Tree dominated agriculture for environmental services and sustainable livelihoods in Sri Lanka

Kamal Melvani, Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC), neosynth@sltnet.lk

Outline• Forest decline and rehabilitation

• Analog forestry, case studies and indicators

a) Coastal forest, Forest gardens, post Tsunami:

Farmer income

b) Forest gardens - degraded catchment:

Birds & farmer income

c) Ex-plantation – drought prone lowlands:

Mammals

• Challenges in evaluating success

Sri Lanka is:

• 65,610 km2

• Wet, Intermediate & Dry zones

• Low, Middle & High peneplains

• Central highlands

• Global biodiversity hotspot

• Small, densely populated

island heavily reliant on

agriculture

• Forest loss due to colonisation and slash and burn agriculture

• Closed canopy forests: 84% in 1881 to 29% in 2010

• Home gardens 15% and increasing by 1% annually

Forest declineEnvirons of Hakgala Strict Natural reserve

Forest restoration

Early efforts were for reclamation: monocultures of Teak, Pinus and Eucalyptus

More recent efforts are for rehabilitation• People integral in community forestry

• Need to address people’s livelihoods –enrichment in home gardens

In 1982, work began on analog forestry in Sri Lanka where home gardens were

rehabilitated to forest gardens

• Analog Forestry seeks to establish ecosystems

analogous to the architectural structure and

ecological function of the climax vegetation of an area

whilst strengthening rural communities socially and

economically through the use of commercial species.

•

• Design of area to be restored must recognize key

ecological functions to be strengthened and use species

accordingly

•

• Original vegetation is the best reference

•

• Land needs to be restored according to farmer goals

• land can remain in stable state if farmer decides to engage

in annual cropping or move towards maturity if forestry is

the goal

Analog Forestry

Agriculture Permaculture Analog Forest Natural forest

Increasing ecological maturity; increasing soil stability, soil biodiversity and depth of A horizon

Weeds and grasses

Woodyshrubs

Small trees and Woody shrubs

Tall trees

1- 5 years 100- 1000 years 1000 years

Some examples of Analog Forestry in Sri Lanka

a) Coastal restorationJan 2005 –Sep 2010

b) Rehabilitation of upper watershed, Jan 2001 – Feb 2004

c) Demonstrationof drought adaptation in lowlands, June 2001 ongoing…

Land on seral continuum can remain stable if farmer

cultivates annual crops or move towards maturity if

forestry is the goal

2011 2012

• Densely populated coastline

• Impacted by 2004 Tsunami

a) Coastal Restoration - Kalmunai

Coastal forest

planted

using 6282 trees

& shrubs

(82% native, 18%

introduced).

Coastal Forest – 3 km

2008, 3 years after planting

2013, what the forest looks like now

2005, land preparation

2013

• Urban, small farm gardens – only Palmyrah & Coconut

• 5,854 trees and shrubs planted in 58 species

(50% native , 50% introduced).

• 23 varieties of vegetables & yams

Farmlands in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami

Early forest Gardens

Indicator: Income from vegetable sales & household consumption

• Reduced income due to drought conditions

• Value of consumed vegetables 35% of total income

• Inputs given free

-

20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

120,000

140,000

160,000

S L

Ru

pee

s

Time in months

Total Income for 20 farmers, 9 months

Income from VegetableSales

Value of Consumedvegetables

Average monthly farmer income pre-tsunami 36,000 SLRupees

b) Rehabilitation of Upper catchment

Maragalakanda, Moneragala District • Moist semi & Dry mixed evergreen forest

• Cleared for coffee & rubber

• Encroached -slash & burn agriculture

• Only Banana & rainfed annual crops

• 40,677 plants in 115 species (8% endemic, 42% native, 50% introduced)established in 48 forest gardens & riparian buffers

• Project & farmer nurseries to propagate forest species

Functional Landscape Design

FoodMedicineAestheticsSoil conservationRiparian zone Buffer zonesCovering rocksBiodiversity corridorsBEFORE

AFTER

BEFO

RE

BEFO

RE

Biodiversity corridor created

Indicators: Birds and Income

Bird Survey carried out by Naren Gunasekera two years after

restoration (2002)

• Detected - seen and heard

• Species assigned forest/non-forest habitat type

• Species richness in habitat types

• Density assemblages in habitat typesSri Lanka Jungle Fowl - endemic

Farmer income

Survey carried out by NSRC

annually from year one to

four (2000 to 2004)

Red Vented BulbulBrown headed Barbet

Detection

Brown capped Babbler, endemic

only forest dwelling

• Average detection frequency higher in

short bands in forest garden plots.

• Average detection frequency higher in

long bands in forest plots.

Bird Survey

Bird assemblages • Red vented bulbul most

abundant in forest garden

• Brown headed Barbet most abundant in forest plots also seen in non forest habitats

• Tickell’s Blue Fly Catcher 2nd

most abundant in Forest plots

Tickell’s

Blue Fly

Catcher,

seen in

both

habitats

Forest garden Income

Income includes value of crops sold

and consumed by household

Pepper is a lucrative

understorey crop that grows

under the pioneer, Gliricidia

planted as a nurse species.

SL. Rs.

3. Drought adaptation in the lowlands, Serukele

Native Dry mixed monsoonal and semi evergreen forest Cleared to plant coconut and cashew Aging coconut diversified with analog forest

Before

After

• 8074 plants in 133 species established(6% endemic, 57% native, 37% introduced)

• Regeneration of native species

• Habitat recreated for biodiversity

Of 41 species found in Wilpattu National Park, 21 or 50% observed on Munamal Estate

6 species seen daily

1. Schneider’s leaf-nosed Bat

2. Flying Fox

3. Painted Bat

4. Domestic Dog

5. Common Rat

6. Palm Squirrel

21 species seen frequently1. Grey Slender Loris

2. Jackal

3. Grey Mongoose

4. Black tipped Mongoose

5. Palm Cat

6. Spotted Deer

7. Sri Lanka Mouse Deer

8. Wild Boar

9. Porcupine

10. Indian House Mouse

11. Giant Squirrel

12. Black Naped Hare

3 species seen rarely

1. Sri Lanka Toque Monkey2. Jungle Cat3. Ring Tailed Civet4. Antelope Rat

Seen daily

Painted Bat Slender Grey Loris

Seen FrequentlyPainted Bat

Slender Grey Loris

Seen rarely

Antelope rat?

Slender Grey LorisAntelope rat?

My challenges in evaluating restoration…

1.What is the real value of home garden based forest rehabilitation?social, economic or biophysical

2.Whose assessment finally counts?farmer, state, academia or corporate

3.Can conventional economic theory be used in evaluation?

how do you measure success?

Thank you!NSRC

Naren GunasekeraPrasanna Rajapakshe