Changing woody plant density across agricultural landscapes of the Sudano-Sahelian region is a debated issue. This paper reports the results of an investigation on the contribution of field hedges to overall woody plant density. Hedges separating individual cropped parcels were studied within village agropastoral territories in the Dantiandou district in western Niger. In 1992, field hedges were mapped over the study area using aerial photography and in 2016, using high resolution Google Earth imagery. In 1992, field hedge length was equal to 1006 km within 435 km2 of croplands, equivalent to 2.3 km km−2. In 2016, 17.5% of these hedges had disappeared, but 1591 km of new hedges were observed resulting in an increased density of hedges to 5.6 km km−2. In 24 years, hedges had increased at a mean annual rate of 3.7% likely associated with the splitting of crop fields by inheritance. The composition and productivity of hedges were also monitored in 1996, 2010 and 2015. All trees (maximum height ≥ 4 m), shrubs (<4 m) and tussock perennial grasses were recorded within twelve field hedge samples of 200 m each. Field measurements were used to estimate basal area, crown area, foliage mass and wood mass of each woody plant within the sampled hedges. No significant trends were found between 1996 and 2015 in woody plant density, basal area, crown cover, wood and foliage masses across all monitored hedges. However, overall means hide a slight decrease in tree contributions, while shrub contributions first increased and then decreased. They also mask contradictory trends among sites most likely related to different rates of shrub coppicing and tree cutting. The woody species composition of the hedges is poor with an increase of Combretum glutinosum to the detriment of Guiera senegalensis over the study period. Multiplying the hedge sample statistics by the changing lengths of field hedges in the study area provides estimates of the contribution of the hedge woody plants to the woody plant population at a landscape scale. Between 1992 and 2016, field hedges contributed to increases of woody plant density by 3.9%, basal areas by 5.4%, crown cover by 2.7%, leading to 6.1% annual increase in foliage mass and 8.8% increase in wood mass.
Tag: land tenure
Beyond averages: new approaches to understand heterogeneity and risk of technology success or failure in smallholder farming
In recent years, many studies have demonstrated the heterogeneity of the smallholder production environment. Yet agronomic research for development (R4D) that aims to identify and test options for increasing productivity has not consistently adapted its approaches to such heterogeneous conditions. This paper describes the challenges facing research, highlighting the importance of variation in evaluating the performance of soil management recommendations, integrating aspects of production risk management within the formulation of recommendations, and proposing alternative approaches to implement agronomic R4D. Approaches are illustrated using two multi-locational on-farm paired trials, each having one no-input control treatment and a treatment with fertilizer application for maize in Western Kenya and for beans in Eastern Rwanda. The diversity of treatment responses should be embraced rather than avoided to gain a better understanding of current context and its relation with past management.
From deforestation to development of agroforests in customary land tenure areas of Sumatra
This study attempts to explore the causes of deforestation and the developmentof agroforests using household data collected from 60 randomly selected com-munities in Sumatra. We found that decreases in inherited land per householdand increases in the number of male workers and the dependency ratio led to theclearance of primary forests, whereas change in the inheritance system from amatrilineal to a bilateral system did not significantly influence the pace of defor-estation. We also found that wealthier households tend to clear forest and developagroforests more actively than their less wealthy counterparts.
Land tenure, agroforestry adoption, and reduction of fire hazard in a forest zone: A case study from Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Clear land ownership and community involvement in managing forests are key determinants in securing sustainable land management. A recent study in Lampung in the province of Sumatra, Indonesia revealed that, even with the use of military force, forest policy and management has largely failed to protect forest resources when local communities were not involved. In contrast, with less government intervention but more secure land rights (as perceived by farmers), local communities have successfully rehabilitated degraded land, including that designated as state forest area, through establishment of coffee based agroforestry. The main incentive for local communities to manage land more sustainably was the expectation of secure land rights on state forest land through which livelihood and income could be realized. The study indicated that under such circumstances there is room for negotiation between the government forestry department and local communities to better manage state forest land. This not only can generate income for local communities but can also improve the overall environment through reduction of fire incidence. This indicates that legal land use rights for local communities on state forest land could be used as a ‘reward’ for upland farmers for their role in maintaining environmental services of forest land.
