Agroforestry Systems in India: Livelihood Security & Ecosystem Services


Book Description

Agroforestry, the word coined in early seventies, has made its place in all the developed and the developing countries of the world and is now recognized as an important approach to ensuring food security and rebuilding resilient rural environments. India has been an all-time leader in agroforestry. The South and Southeast Asia region comprising India is often described as the cradle of agroforestry. Almost all forms of agroforestry systems exist across India in ecozones ranging from humid tropical lowlands to high-altitude and temperate biomes, and perhumid rainforest zones to parched drylands. The country ranks foremost among the community of nations not only in terms of this enormous diversity and long tradition of the practice of agroforestry, but also in fostering scientific developments in the subject. Agroforestry applies to private agricultural and forest lands and communities that also include highly erodible, flood-prone, economically marginal and environmentally sensitive lands. The typical situation is agricultural, where trees are added to create desired benefits. Agroforestry allows for the diversification of farm activities and makes better use of environmental resources. Owing to an increase in the population of human and cattle, there is increasing demand of food as well as fodder, particularly in developing countries like India. So far, there is no policy that deals with specifics in agroforestry in India. But, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research has been discussing on the scope of having a National Agroforestry Policy in appropriate platforms. However, evolving a policy requires good and reliable datasets from different corners of the country on the subject matter. This synthesis volume containing 13 chapters is an attempt to collate available information in a classified manner into different system ecologies, problems and solutions, and converging them into a policy support.




Agro Forestry In India


Book Description




Agroforestry


Book Description

Agroforestry is an age old practice throughout the world, but its recognition as a science is nearly three decades old. The scientific and systematic research on tree-crop interactions, in India, started in late 1970's and got major support and impetus with the establishment of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Agroforestry in 1983 by ICAR. Today AICRP on Agroforestry has its network through out the country. Under AICRP and through the individual efforts of State Agricultural Universities, location specific agroforestry systems has been recommended to suit agro-climatic zones, landholdings and economic status of the region. Though extensive research had been done till date, but it is not available to scientific world, farming communities (who are the backbone of Indian rural development), students and inquisitive readers in one manuscript. This prompted the authors to club the information on agroforestry systems and practices prevailing in India in form of book. For the sake of convenience, agroforestry systems prevailing in India have been divided into four broad sections i) Agroforestry in India ii) Agroforestry system and practices in North, West and Central India iii) Agroforestry systems and practices in East, North-East and Southern India iv) Allied topics related to Agroforestry. Section one cover topics covering agroforestry experiences, research and extension efforts done in the last 25 years in India. Section two includes 13 chapters and section three covers 14 chapters wherein agroforestry research vis-à-vis agroclimatic zones of different states of India have been discussed. The last section comprising of 8 chapters includes topics related to role of agroforestry in soil conservation, women development; management of agroforestry; modeling; rehabilitation of mine spoils and breeding of agroforestry tree species.




An Introduction to Agroforestry


Book Description

This college-level textbook summarizes the state of current knowledge in the rapidly expanding field of agroforestry. The book, organized into 25 chapters in six sections, reviews the developments in agroforestry during the past 15 years and describes the accomplishments in the application of biophysical (plant and soil related) and socioeconomic sciences to agroforestry. Although the major focus of the book is on the tropics, where the practice and potential of agroforestry are particularly promising, the developments in temperate zone agroforestry are also discussed. This text is recommended for students, teachers, and researchers in agroforestry, farming systems, and tropical land use.




Introduction to Forestry & Agroforestry


Book Description

The Scientific Forestry and the associated management practices received significant attraction around the world which resulted in the birth of professional forestry education. In India, the professional forestry education was started in the year 1985 and currently offered at several State Agricultural and Central Universities. The Forestry and Agroforestry has also been incluzed as a subject in various under graduate and Post graduate program of State Agricultural and other conventional universities. This professional education in forestry and introduction of forestry courses to other degree programmes demand a comprehensive text book encompassing all the facets of forests. Against this backdrop, the current book on Introduction To Forestry & Agroforestry is conceived to cater to the needs of professionals in B. Sc (Forestry), B.Sc (Agriculture), B.Sc. (Horticulture) and B.Sc (Sericulture) courses offered at State Agricultural Universities and undergraduate programme of Botany and Environmental Science courses offered at Conventional Universities. Besides, the book can also act as a fast and ready made reference material for the graduates aspiring for State and Central Forest Service Examinations. For any beginner in professional forestry education and competitive examinations, this book will be an asset to understand and learn the principles and practices of forestry coupled with other recent developments in forestry sector.




Agroforestry


Book Description




Industrial Agroforestry Perspectives and Prospectives


Book Description

The Forests are playing a significant role in the economic prosperity and ecological stability of the country. The Indian Forests faces severe biotic and abiotic pressure leads to shrinking of its geographical distribution and the forest based industries are at the cross roads. This book incorporated the India's Forest and Agroforestry situation and the need for industrial wood plantations. It also comprises the status of various wood based industries like pulp and paper, plywood, matchwood, dendro power, biofuel and the requirement for different raw materials and the associated supply chain management.




Soil Productivity Aspects of Agroforestry


Book Description

Land-use systems related to agroforestry; The role trees in soil productivity and conservation; Research results fron some field examples ofagroforestry; Soil productivity and soil management in agroforestry: postulations and suggested research approaches.




Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems


Book Description

Tree based production systems abound especially in the tropics. Despite the pervasiveness of such multipurpose “trees-outside-forest” resources, they have not attracted adequate attention in the development paradigms of many nation states. These multispecies production systems impact the ecosystem processes favourably. Yet, our understanding of the diversity attributes and carbon dynamics under agroforestry is not adequate. This book focuses on the role of multispecies production systems involving tree and crop species as a means for carbon sequestration and thereby reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Sixteen chapters organized into three broad sections titled: Measurement and Estimation, Agrobiodiversity and Tree Management, and Policy and Socioeconomic Aspects represent a cross section of the opportunities and challenges in current research and emerging issues in harnessing carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems.




Trees and water: smallholder agroforestry on irrigated lands in Northern India


Book Description

Trees are increasingly grown on-farm to supply wood and biomass needs within developing countries. Over the last several decades, within the irrigated rice-wheat growing lands of northern India, fast-growing poplar trees have been planted on tens of thousands of small farms. Recent debate regarding afforestation has raised the issue that water use is often increased when trees are planted. This ongoing debate focuses primarily on afforestation or reforestation of upland and rain-fed agricultural areas, and off-site impacts such as reduced streamflow. Adoption of poplar agroforestry in northern India, in contrast, is occurring in areas where land and water are already intensively used and managed for agricultural production. This study based on farmer survey data, used remote sensing and spatial hydrological modeling to investigate the importance and role of the poplar trees within the agricultural landscape, and to estimate their water use. Overall, results illustrate a potential for addressing the increasing global demand for wood products with trees grown on-farm within irrigated agroforestry systems.