Cocoa agroforests are dominant agricultural systems on the forest margins of Cameroon. Their management remains complex involving close interplay and trade-offs in social, ecological, economic and policy questions. To protect the cocoa crop and increase the net livelihood worth of cocoa agroforests, farmers maintain and or integrate diverse indigenous tree species in them. In a broadening context of environmental management these small holder, resource-poor farmers thus face important challenges in balancing livelihoods and conservation goals. This paper focuses on the characterization of cocoa agroforests on the forest margins of Cameroon in central Africa. It seeks to improve understanding of the complex relationships between livelihoods and cocoa agroforest land-use. It focuses on how farmer management decision scenarios can influence the architecture and indigenous trees biodiversity in cocoa agroforests. Methods used involved a rapid socio-economic survey, structural characterization and rapid biodiversity assessment of indigenous tree species in at least eight hectares of non contiguous cocoa agroforests. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze socio-economic and structural variables. Non parametric tests were used to evaluate changes in structural characteristics following management decision scenarios by farmers. Interpretation of results shows food security to be a major land use preoccupation of farmers. Due to revenue potential and high density of useful fruit and food trees cocoa systems can help slow down need for deforestation, maintain carbon and stabilize forest margins. Strata containing useful trees for food and fruits are most carefully managed and conserved in comparison with strata containing mainly medicinal and fuel wood trees. Despite species elimination scenario the basic proportionality and balance between bottom and upper stratums is maintained. Although overall species abundance reduces following eliminations, true diversity shows a slight positive change due probably to increased relative diversity of indigenous tree species. Summarily therefore, farmer management of cocoa systems appears undisruptive of both structure and biodiversity of indigenous trees.
Tag: biodiversity
Opportunity for conserving and utilizing agro-biodiversity through agroforestry in Southern Africa
Traditional approaches to biodiversity conservation focused on protection of natural habitats in parks and reserves while neglecting the potential to conserve agrobiodiversity in farming systems that could provide other direct and indirect benefits necessary for livelihoods and ecosystem functioning. Quantitative assessments of tree biodiversity have mostly focused on traditional production systems such as shifting cultivation in the miombo ecozone, home gardens and the parkland systems; and to a lesser extent the below ground biodiversity with respect to micro flora and fauna as a function of soil fertility improvement. Agroforestry systems, in contrast to intensive monocultures, may provide high quality habitats for biodiversity conservation. In the case of trees on the landscape, the use of non-timber forest products as a livelihood strategy, particularly for food, nutrition, medicine and’safety net’ during lean periods, has been one of the drivers of biodiversity conservation. In southern Africa, research that has addressed biodiversity albeit indirectly include indigenous fruit tree domestication and the screening of multi-purpose tree germplasm for improved agroforestry systems and/or technologies. This paper highlights the state of knowledge on the contribution of agroforestry to agrobiodiversity in southern Africa. It draws on the huge body of data on the genetic diversity of agroforestry trees used to meet diverse livelihood needs including those used for soil fertility replenishment, provision of animal fodder, fruits, medicinal products and, fuelwood and timber.
Tree species diversity and spatial distribution patterns on agricultural landscapes in sub-humid Oromia, Ethiopia
Trees are important components of agricultural landscapes in different parts of Ethiopia, and information on their type, diversity and distribution in sub-humid agroecologies is essential for designing interventions. A study was conducted to evaluate tree diversity and their spatial patterns in agricultural landscapes under different land use categories in four selected sub-humid sites in Western Oromia, Ethiopia. Tree inventory was conducted on 100 homesteads (19 ha), 18 crop lands (35 ha) and 11 grazing lands (5.5 ha) belonging to 100 randomly selected households. A total of 82 tree species were identified: 67 in the homesteads, 52 in the crop lands and 29 in the grazing lands. The density of trees varied from 68 trees per ha in crop lands to 801 trees per ha in homesteads. Diversity indices revealed that homestead was the most diverse with Shannon index of 2.42, and Simpson index of 0.84. The density of trees among the tree communities in the four sites varied from 133 in Bako Tibe to 476 in Jima Arjo, but not any one of the sites had more diverse tree community as revealed by the Rènyi diversity profiles analysis. The three dominant tree species in the agricultural landscapes were Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Vernonia amygdalina and Cordia africana. Pearson correlation analysis showed that high tree species density, richness and diversity had high association with homesteads than with crop lands and grazing lands. It also revealed significant positive correlations between land size and evenness, and latitude and evenness whereas there were significant negative correlations between family size and Shannon diversity index, and land size and tree density. The majority (81.6%) of the trees were established through plantation and only 18.4% were regenerated naturally. The proportion of planted trees varied from 68% in Gobu Seyo to 94.1% in Guto Gida. The study showed that agricultural landscapes harbour high diversity of tree species with a spatial pattern, and increasing the tree cover with focus in the crop lands is essential for improved resilience of the agricultural systems and for circa-situm conservation of biodiversity.
The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture
The report complements other global assessments prepared under the auspices of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which have focused on the state of genetic resources within particular sectors of food and agriculture.
