AGROFORESTY PRACTICES IN PADAWAN, SARAWAK.

SYARIFAH KAMARIAH BINTI WAN MOHAMMAD

A Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Science Environmental Science (Land Use and Water Resource Management)

SLUSE·M MASTER PROGRAMME

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SARAWAK

2004

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving,

I would like to thank my supervisor Prof. Dr. Wan Sulaiman bin Wan Harun for his

valuable advice and help throughout the course of this dissertation. Special thanks

are due to the experienced resource professional who provided valuable review for

this study including: Mr. Joseph Jawa Kendawang, Assistant Director

(Reforestation and Rehabilitation) of Forest Department Sarawak, Mr. Dawend

Jiwan Executive Forestry of Forest Department and Mr. Teng Chin Siong, head of

Soils Division, Department of Agriculture Sarawak. Thanks to Ms. Sharifah ...

Kedariah for her resilience during sampling and field works. Warmest thanks to

villagers of study sites especially Mr. Philips ak Dia and Mr. Mongud ak Niod for

their willingness in providing lots of information, which played an important role in

my dissertation. I also thank Department of Chemistry Sarawak for providing some

chemicals for soil analysis. I wish to thanks all technical staff of lJNIMAS, especially

to the Director of SLUSE-M Masters Program, Prof. Murtedza Mohamed, and

Assistant Director, Mr. Robert Malong for their great administrative, technical and

management for the program; and for lab assistants for their help out during

laboratory analysis. Thanks to all my friends for supports since I joined the SLUSE­

M Masters program. To my family, sincere gratitude and thanks for their

encouragement and caring. I am grateful to all.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

Abstract

Abstrak

CHAPTER 1 INRODUCTION

1.1 Agroforestry for sustainable land use 1.2 Significance of study

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM 2.1.1 Classification of Agroforestry

Major types of Agroforestry 2.1.2 Indigenous Agroforestry System

Home gardens Shifting cultivation

2.1.3 Major Components of agroforestry Land Tree Non-tree crops

2.1.4 Benefits of Agroforestry Effects of Agroforestry on Soil Agroforestry and the conservation of forest and biodiversity

2.1.5 Agroforestry in Malaysia Agroforestry in Sarawak

2.2 SOIL QUALITY 2.2.1 The General Concept 2.2.2 Indicators of Soil Quality

III

ii

iii

vi

vi

vii

viii

1

1 2

4

4 4 4 6 7 8 9 9 9 11 12 12

13 14 15

17 17 17

Soil Physical Indicators Soil Chemical Indicators Soil Biological Indicators

2.2,3 Importance of Soil Organic Matter 2,2.4 Soil quality and Sustainable Agriculture

Agroforestry protects Soil Quality

CHAPTER 3 SCOPES OF STUDY AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3,1 PADAWAN: BACKGROUND INFORMATION 3,1.1 Location 3,1.2 Land Use 3,1.3 Topography and Vegetation 3,1.4 Common Agroforestry Practices in Padawan 3,1.5 Soils 3.1.6 Meteorology

Climate Temperature, Relative Humidity Rainfall Sunshine and Winds

3.2 ASPECTS OF STUDY

.. 3,3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY 3,3,1 General objective 3,3.2 Specific objectives

3.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.4.1 Rationale of selected villages as unit of study 3.4,2 Data Source and collection

(a) Duration of Data Collection (b) Data Collection Methods

Agroforestry Practices Soil Data Plants ofImportance in the system Informal Conversation and Interviews Source ofInformation (secondary data)

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

4,1 DESCRIPTION OF AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES INPADAWAN

4,1.1 Shifting Cultivation 4.1.2 Home Gardens

Forest Garden

19 21 21 22 23 24

25

25 25 26 27 28 29 32 32 33 33 33

34

34 34 34

35 35 35 35 36 36 36 38 38 38

40

40 40 43 49

IV .... '

Mixed Garden 54 4.1.3 Pepper farm 56 4.1.5 Oil Palm Plantation 57

4.2 PLANTS OF IMPORTANCE IN PADAWAN AGROFORESTRY 59 4.2.1 High Potential Species 60

Timber trees 60 Fruit trees 61 Medicinal plants 63 Vegetables 63 Cover crops and leguminous plants 63

4.2.2 Diversity of Functions 64 Shade 64 Soil improvement 65 Timber, construction and handicraft materials 65 Food resources 65 Other uses 66

