Role of homestead forests in household economy and factors affecting forest production: a case study in southwest Bangladesh

This study investigated the role of homestead forests in the household economy in 3 villages in Bangladesh. It produced quantitative data to see how forest products and income vary across landholding size classes, and examined the relationship between homestead forest production with species richness, education level and household size to assess the attitude of homestead forest owners toward key forest management issues. Homestead forests play an important role in the household economy in terms of income and employment opportunities. The authors suggest that homestead forest owners in marginal and small landholding classes should be encouraged to diversify their forest by selecting a mix of fruit, timber and bamboo species in order to achieve optimal forest production.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10310-005-0191-6

Author(s):

Motiur, R.M., Furukawa, Y., Kawata, I., Rahman, M.M., Alam, M.

Source:

Journal of Forestry Research

Volume etc.:

11, 89-97

Year published:

2006

Further information

Paper ID:

634

Type of study:

Non-experimental research

Type of publication:

Peer-review published journal paper

Biodiversity component:

Specific Resources

Dimension of poverty:

Income

Assets

Employment

Mechanism by which biodiversity affects poverty:

Direct Use

Biodiversity component details:

Homestead forest tree including betel nut, giant bamboo, coconut, bengal bamboo, mahogany, mango, rain tree, feathery bamboo, jackfruit, guava and kadam.

Mechanism details:

People harvest timber, fruit and other NTFPs

Intervention employed:

Measure of poverty impact used:

Average annual gross forest production per household is US$267.80 (US2745/ha)

Assessment of impact on poverty:

Yes positive

Evidence assesses the scale of impact:

Sustainability of biodiversity use:

Biome:

Artifical landscapes aquaculture

Aspect of poverty:

Absolute

Not mentioned

Attribute of biodiversity affecting poverty:

Diversity

Abundance/Extent

Does the evidence relate to a specific intervention?:

How does the mechanism affect poverty?:

It supports immediate subsistence needs

It generates income/tradeable surplus

Precise mechanism tags:

Harvesting/commercialisation NTFPs

Timber production

Mechanism affects poverty precisely how:

It generates income as well as employment

Mechanism affects poverty precisely how tags:

Income

Medicines

Evidence provides measure of poverty impact:

Yes

Location of primary author:

Japan

Evidence is site-specific:

Yes

Research type:

Primary and experimental

Research methods:

Quantitative

Qualitative

Research method details:

Semi-structured interviews and survey of household information/ measurements of tree parameters for woody plants also carried out.

Unit of analysis and sample size:

Household

Sample size:

Does the evidence mention the general biodiversity status of the country/region?:

Does the evidence describe the biodiversity status of the site?:

Does the evidence mention the general poverty status of the country/region?:

Yes

General poverty status described:

Average annual household income US$1299.60

Site poverty status described:

Average annual household income US$ 1129.50

Does the evidence discuss the governance regime at the site?:

Does the evidence describe the poverty/socioeconomic status of the site?:

Yes

What is the resource rights regime?:

Resource rights regime details:

Not mentioned

What is the land tenure regime?:

Yes Details Specified

Land tenure regime details:

Study mentions that people have land holdings, which suggests private ownership, but this is not very clear.

Does the evidence mention the power relations?:

Yes Mentioned

Does the evidence consider possible trade-offs/costs as well as benefits?:

Yes Mentioned

Measure of poverty impact tag:

Income

Distribution impacts considered:

Yes Detail on Specifics Provided

Duration of impact considered:

Distribution impacts details:

Yes - looks at range of income based on homestead size, education level, amount of female and male dys of labour carried out on the homestead

Outcome replicable elsewhere considered:

Thresholds/boundary limits/tipping points of achieving the outcome considered:

How costs and benefits/impacts might vary across different spatial scales considered:

Yes details specified

Presence of possible confounding factors acknowledged:

Yes acknowledged and taken into account in study design

Impacts across different spatial scales details:

Study lists range of income based on homestead size

Confounding factors details:

Level of household education also affects how productive homestead forests are and the amount of income earned

Location

Continent:

Asia

Region:

Southern Asia

Country:

Bangladesh

Locality:

Ran Bijoypur, Sundarghona and Bagmara villages in Bagmara of Bagerhat

Latitude:

2235' - 2250'

Longitude:

8938' - 8953'

Poverty and Conservation

Role of homestead forests in household economy and factors affecting forest production: a case study in southwest Bangladesh

Biodiversity-poverty evidence database

About us

Poverty and Conservation

Search form

Role of homestead forests in household economy and factors affecting forest production: a case study in southwest Bangladesh

Biodiversity-poverty evidence database

About us