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Restoring Soil Fertility, Productivity and Biodiversity through Participatory Agroforestry: Evidence from Madhupur Sal Forest, Bangladesh

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  • Kazi Kamrul Islam

    (Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh)

  • Md. Saifullah

    (Natural Resources Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh)

  • M. Golam Mahboob

    (Natural Resources Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh)

  • Kazi Noor-E-Alam Jewel

    (Natural Resources Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh)

  • S. M. Kamran Ashraf

    (Department of Agroforestry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh)

  • Kimihiko Hyakumura

    (Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan)

Abstract

Species diversity and soil quality are deteriorating due to continuous disturbances in ecosystems caused by human interference. However, agroforestry is considered a good approach to minimizing environmental problems. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the impacts of participatory agroforestry on restoring soil fertility, farm productivity and biodiversity in the degraded Madhupur Sal forest of Bangladesh. The study purposefully selected 40 common agroforestry programs in Madhupur Sal forest for the collection of soil and plant data from 2020 to 2023. Agroforestry programs have improved soil organic matter, soil carbon, pH, and available N, P and K content to a substantial degree and protected soil degradation, enhancing yield. The soil improvement index represents the potentiality of agroforestry in restoring soil nutrients and carbon in the form of organic matter, which is an important indicator for carbon sequestration and mitigating the impacts of climate change. The resultant cost–benefit and land equivalent ratios were steadily higher, which corroborates the greater productivity and profitability of agroforestry compared to monoculture systems. In contrast, agroforestry restored 31 plant species, opening up opportunities for restoring plant species in the threatened forest ecosystem. Therefore, this study recommended selecting appropriate site-specific species for managing agroforestry and restoring ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Kazi Kamrul Islam & Md. Saifullah & M. Golam Mahboob & Kazi Noor-E-Alam Jewel & S. M. Kamran Ashraf & Kimihiko Hyakumura, 2024. "Restoring Soil Fertility, Productivity and Biodiversity through Participatory Agroforestry: Evidence from Madhupur Sal Forest, Bangladesh," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-15, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:13:y:2024:i:3:p:326-:d:1350735
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Sean L. Maxwell & Richard A. Fuller & Thomas M. Brooks & James E. M. Watson, 2016. "Biodiversity: The ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers," Nature, Nature, vol. 536(7615), pages 143-145, August.
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