4.3 SOIL QUALITY OF PADAWAN AGROFORESTRY 66 4.3.1 Current status of Soil Quality under agroforestry

practices 66 Soil Reaction (pH) 66 Organic Carbon 68 Bulk density 69 Soil Texture 69 Soil Structure 70

4.3.2 Potentials of the agroforestry practices in term of Soil Quality 71

Hill Padi 71 Mixed Garden 71 Forest Garden 72 Pepper Farm 72 Oil Palm plantation 73

4.4 SUSTAINABILITY AND INTEGRATION IN PADAWAN 73 AGROFORESTRY

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 77

References 79

Appendix 1: Table: List of Species in Padawan Agroforestry 87

Appendix 2: Plates 93

v

p ,...

LIST OF TABLES

Table 2.1

Table 2.2

Table 2.3

Table 2.4

Table 2.5

Table 2.6

Table 3.1

Table 3.2

Table 4.1

Table 4.2

Table 4.3

Figure 2.1

Figure 2.2

Figure 2.3

Figure 3.1

Figure 3.2

Trees or large shrubs with edible products for agroforestry

Principal trees for agroforestry systems

Some examples of successful agroforestry systems for trees and crops

Some tree crop combination in agroforestry systems that are

considered viable and still undergoing research in Malaysia

Soil quality indicator properties

General relationship of soil bulk density to root growth based on soil

texture

Various uses of plant species in Padawan

Soil group, family and series of Padawan

Common fruiting plants in the home garden of villages in Padawan

Ecological and cultural functions and uses of plants in agroforestry

system in Padawan

Soil Quality ofPadawan Agroforestry

LIST OF FIGURES

Characteristics of Agroforestry Systems

The interrelationship between soil indicators, and soil functions that

contributes to soil quality

Interaction between functions of soil organic matter

Location of Padawan

Soil Families of the Study Sites

Vi

,.. ,.

Abstract

Attaining agricultural sustainability remams at the forefront of Sarawak's

challenges. Indigenous systems of agroforestry in Padawan have some potential in

achieving this goal. This study illustrates the richness of existing heritage of

agroforestry possessed by rural communities of Padawan, both predominantly

subsistence and present-day urban agroforestry as practiced in conjunction with

monocultural cash-cropping. Agroforestry practices located in five different locations

within Padawan were observed and surveyed to describe the structure of the

practices, to determine species of importance in the system and to ascertain the

current soil quality of the system. Analysis of information from the field work and

literatures has led to identification of a number of cultivated wild tree species,

species that are of household utilization, localized economic, cultural and ecological

importance in the Padawan agroforestry system. In consideration of the importance

of to recognize the current soil quality in the agroforestry practices, indicators

associated with soil quality include soil reaction (pH), soil organic carbon, bulk

I density, soil texture and structure are being studied. Sustainability and integration t

Iof agroforestry in Padawan is also discussed. The study concludes that richness and I

stability of Padawan agroforestry makes the area an important site for in-situ ! conservation of forest resources. More research on aspects not covered within the ~ scope of this study is needed to enhance the state forest conservation and

development projects. I

I

Keywords: Agroforestry practices; Padawan; Species of importance; Soil Quality;

Agroforestry sustainability.

Vll

Abstrak

Sarawak sentiasa dalam usaha mendapatkan bentuk pengurusan pertanian yang

mapan. Sistem Hutan-Tani di Padawan berpotensi untuk mencapai matlamat

tersebut. Kajian ini memberi gambaran tentang kekayaan Hutan-Tani Padawan

dari sudut pertanian sara diri serta pembangunan hutan komersil iaitu tanaman

kontan. Perhatian telah dibuat terhadap bentuk-bentuk Hutan-Tani daripada lima

lokasi kajian yang berbeza untuk menperihalkan struktur-strukturnya, mengetahui

spesies-spesies yang mempunyai kepentingan dalam sistem Hutan-Tani berkenaan,

serta menentukan kualiti tanah semasa bagi bentuk-bentuk Hutan-Tani yang

dikaji. Maklumat daripada kerja lapangan dan kajian perpustakaan membantu

dalam mengenalpasti beberapa spesies yang digunakan dalam sistem Hutan-Tani

Padawan seperti: spesies untuk kegunaan harian di rumah, berkepentingan dari .. , aspek ekologi, budaya, dan bernilai ekonomi. Penentuan Kualiti Tanah, sebagai

salah satu aspek utama dalam kajian ini telah menggunakan indikator seperti:

keasidan tanah (pH), karbon organik tanah, ketumpatan, tekstur dan struktur

tanah. Kemapanan dan kesepaduan Hutan-Tani Padawan juga dibincangkan.

