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Exploring Agrobiodiversity on Farm: A Case from Middle–Hills of Nepal

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Abstract

A survey was conducted to examine agrobiodiversity status of farms in the Pokhare Khola watershed of Dhading district in the Middle-Hills of Nepal. A total of 53 farmland tree and one crop species from 22 families were documented. The most commonly found species were fruit and fodder species (on over 60 % farms) including banana (Musa paradisiaca), khasrato (Ficus hispida) and khanayo (Ficus semicordata). Tree density was highest (226/ha) on marginal farms (farm area ≤0.25 ha) and lowest (165/ha) on small farms (farm area 0.26–0.5 ha). For the study area as a whole, the Shannon-Wiener species diversity index was 3.26 and the species evenness index 1.89. Large farms (farm area >1 ha) had the greatest tree species diversity (4.47 ± 0.52) and marginal farms the lowest (2.18 ± 0.37), indicating the positive relationship between farm size and species diversity. A total of six types of cereals and 18 types of vegetable crops were grown in the study area. The major livestock component of each household was chickens (average 8/household) and goats (6/household). The mean value of livestock in the large farm category was estimated as $2235, significantly higher than that of the other three categories. A significant relationship was found between agrobiodiversity and livelihoods, irrespective of annual production, and the critical role of the farmed landscape in agrobiodiversity conservation was apparent.

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Notes

  1. 72 NR = 1 $, Date of relevance : 30 July 2010.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their profound gratitude to Pida VDC and respondent households for their valuable time, patience and co-operation during data collection. The research assistants are also acknowledged for their continuous assistance and help in the fieldwork.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong, 4331, Bangladesh

    Tarit Kumar Baul

  2. Institute of Forestry, Pokhora, Nepal

    Krishna Raj Tiwari

  3. Pathargata Branch, Pubali Bank Limited, Kotowali, Chittagong, Bangladesh

    K. M. Atique Ullah

  4. School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    Morag A. McDonald

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  1. Tarit Kumar Baul
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Baul, T.K., Tiwari, K.R., Atique Ullah, K.M. et al. Exploring Agrobiodiversity on Farm: A Case from Middle–Hills of Nepal. Small-scale Forestry 12, 611–629 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-012-9234-y

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