Land tenure and farm management efficiency: The case of smallholder rubber production in customary land areas of Sumatra
This study assesses the impact of land tenure institutions on the efficiency of farm management based on a case study of rubber production in customary land areas of Sumatra, Indonesia. Using the modes of land acquisition as measures of land tenure institutions, we estimated tree planting, revenue, income, and short-run profit functions, and internal rates of return to tree planting on smallholder rubber fields. We find generally insignificant differences in the incidence of tree planting and management efficiency (defined as residual profits) of rubber production between newly emerging private ownership and customary ownership. This is consistent with our hypothesis that tree planting confers stronger individual rights, if land rights are initially weak (as in the case of family land under customary land tenure systems). On the other hand, short-term profits are higher on land that is rented through share tenancy. This result indicates that rubber trees are over-exploited under renting arrangements due partly to the short-run nature of the land tenancy contracts and partly to the difficulty landowners face in supervising tapping activities of tenants in spatially dispersed rubber fields.
Evolution of land tenure institutions and development of agroforestry: evidence from customary land areas of Sumatra
It is widely believed that land tenure insecurity under a customary tenure system leads to a socially inefficient resource allocation. This article demonstrates that the practice of granting secure individual ownership to tree planters spurs earlier tree planting, which is inefficient from the private point of view but could be efficient from the viewpoint of the global environment. Regression analysis, based on primary data collected in Sumatra, indicates that an expected increase in tenure security in fact led to early tree planting. It is also found that customary land tenure institutions have been evolving towards greater tenure security responding to increasing scarcity of land.
Small-holder farmers’ access and rights to land: the case of Njombé in the littoral region of Cameroon
In Cameroon, agriculture constitutes the main livelihood for a large portion of the population. Against this background, land tenure security is of crucial importance for agricultural production and off-farm activities. This article aims to foster understanding of small-holder farmers’ access to land in the Njombé-Penja district of Cameroon. Data was collected using focus group discussions with small-holders, key informant interviews, field observations and formal surveys. Results indicate that the current land tenure situation often limits small-holder farmers’ access to productive land. This often results in conflicts between various actors including plantation agriculture, rural elites and research institutions, and hence threatens small-holders’ security for food and livelihoods. We conclude that there is a need to revisit existing policies for land allocation to multinational companies in order to protect small-holder producers’ rights and security, and to harmonize the various tenure systems as a means to avoid competing claims among various actors.
Annual Report of the International Council for Research in Agroforestry, 1983
Board decisions in 1983 No major decisions regarding changes in programme, strategy or priorities were taken during the 9th Board Meeting. The Programme of Work and Budget were approved with only minor revisions. Some minor changes and clarifications in the staff policy and in the Charter were proposed and accepted in principle (some to be confirmed at the 1984 Annual Board Meeting). Four Board Members retired after serving their maximum 2×3 years as Trustees. New Trustees were nominated, all of whom have subsequently accepted the nominations (for names see list above). Dr. Walter Bosshard was re-elected Chairman for another period of two years.
As clear as mud: understanding the root of conflicts and problems in Indonesia’s land tenure policy
The Ministry of Forestry (MoF) has designated 120 million ha of forest as state forest (kawasan hutan), corresponding to 62% of the total land surface of Indonesia. The MoF has legal authority to plan and regulate all forest tenure and to use its arrangement in its jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the MoF jurisdiction to designate the state forest plays its part to the confusion paradigm between state rights and customary (adat) rights on controlling forestland. The confusion derived from different perceptions about customary forest from different laws, Basic Forestry Law 1999 (BFL 1999) and Basic Agrarian Law (BAL 1960). The BFL 1999 categorized customary forest as state forest, that is state forest of which the management is delegated to customary communities. Meanwhile, the Basic Agrarian Law 1960 (BAL 1960) provide more recognition by separating the customary rights from the state, equally to other four legal rights such as the right to own (hak milik), the right to cultivate state land (hak guna usaha), the right to build and own building (hak guna bangunan), and the right to use or collect products from state or private land for a certain period (hak pakai). The government unwillingly to solve this confusion as the MoF has the justification to control all the forestland based on ecology reason such as hydrology, biodiversity and nowadays climate change. The paper argues that these ecology reasons become the foundation for the MoF to designate and control the state forest and help the environmentalis t interests to preserve threatened resources and habitats, supporting the MoF’s legitimacy to control all forest land, but contributing to the disenfranchisement of customary people to resource claims, the people’s poverty and the confusion of customary forest recognition. The more confusing, the more legitimating for the MoF.
Buffer zone management and agroforestry
This paper distilled some of the lesson learned from the global experience with integrated conservation development projects, drawing upon the review by wells and Brandon (1992). Historically, park management emphasized a policing role to exclude local people. Gradually it was recognized that communities near protected areas often bear substantial costs as a consequence of their proximity to these areas, yet gain little in return. Yhis led protected area management critically depends on the support of local people.