Kajian ini merumuskan bahawa kekayaan dan kestabilan Hutan-Tani Padawan

menjadikan ia sebagai lokasi pemuliharaan in situ yang penting untuk sumber

hutan. Kajian yang lebih lanjut tentang aspek-aspek di luar skop kajian ini adalah

diperlukan untuk membantu kemajuan pemuliharaan dan pembangunan sumber

hutan negeri.

Kata kunci: Bentuk-bentuk Hutan-Tani; Padawan; Spesies-spesies yang penting;

Kualiti Tanah; Kemapanan Hutan-Tani.

Vlll .....

f .,.

Introduction

CHAPTER!

INTRODUCTION

Deforestation, land degradation and environmental degradation are continuing

problems of the world. Malaysia is facing various challenges such as rapid increase in

human population, widespread deforestation, soil erosion, environmental

deterioration, etc. One of the solutions to combat these challenges lies in encouraging

agroforestry to sustain land uses.

Agriculture and forestry account for much of the world's land use. Generally,

agroforestry means practice of agriculture and forestry on the same piece of land

(Dwivedi, 1992). Most definitions of agroforestry carry the idea of sustainability and

increased benefit for rural or local population. Many traditional low input agroforestry

.. systems are being used all over the world, including fodder-trees or multi-purpose

trees, live hedges, intercropped fruit trees, improved fallows with shifting cultivation,

home gardens, windbreaks, forest grazing, etc. Modern agricultural systems, on the

other hand, often require large amounts of input (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides),

which increases the production costs and causes environmental risks.

1.1 Agroforestry for sustainable land use

Most countries have practiced agroforestry for centuries. In many parts of the

developing world, it is an important form of land use and a major contributor to land

use sustainability (Raintree, 1987). Panjab Singh et aL (1995) also claimed that

agroforestry has emerged as a new area of study with great potential for assuring

conservation and land sustainability.

. ....

F r

Introduction

Sustainability requires a constant search for new ways to meet the overall

" goals, while addressing current challenges (Van Noordwijk et ai., 2003). For instance,

in term of sustainable forest management, agroforestry have the potential to provide a

wide array of forest-related benefits to society. The Montreal Process on Criteria and

Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) identified several criteria,

which are essentially a statement of the goods and services that society derives from

its forests and agroforestry generally meeting the 1-5 of this criteria;

1. Biological diversity

2. Wood and non timber products

3. Healthy ecosystem

4. Soil and water resources

5. Maintaining carbon cycles

Therefore, agroforestry as a sustainable land use system is highly essential.

Agroforestry is a traditional concept where traditional farmers have long used trees in

combination with livestock and crops. It has however become a scientific activity now.

It has been reported by MacDicken and Vergara (1990), that agroforestry system has

high environmental adaptability in Malaysia due to the humid tropical climate. Thus,

agroforestry has the potential to provide a sustainable supply of tree products which

were formerly harvested from the forest, as well as improving the sustainability and

productivity of local agriculture.

1.2 Significance of study

Agroforestry has long been practiced traditionally and has been widespread

throughout Sarawak. This environmental friendly farming method could significantly

2

F ,.

Introduction

bring benefits to Padawan area, especially to the sustainable biological conservation

of genetic and natural resources. As this area is located at the outskirt of Kuching

and less urbanized, the existing agroforestry practices could be viewed as having high

potential for further development and with better inputs. Furthermore, agriculture is

one of the important socio-economic activities in Padawan. Like in most areas in

Sarawak, agroforestry practices in Padawan have not been well documented.

Therefore, the objective of this study was to provide additional baseline data in the

overall efforts of documenting the agroforestry practices in Sarawak in general and in

Padawan in particular. The findings of this study can also serve as guidance for

future agroforestry research in Padawan and other similar areas in Sarawak.

•

.. ....' 3

Literature Review

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Agroforestry means the practice of agriculture and forestry on the same piece of land

(Dwivedi, 1992). Agroforestry is also an option of sustainable system for the use of

land (National Research Council, 1993), combining agricultural crops, tree crops and

forest plants and or animals simultaneously or sequentially, and applying

management practices that are compatible with the cultural patterns of the local

population (MacDicken and Vergara, 1990).

