Investigation on Agroforestry Land Use Dynamics in Central Western Ghats

Abstract

Land use dynamics of agroforestry systems was studied across three bioclimatic newlinezones in Uttara Kannada district of Central Western Ghats. Area under land use newlinefractions revealed maximum area was occupied under dense forest (6926.31 ha) newlinefollowed by open forest (1257.92 ha) and cropland (1195.73 ha). Land under agroforest newlineand waterbody occupied 249.65 and 265.18 ha while built-up, barren land and newlineplantation forest constituted 131.38, 83.45 and 127.29 ha, respectively. newlineFailure in monitoring of dense forest deforestation resulted in 73.47 percent newlinedecline of thick vegetation to 66.33 percent (2001-2021). Arecanut based plantation newlinecrop combination (82.83%) and homegardens (with livestock) was popular practice newlineamong sampled farmers followed by boundary (34.34%), block (28.79%) and bund newlineplanting (15.15%). Apiculture (12.12%), aquaculture (1.52%), hydroponics (1.01%) and newlinepermaculture (0.51%) were unique practices documented in the district. Of the total newlinespecies diversity, sixty-one tropical fruit trees were documented among which newlineMangifera indica (83.33%) was most dominant species followed by Cocus nucifera newline(80.30%), Areca catechu (77.78%) and Musa paradisiaca (66.16%). A total of 314 newlinevarieties of Mango, 547 Jackfruit varieties, three variants of Garcinia and four Sapota newlinevarieties were documented in sampled panchayats. newlineHomegardens in Uttara Kannada were characterized by three vertical canopy newlinestrata with 75 species of emergent timber and fruit trees in upper layer, 20 fruit species newlinein intermediate layer and 40 species in lower strata dominated by grasses, ornamental, newlinemedicinal plants and vegetables. Most abundant functional group in homegardens were newlinemedicinal plants (27.86%), ornamental (14.46%), fruit trees (13.39%) and fuel wood newline(10.36%) species. Shannon diversity was computed highest for Sahyadri Interior (1.76) newlinefollowed by West Coast (1.42) and least was recorded in Peri urban region (0.65). newlineAmong sampled farmers, 52.02 percent farmers expressed willingness to expand newlineagroforest cover with major species preference such as Mangifera indica, Anacardium newlineoccidantale, Areca catechu, Myristica fragrans, Artocarpus heterophyllus and Cocus newline newline