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Conservation of Plant Diversity in Rural Homegardens with Cultural and Geographical Variation in Three Districts of Barak Valley, Northeast India1

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Conservation of Plant Diversity in Rural Homegardens with Cultural and Geographical Variation in Three Districts of Barak Valley, Northeast India

Homegardens are recognized worldwide as sustainable agroforestry systems that are repositories of species and genetic diversity. Species diversity and composition of homegardens are influenced by a number of environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural factors. The present study examines the tree species diversity in the homegardens of different cultural groups of Barak Valley, Assam, Northeast India. Complete enumeration was done for diversity analysis in 181 homegardens from 38 villages in the three districts of the Valley. Factors affecting plant diversity were analyzed, and the floristic composition of the homegardens was found to vary with garden size, ethnicity of the homegarden owners, and geographical parameters such as location and altitude. Results indicate high plant diversity, with a total of 161 tree species identified from 47 families. Tea garden labor communities were comparatively found to hold more diversity in their homegardens. Similarity and cluster analysis revealed the distinctness of the majority of the homegardens, and seven groups of homegardens with very low distance were revealed. Homegardens were also found to maintain considerable conservation value as repositories of many underutilized, wild, and rare plant species. Biodiversity conservation in the homegardens was found to be linked to the multiple values of the different plant species to the homegardeners and further highlight the concept of the “conservation through use” approach. For the preservation of such traditional agroforestry systems, which also have the potential to provide options for adaptation to climate change, proper documentation of traditional knowledge concerning the different plant species and the human-nature interaction in the homegardens is necessary before such systems are completely lost.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India sponsored R & D project under the Women Scientists (WOS-A) Scheme.The authors would also like to acknowledge the cooperation provided by the local communities and homegarden owners of Barak Valley, Assam, during the inventory and for sharing their knowledge on different aspects of their homegarden diversity. Special thanks to Late Mr. Jagadish Bhar and Mr. Mohan Bhar from village Dargakona, Mr. Lal Mohan Bagdi from village Dhuarband, Mr. Purna Singha from village Bantarapur, and Mr. Radhe Shyam Mohato from village Behara, all in the Cachar district, for acting as resource persons during field visits to villages of different communities in the three districts of Barak Valley, Assam. The authors also thank two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Assam University, Silchar, 788011, Assam, India

    Tapasi Das & Ashesh Kumar Das

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Das, T., Das, A.K. Conservation of Plant Diversity in Rural Homegardens with Cultural and Geographical Variation in Three Districts of Barak Valley, Northeast India1 . Econ Bot 69, 57–71 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-015-9299-6

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