According to Nair (1991), concepts of agroforestry involving trees combined

with crops and / or animals on the same unit of land, places emphasis on the use of

indigenous, multipurpose trees and shrubs. Thus, it is structurally and functionally

more complex than monoculture. Agroforestry systems are designed to reduce the

risks associated with agriculture, small scale or large, and to increase the

sustainability of agriculture (Martin and Sherman, 1998).

2.1.1 Classification of Agroforestry

Major types ofAgroforestry System

There are in existence several types of traditional agroforestry systems, but no

standard classification system is available to categorize them (National Research

Council, 1993). Nair (1990) proposed a classification system based on structural,

4

Literature Review

functional, agro-ecological, and socio-economic factors (Figure 2.1). These broad

categories are interrelated, and not necessarily mutually exclusive. However, most

commonly used categories are based on their structure and function. A general

classification developed by Nair (1985) puts the many agroforestry practices existing

world wide into major types based on the combination of the components:

• Agrisilvicultural: crops and woody plants

Agrisilviculture is the use of crops and trees, including shrubs or vines (National

Research Council, 1993). It includes shifting cultivation, forest gardens, multipurpose

trees and shrubs on farmland, alley cropping, and windbreaks as well as integrated

multistory mixture of plantation crops (N air, 1985).

• Silvopastoral: pasture and/or animals and woody plants

Silvopastoral systems are combinations of pastures (with or without animals) and

trees (National Research Council, 1993). They include cut-and-carry fodder

production, living fences of fodder trees and hedges, and trees and shrubs grown on

pastureland CMacDicken and Vergara, 1990).

• Agrosilvopastoral: crops, pasture and/or animals and woody plants

Agrisilvopastoral systems are those that combine food crops, pastures (with or

without animals), and trees and include home gardens and woody hedges used to

provide fodder, mulch, green manure, erosion control, and riverbank stabilization

(National Research Council, 1993).

• The fourth category of 'other system' is also included to catch those practices that

don't quite meet any of the prior three types, such as apiculture with trees. Apiculture

(bee keeping) is an agroforestry practice using honey-producing trees, and

aquaculture (National Research Council, 1993) is a practice whereby trees lining

5

Literature Review

ponds provide leaves as forage for fish, and multipurpose woodlots that serve various

purposes such as wood, fodder, or food production and soil protection or reclamation.

Au~ >iv/au/rural :'iiv"IxmGl'ai AuililvopaJIGl'ai

Qnl'''' Fwd Fodd6r Fuelwood

Co;"cid.nt ConcomiranJ o.l!I'lapping Ssqumn"ai illorpoialM

W'nd/""akJ S'Iolitl!l'OtJilJ Soil co""",van",, Soiirll;!lGl'a;"on Shad.

lilmidt1'opiCJ Highland.> SUblunid tropiCJ

~m'arid r--"'--.., ,aheJ

Figure 2.1 Characteristics of Agroforestry Systems

2.1.2 Indigenous Agroforestry system

Important among indigenous kind of agroforestry approaches are

homegardens, shifting cultivation, plantation crop combination and various

simultaneous and sequential systems (Nair, 1991). Maintenance in soil fertility is a

feature of most indigenous agroforestry systems (Young, 1989).

6

't'

Literature Review

Home gardens

Mixed cropping of annual and perennial crops is referred to as a mixed or home

garden (MacDicken and Vergara, 1990). Home gardens are one of the most

widespread cropping systems in the tropics. Its structure mimics the tropical

rainforest with almost all niches occupied by species producing products for human

consumption (Kass et aI., 1991). There are many forms of such gardens varying in how

intensively they are cultivated and their location with regard to the home, for

example, village forest gardens, 'compound gardens', 'kitchen gardens' (Preechapanya,

1996).

Home gardens are the indigenous agroforestry that provides fruit, vegetables,

meat, eggs, firewood, timber, ornamentals and medicinal plants in a manner that is

self-perpetuating and self sustaining in yields, in equilibrium with the environment

(MacDicken and Vergara, 1990). This form of agroforestry is highly productive, fully

sustainable and very practicable (Young, 1989). MacDicken and Vergara (1990)

suggests some general advantages of home garden system include the following.

Production is diversified and risk minimized. Products include staple food, fuel,

fodder, spices, fruits, beverages and timber.