Remote Sensing and Climate Data for Targeting Landscape Restoration in Africa
Tackling land degradation and restoring degraded landscapes require information on areas of priority intervention, since it is not economi-cally and technically possible to manage all areas affected. Recent developments in data availability and improved computational power have enhanced our understanding of the major regional drivers of land degradation and possible remedial measures at different scales. In this study, we have used land degradation hotspots, which were identified using satellite and climate data covering the period of 1982–2003 (Vlek et al. 2010). We then simulated the potentials of different management measures in tackling land degradation in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Scenario analysis results show that about 14 million people can benefit from the application of sustainable land management (e.g., integrated soil fertility management, conservation agriculture, and soil and water conservation) techniques targeted to improve the productivity of croplands. Fallowing degraded areas and allowing them to recover (e.g., through exclosures and agroforestry) could improve land productivity. However, this intervention requires appropriate and improved methods that can accommodate the needs of about 8.7 million people who utilize those “marginal” areas for crop production or livestock grazing. This chapter presents the benefits of utilizing long-term satellite data to analyze the potentials of targeted land management and restoration measures for improv-ing land productivity in SSA. This approach and framework can also be used to design suitable land-use planning for the restoration of degraded areas and to perform detailed cost-benefit and trade-off analysis of various interventions.
Effects of Prosopis juliflora Invasions on land use/cover change in South Afar region, Northeast Ethiopia
Prosopis juliflora(henceforth referred as Prosopis) plant is an invasive species affecting the health of rangelands in Afar region of Ethiopia. The study aims to assess (1) the effects of Prosopisinvasion on land use land cover (henceforth referred to LULC), and (2) extent of vegetation cover changes. We used a combination of remote sensing data and field observations to analyze the effects Prosopisinvasion on land use/ land cover dynamics and changes (LULCC) for the patterns and dynamics of land-use/cover changes for 31 years from 1986 to2017 in the arid and semi-arid of Sothern Afar rangelands, Ethiopia. The overall accuracy for 1986, 2000, and 2017 were 81.4%, 82.3%, and 84.9% with Kappa statistics of 0.77, 0.79, and 0.82 respectively. InAmibara district, farmlands, water bodies, land under Prosopis, and grassland areas were increased during 1986-2017 by 1879 ha (10.8%), 1197 ha (55.6%), 3132 ha (99.0 %), and 31,039 ha (22.0 %), respectively. However, bare lands and woodlands areas were decreased by 1239 ha (56.7 %) and 36,065 ha (49.9 %), respectively. In Awash Fentale district, changes in land use/land cover types showed positive trends for farmlands, water bodies, Prosopis, and grazing lands by 4258 ha (81.4 %), 1035 ha (97.4 %), 2335 ha (97.0 %), and 18,187 ha (25.8 %) respectively in the same period. However, bare lands and woodland areas decreased by 59.78 ha (59.8 %) and 51 ha (50.9 %), respectively. If the present change continues, pastoralists grazing lands will be lost.
Sustaining Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Mountains make up 24% of the world’s land area, are home to 20% of the world’s population, provide 60–80% of the world’s fresh water, and harbour 50% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots (well-established). The United Nations recognized the importance of mountain ecosystems, both for conserving biological diversity and for sustaining humanity, in Chap. 13 of Agenda 21. More generally, ecosystem diversity, species diversity, genetic diversity, and functional diversity all play key roles in the ecosystem services that benefit people and communities (well-established).
Biodiversity and agrobiodiversity in Sri Lanka: village tank systems
The main feature of the ancient irrigation systems of Sri Lanka were intricate networks of small to gigantic reservoirs (wewa or tanks) connected through a series of feeder canals that brought water for year-long rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivation in the dry zone. Irrigation systems with large number of interconnected reservoirs have evolved since the third century bc. These ancient irrigation systems still function as a crucial element in supplying water for agriculture in the dry zone of Sri Lanka, and they constitute one of the richest sources of wetland biodiversity in the country. An intriguing feature of the tank systems is their sheer density: About 30,000 tanks have been built in a land area of about 40,000 km2 of the dry zone (Mendis 2003). The density and the long-term existence (more than 1,000 years in many cases) make these tanks an important component in the environment and ecosystems of the region.
Chapter 30 – The Role of Tree Domestication in Value Chain Development
Internationally, there is interest in increasing the trade in -green- market products, such as organic, fair trade, reduction of forest degradation for reduced deforestation and mitigation of climate change, and environmental goods and services. This crucially needs to be extended to the many poor, hungry and marginalized smallholder farmers in developing countries. In this context, agroforestry tree domestication has made great progress over the last 20 years, especially in Africa with the emergence of many new tree crops for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries across many agroecological zones. Tree domestication is important for the enhancement of economic returns as value chains from local to global become more sophisticated and demand higher quality, greater uniformity and a regular and continuous supply. Local farmers are now developing cultivars creating direct benefits from the marketing of food and nonfood products in local and regional markets. This creates business and employment opportunities in local cottage industries. Likewise, through the indirect environmental and ecological services provided by trees, food security can be greatly enhanced by closing the yield gap (the difference between the potential and actual yield) of modern crop varieties. In this way, agroforestry is adding income generation to agroecological approaches which together reverse the cycle of land degradation and social deprivation and transform the lives of poor farmers. However, these benefits do not come without some risks from the loss of genetic diversity, local rights over genetic resources and exploitation by unscrupulous entrepreneurs. Agroforestry developments are therefore focusing on better access to -green- business opportunities for poor smallholder farmers in Africa by maximizing the benefits and minimizing the risks.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetables: Contributions to Food and Nutrition Security
The chapter provides an overview of the importance of fruit and vegetable regarding food and nutrition security. It looks at the global consumption and production data and discusses their influencing factors. Selected examples of food-based approaches including fruit tree portfolios – addressing seasonal availability of fresh fruits, home gardens, food diversity and the potential of indigenous and wild species to improve nutrition and health are presented. In the concluding remarks challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming a diversity of fruits and vegetables into production and consumption systems are discussed.