Plant Diversity, Standing Biomass and Socio-economic Importance of Homegardens: A Case study of Garhwal Region, Uttarakhand
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Date
2016-06
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College of Forestry, Ranichauri, V.C.S.G. Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry.
Abstract
Home garden is an old age land use system system involving deliberate management of multipurpose trees and
shrubs in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops and, invariably, livestock, within the compounds
of individual houses, the whole crop-tree-animal unit being intensively managed by family labour. Understanding and
valuation of these diverse of sustainability will help to explore more about the high altitude homegardens in hilly areas and
also to imitate the lessons while manipulative or refining new agroecosystems. Here attempt is made to analyze various
elements of sustainability of homegardens with special reference to homegradens in Garhwal region.
The present study was conducted in Ten villages lie between 1300 and 1900m elevation in Tehri Garhwal
Himalayan region. An intensive survey was done for documentation of diversity and structure, ethnobotanical importance,
estimation of standing biomass and socioeconomic importance of homegardens with the help of semi structured
questionnaire, interview of family and personal observations. 40 % households from each village were selected and a total
397 households surveyed.
In the present study a total of 134 species (includes both native and exotic) were documented from the
homegardens of the study region. Out of them 44 (33%) were agricultural food crops followed by 20(15%) fruit crops, 19
(14.50%) medicinal plants, 19 (14.50%) ornamental, 18 (13%) multi-purpose trees, 8 (6%) wild herbs, 3 (2%) wild shrubs
and 3 (2%) grasses. Vertical stratification of homegarden generally comprised of a three storied structure includes under
story, middle story and top story and each story has its own species diversity and combination. The ground layer (1-3m)
consisting of herbaceous food crops, forage, medicinal and other crops while fruit trees dominated the middle storey (3-
7m) and upper layer constituted mostly fast growing multi-purpose trees. Common locations for gardens in relation to
house in the study area are backyards, front yards, side yards and those that almost encircle the house. Common garden
sizes ranges from 0.01 ha to more than 0.25 ha but at some places homegarden as small as 0.005 ha and as large as 0.1 ha
have been recorded. A total of 21 species of ethnobotanical importance belong to 15 families and 18 genera were recorded
from the homegardens. Out of the total species, 12 species are included in the common category followed by 6 species in
rare and 3 included in uncommon category. Comparison of above ground volume and biomass at low altitude and high
attitude were done by using independent t-test. Mean volume of Grewia optiva at high altitude (h.a) was 4.34 ± 0.13 and
that at low altitude (l.a) 2.41 ± 0.22, Pyrus pashia (h.a) 1.32 ± 0.7 and (l.a) 0.70 ± 0.10, Rododendron arboreum (h.a) 0.39
± 0.10 and (l.a) 0. Higher mean at high altitude is an indication of the fact that volume of Grewia optiva, Pyrus pashia and
Rododendron arboretum is higher at high altitude and also showing marginal difference among individual species growing
at low altitude areas. Similarly, the mean biomass of Grewia optiva at low altitude was 3.72 and that at high altitude, 5.986.
Higher mean at high altitude is an indication of the fact that biomass of Grewia optiva is higher at high altitude. Apart
from that the study also revealed that majority of the respondents i.e. 51% represented to middle aged (36-50 years), 27.5%
were educated up to intermediate and 51% of the respondents possessed marginal land (6-10 nali).
In a nutshell, the study provides information on species diversity and structure, ethnobotanical importance,
estimation of standing biomass and socioeconomic importance of homegardens for the very first time in the study area.
Based on the results, it can be concluded that the area has high potential for homegardening. Results of the present study
can be used for development of conservation management and micro planning of this areas and thus, sustainable
development of the inhabitants in particular and biodiversity of the Himalaya, in general.