Labour efficiency due to proximity to the farmer's residence.

Continuous production throughout the year

A more comfortable living environment is created for the farmer through

provision of shade, windbreak and privacy screen

Crops that require intensive protection from animals and perhaps other people

can be given protection by the farm family.

7

,. ,....

Literature Review

Shifting cultivation

Shifting cultivation is also known as 'slash and burn'. Shifting cultivation

describes an agricultural system that involves rotation between cropping on cleared

plots and a period when the soil is rested or fallow (MacDicken and Vergara, 1990). In

a typical sequence, forest is cut and burnt to clear the land and provide ash as

'fertilizer' or 'lime' for the soil. Crop yields are typically high for the first few years but

then fall on account of declining soil fertility or invasion of weeds or pests (Reijntjes et

al., 1992). The fields are then abandoned and the farmer clears another piece of forest.

The abandoned field is left to fallow for several years or decades and thus has a

chance to rebuild fertility before the farmer returns to it to start the process again.

The major critism of slash and burn agriculture is that it is an inefficient use of

the land because new parcels of forest have to be cleared within a time to sustain the

cultivators. Shifting cultivation is the oldest system cultivation of crops which has

continued for thousands of years. This traditional system believed to have some

benefits in term of sustainability and conservation (Dwivedi, 1992). On the other

hand, most agroforestry alternatives to shifting cultivation extract more nutrients,

hence nutrient inputs must be larger than nutrient losses to in order to ensure that

they are biologically sustainable (Szott et.al, 1991). In terms of soil fertility

maintenance, erosion rates are acceptable under shifting cultivation only when the

short period of cultivation is followed by a long forest fallow (Young, 1989). In

Sarawak shifting cultivation, erosion and runoff occurring during hill padi cropping

cycle is very low (Wan Sulaiman, 1989) because it tends towards very short cropping

periods and the land fallowed for as long as possible.

8

..

Lderature Review

2.1.3 Major Components of Agroforestry

Land

Agroforestry is appropriate for all land, it is especially important in the case of

hillside farming where agriculture may lead to rapid loss of soil (Martin and

Sherman, 1998). Agroforestry provides a different land use optiom, compared with

traditional arable and forestry systems. The land of agroforestry makes use of the

complementary between tree and crops, so that the available resources can be more

effectively exploited.

Trees

In agroforestry, particular attention is placed on multiple purpose trees or

perennial shrubs. The most important of these trees are the legumes because of their

ability to fix nitrogen and thus make it available to other plants (MacDicken, 1988).

The roles of trees on the small farm may include the following (Anonymous, 1992).

• Sources of fruits, nuts, edible leaves, and other foods.

• Sources of construction material, posts, lumber, branches for use as wattle (a

fabrication of poles

• Interwoven with slender branches etc.), thatching.

• Sources of non-edible materials, including sap, resins, tannins, insecticides,

and medicinal compounds.

• Sources of fuel.

• Beautification.

• Shade.

• Soil conservation, especially on hillsides.

9

" r

Literature Review

• Improvement of soil fertility.

Beside the above uses of trees in agroforestry, the climatic adaptations of the

species, including adaptations to various soils and stresses, the size and form of the

canopy as well as the root system, and the suitability for various agroforestry

practices is needed for the use of these trees in agroforestry systems (Anonymous,

1992). Some of the most common uses of trees in agroforestry systems are

(Anonymous, 1992):

• Individual trees in home gardens, around houses, paths, and public places.

• Lines of trees with crops between (alley cropping).

• Strips of vegetation along contours or waterways.

• Living fences and borderlines, boundaries.

• Windbreaks.

• Improved fallows.

• Terraces on hills.

• Erosion control on hillsides, gullies, channels.

• Woodlots for the production offuel and timber.

Some very good food-bearing trees for agroforestry are given in Table 2.1 (Von

Carlowitz, 1986[cited in Martin and Sherman, 1998]). Table 2.2 lists some of the best

of the nonfood producing trees used in agroforestry (Von Carlowitz, 1986[cited in

Martin and Sherman, 1998]).

10

_____________________ _ Table 2.1 Trees or large shrubs with edible products for agroforestry (after Von Carlowitz, 1986)

'~'_"~'_"'_'_~~___"__~_~"_~~_'4 Species

Cajanis cajan Carica papaya Cocos nucifera

Coffee arabica Leucaena leucocephala

Theobrama cacao

Psidium guajava

Table 2.2 Principal trees for agroforestry systems (especially for hillsides [after Von Carlowitz, 1986]).

