, Natural death

LantanaGrazing

Fire

Effective management for conservation requires disentangling the effects of different drivers to identify those mostresponsible for species decline.

Multiple drivers leading to interspecific competitive interaction – that shapes the population structure of Phyllanthus emblica

Drought (2002-2004)InvasivesHemi-parasite plantsGrazing in Lantana-free area

Invasives, Hemi-parasite plants –Forest management practices

Shade managementAt farm scale

Sophisticated 0rganic farmingwith certification(niche for large farmers)

Rustic shadeNatural farming as a way of life

Native shade trees

Silver oak dominated shade

Coffea arabica to Coffea canephora Shade Sun –

loving coffee

Native shade trees, Pollinators and Organic Coffee

NTFP from forest patches –Persea odoratissima & Machilus edulis

Forest fragments and Orange Plantations-Pollination service

Urbashi.P & Soubadra,M.

Linkage between trees in forest fragments and Orange Plantations- serviced by wild pollinators

Trees in water shed management

Jagdish Krishnaswamy

Bandipur Tiger reserve, Karnataka• restore arid degraded forest in wildlife corridor• Livelihood availability of forest resources, • water table for downstream agricultural lands

Restoring tree diversity, also  using participatory approaches

Wild Avocado fruits – Persea odoratissima

How do farmers value the trees? • Timber• Fodder• Leaf manure• Bio-pesticide• Fuelwood• Money• Sacredness

Lopped Ficus trees in farmlands for fodder, minor timber (e.g.,poles)

Sacred tree –Aglaia courtalensis

2. Understanding and enhancing  the role of tree diversity in livelihoods , using participatory approaches.

Fruits of Indian gooseberry- Phyllanths emblica

Fodder from trees in the farmland

Fuelwood from trees in farmland

Tree lopped for leaf manure

Ecological Services Refugia – PollinatorsWind breakersSoil bindersNutrient & water cycling

Dryland farming = tree-based farming

Fruit bats

Rock bee hives

Can we help improve the condition (biodiversity) of these dry forests and also meet the fuelwood requirements of the dependent community?

Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger reserve

• The boundary in most places is sharp - Intensive Wetland Farming

• Limited Fuel wood and Fodder sources

Forest fringe villages around Protected Area-

Tree diversity in livelihoods - using participatory approaches

Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

BandipurTiger Reserve

BannarghattaNational park

Twigs of Ipomoea fistulosa – as Fuelwood

How much was the biomass requirements of these villages and can we raise the fuelwood

source outside the forest?

17 months of census fuel collectors on regular paths - 28 tons of forest fuel wood / month for three villages

Amounts to about 300 tons per year and is removed from a large area of forest roughly about 10 sq km.

Diverse native and exotic fast growing multiple purpose tree species

54 tree species – 18 fuelwood , 16 species fodder, 16 fruits, rest timber

Top 5 species constituted 55% of the basal area of which 4 are fuelwood species

HOW TO MEET FUELWOOD DEMANDS FROM OUTSIDE THE FORESTS?

Within 4 years 247 m2

basal area of trees– 42 % basal area contributed by 4 fuelwood species

Biomass generation in homestead -Fuelwood, Fodder

Three Year trees in backyard of 5 sq m, 700 kgs of fuelwood in addition to timber US$100

Income generationWomen Self-Help Group Nursery

Gmelina arborea, Cassia fistula,

COMMON DRYLAND TREES OF KARNATAKA

Bilingual field guide

AcknowledgementsFORD FoundationSir Dorabji Tata TrustDept. Biotechnology, Govt. of IndiaS.M.Sehgal Foundation