HOMESTEAD TREE SPECIES DIVERSITY AND IT‟S IMPACT ON SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITION OF FARMERS IN BOGURA DISTRICT

Abstract

Homestead trees provide diversified goods and services. The present study was carried out to assess the effects of tree diversity on different socioeconomic factors in homesteads in Bogura districts of Bangladesh. The study was carried out in four upazillas of Bogura (i.e. Kahaloo, Gabtoli, Sahajanpur and Bogura Sadar. Data was collected by approach of random sampling. Information concentrated from an accumulation of 68 households ranging from marginal, small, medium and large categories. The study was carried out during the period from February to March 2020. Twelve villages from four sub districts and 17 households from each upazilas were selected to explore the tree species diversity and its contribution on the livelihood of the farmers. A total of 68 households were interviewed by using a prepared questionnaire to collect the necessary information. Farmer opinion regarding tree species in the homesteads and its contribution to socioeconomic development was the dependent variables of the study and age, education, occupation, family size, homestead size, annual income of the farmers were considered as independent variables of the study. Correlation co-efficient (r) test was used to ascertain the relationship between the dependent and independent variables of the study. Tree species in the homesteads positively influenced by occupation, homestead size, education and annual income, but negatively influenced by age and family size. Tree Species diversity in the homestead agroforestry was measured by Shannon-wiener index (H). In case of all species, the highest and the lowest index (H) value were found in fruits species (H=3.51) and fuel wood species (H=1.55) respectively in the rural homestead garden of studied area. Mango (19.56 %), Mahogany (1.45%), Mander (5.05%) Neem (2.46%) were found as dominant trees for fruit, timber, fodder/fuel wood medicinal species, respectively in Bogura sadar, Gabtali, Kahalloo and Shahajanpur upazila. Tree species had direct impact on income of the farmers and the annual income of the farm families ranged from Tk. 5 thousands to Tk. 50 thousands. Results of this study may contribute to modify agroforestry programs for implementing future tree planting activities for different target populations in various economic and environmental circumstances.