,

Species

Acacia alb ida

~ Cassia siamea I

Leucaena leucocephala Sesbania sesban I

Common name

Pigeon pea Papaya Coconut

Coffee Leucaena

Cacao

Guava

Literature Review

Principle uses in agroforestry

Hills, nitrogen fixation Garden, quick shade Pasture, road side, construction

Hedges, hills, fuel Hills, alley cropping, nitrogen fixation Understorey tree, pasture

Pasture, fuel

Common name

Apple-ring acacia Siamese acacia Leucaena

Sesban

Principal uses in agroforestry

Terraces, disperse trees, forege, nitrogen fixing. Terraces, fuel, nitrogen fixing

Allaey cropping, soil conservation, food, nitrogen fixing Planting stakes, quick cover, nitrogen

Non-tree crops

According to Martin and Sherman (1998), any crop plant can be used in

agroforestry systems. The choice of crop plants in designing such systems should be

based on those crops already produced in a particular region either for marketing,

feeding animals, or for home consumption, or crops that have great promise for

production in the region (Martin and Sherman, 1998). Some examples of the use of

trees and crops together are given in Table 2.3.

11

T Literature Review

! I i

Table 2.3 Some examples of successful agroforestry systems for trees and crops (after Martin and Sherman, 1998)

.--..-"~--~-,~,,-~~--Understorey

Location System Tree crop Benefits cr"ops

Malaysia Dispersed Dwarf coconut Food, lumber Cocoa trees

Philippines Home garden Various fruit Fruits, edible Many trees leaves vegetables

Sri Lanka Mixed Many fruit Fruit, other Spices, perennials trees products vegetables

Tropics Alley crop Leucaena Erosion Annuals, leucocephala control, fuel, grasses

nitrogen, nutrients

Rwanda Vegetative Gravilia, strips Albizzia,

Leucaena

2.1.4 Benefits of Agroforesty

Effects ofAgroforestry on Soil

Agroforestry practices normally help conserve, and even improve, the soil.

They have widely shown ability to control erosion, maintain soil fertility, and so lead

towards sustainable land use (Beer, 1987; Brienza and Yared, 1991; Dwivedi, 1992;

Panjab et al., 1995; Young, 1989). Agroforestry practices include several vegetation

management techniques that in many cases can provide continous vegetation cover to

help conserve soil (Pimentel and Wightman, 1999).

Under home garden in Java which has a humid climate, measured erosion was

reported as minimal due to the herbaceous layer and litter cover, since the canopy

increased rainfall erosivity (Soemarwoto, 1987). Maintenance of soil fertility by

homegarden is achieved by combination of inputs includes household waste and high

level of recycling of organic matter and nutrients (Young, 1989). Shade trees are

12

r Literature Review

identified to have some advantages that include provision of mulch, increase soil

organic matter, reduction of erosion, improvement of drainage and aeration by roots

and recycling of nutrients that are not accessible to crops <Beer, 1987).

Agroforestry and the conservation offorest and biodiversity

Agroforestry practices are an important category of planted forests or "trees

outside forests" (Long and Nair 1999) that have the potential to provide a wide array

of forest- related benefits to society.

Agroforestry provides ways of augmenting the supply of forest habitat and

providing greater landscape connectivity as there is not enough forested habitat

remaining in some landscapes to support some species of plants and animals

(Schoeneberger and Ruak, 2003). Even when there are forest reserves in an area, they

may be too small to contain the habitat requirements of all species. In other words,

agroforestry is one way to increase and conserve biological diversity by increasing

plant diversity in managed ecosystems of forestry-agriculture and even in small

homegarden (De Foresta and Michon, 1992).

This benefit can be seen in various agroforestry practices even in home

gardening. Multispecies home gardens support a diverse group of natural biota

(Pimentel and Wightman, 1999). When the garden contains trees or shrubs, the

farmer benefits not only from a more effective use of soil nutrients but also have a

source of fuelwood. For example, De Foresta and Michon (1992) describe a 2 hectare

home garden in Malaysia that contained 260 useful trees and other plant spesies

found in the garden. Examples of such multispesies home garden are also found in

Java where small holder farmers cultivate 607 crop spesies including fruit trees in

their gardens (Dover and Talbot, 1987). In Sumatra, the Damar people have

13

Literature Review

-""II

developed profitable and productive agroforestry land use systems. These garden

simultaneously preserve hundreds offorest plants including rare epiphytes, herbs and

shrubs and provide habitats for at least 46 mammal species, 92 bird species and most

of mesofauna (De Foresta and Michon, 1992).

