Nutrient/Resource management relevant to agroforestry systems of traditional societies of central Himalaya

Abstract

Kumaon Himalaya is one of the unique system rich, in indigenous knowledge and newlineculturally strong. Inspite of constant effort by Government organizations like Indian newlineCouncil of Agricultural Research Institutes (lCAR) and Ministry of Environment and newlineForest Institutes, traditional cultivation patterns have not improved particularly in the newline1000 - 2000 m elevation range. This made necessary to make our efforts to understand newlinethe agroecosystems in different ecological settings. newlineThe linkages between the forest, household and agricultural activities are built up newlineon empirical knowledge transmitted from one generation to the other. Most of the energy newlinerequirements are met from the forest for the subsistence livelihood of the local newlinecommunity. Certain tree species Pinus sp. Quercus spp., are intensively used from the newlineforest for nutrient, energy and econo,mic balance of the different subsystems of the newlinevillage. The dominance of these two species in the forest plays a vital role in newlineagroecosystems characteristics and village ecosystem structure and function. Therefore, newlinethe zones dominated by these two species were identified as two major regimes that is newlineOak and Pine regime in the present thesis to study and compare the villages ecosystem newlineand different subsystems constituting the village ecosystem. newline newlineOn the hill slopes of Kumaon three major groups of agroforestry systems are newlineevident. . These are, agri-silviculture, agro-horticulture and homegardens based on newlinestructure and co~position of species. newlineI newlineHome gardens :- newlineHome garden is always perceived as a production unit, but it is also a traditional newlineresearch field where the empirical knowledge is developed through the interaction with newlinethe natural systems (Forest) tested and preserved for the future generations. These are newlinevertically stratified communities with high density of trees, basal area and annual food newlinecrops. The management of vertically stratified woody species reflects the richness of the newlineempirical knowledge of these societies with increasing density