Financial viability and conservation role of betel leaf based agroforestry: an indigenous hill farming system of Khasia
A study was conducted to investigate the cultural and financial management techniques of betel leaf based agroforestry system practiced in or near homegardens of Khasia community in Jaintapur Upazila in the district of Sylhet, Bangladesh. The Khasia is an educated community where 100% of Khasia people were literate, a stunning fact for this ethnic community in Bangladesh. The average family size in the study area was 7.68, with a ration of male and females of 141:100. The homegardens of the Khasia are rich in species composition, which 15 timber species, 22 horticultural species, six medicinal species, 13 annual crops including leafy vegetables, seven species of spices and five species of bamboo were identified along with betel leaf. The Khasia is an economically prosperous community with the minimum family incomes of Tk 4000 per month (Tk. 70=1 US Dollar). Betel leaf based agroforestry is very common being a prevalent source of income. About 95.45% of the households are involved in betel leaf husbandry. The mean annual income from one hectare of betel leaf plantation was estimated to be Tk. 80979. This practice was proven to be a profitable business where the benefit cost ratio was calculated to be 4.47. Moreover, the species composition in the betel leaf plantation area (the forest area once utilized by Khasia for shifting cultivation) was found to be very promising to play the significant role in conservation of biological diversity making the practice a sustainable agroforestry system.
作 者： Mizanur Rahman Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman Mahmuda Islam 作者单位： Mizanur Rahman,Mahmuda Islam(Dept. of Forestry and Environmental Science, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh)Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman(Institute of Forestry and Environmental Science, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh)
刊 名： 林业研究（英文版） 英文刊名： JOURNAL OF FORESTRY RESEARCH 年，卷(期)： 2009 20(2) 分类号： S7 关键词： agroforestry betel leaf conservation homegarden Khasia