Beyond the diverse food and other products that forests provide for human,

agroforestry enhances food yields because it helps to conserve the biodiversity that is

essential to human survival and the integrity of the environment. The natural biota

that exists in the system also helps to degrade wastes, recycle vital nutrients,

pollinate crops and provide natural protection from pests that attack crops and

natural vegetation (Pimentel and Wightman, 1999).

2.1.5 Agroforestry in Malaysia

The first recorded commercial agroforestry project in Malaysia was the

planting of rubber trees in coffee plantation in 1920's (Najib Lotfy and Abdul Razak,

2000[cited in Suratman et a1., 1997]). In view of agroforestry attractive benefits,

recently it has been made as one of the strategic action plan of Malaysian 3rd

National Agriculture Plan (NAP3). Agroforestry is the approach and current trend

towards solving the timber and food constraints in Malaysia (Faridah, 2001).

Agroforestry development in Malaysia tended towards commercial

agroforestry. Some agroforestry systems that have been developed are direct interrow

integration, block planting, perimeter or border planting, and hedge planting system

(Abdul Razak, 200l[cited in Faridah, 2001]). Table 2.5 shows some tree crop

combination in agroforestry systems that are considered viable and those still

undergoing research (Faridah, 2001). The following information (Table 2.4) shows

....14

I

Literature Review

Malaysia are still in the development of commercial agroforestry research (Abdul

Razak et aI, 2001[cited in Faridah, 2001]) as compared to other countries which

already vastly adopt these practices.

Table 2.4 Some tree crop combination in agroforestry systems that are considered viable and still undergoing research in Malaysia

Main crop Viable projects Undergoing research

Rubber Rubber + cash crops Rubber + sheep Rubber + poultry Rubber + apiculture Rubber + mushrooms

Rubber + fruit trees Rubber + rattan Rubber + timber trees Rubber + medicinal plants Rubber + bamboo

Oil Palm Oil Palm + cash crops Oil Palm + sheep Oil Palm + cattle

Oil Palm + timber trees Oil Palm + rattan Oil Palm + medicinal plants

Timber species Timber species + cash crops Timber species + tobacco Timber species + cash crops + medicinal plants

Timber species + fruit trees Timber species + medicinal plants Timber species + cash crops + medicinal plants Timber species + animal rearing

," 'j :

Source: Abdul Razak et ai, 2001; Yakup and Raslp, 2001(clted m Fandah, 2001). jii, " I

Agroforestry in Sarawak

I' !

In Sarawak, agroforestry has been traditionally practiced since 100 years ago

among the local indigenous native (Jiwan and Alek, 2001). Most of the local

communities making temporary settlement and cultivation of food plants besides their

settlement which gradually became the old fruit orchard. According to Jiwan (2003),

the evidence of it now is the Temawai Lama Oban term) or Tembawang (Bidayuh

Jagoi term). This Tembawang normally contain timber size fruit trees, rattan, giant

bamboo, palms and some Sireh vine to the extent of 10-30 ha (Jiram Sidu, 1996).

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Literature Review

Agroforestry practices in Sarawak is classified into minimum management or

under intensive management and the other one as intensive management system

(Noweg, 1989; Jiram Sidu, 1996; Jiwan and Alek, 2001). The list of minimum

management agroforestry system is given as follows:

1. Small-scale fruit and timber trees cultivation.

2. Rubber gardens; normally practice as a form of making land claims

after shifting cultivation.

3. Intercropping of coconut with cocoa.

4. Communal fruit trees in former longhouse areas.

5. Communal fruit trees in water catchment areas.

Over the last 14 years, Sarawak Forest Department started the intensive

management agroforestry systems (Jiwan and Alek, 2001) comprising various

agriculture crops, livestock, fish rearing and forest plantation species. The activities

have been in conjunction with reforestation project to manage degradation of land by

shifting cultivators inside selected Permanent Forest Estates (Jiwan and Alek, 2001).

The projects mostly implemented at Sabal Forest Reserve since 1987. There were also

similar project in Niah Forest Reserve since 1994, deer breeding in Oya Road

Recreational Park, Sibu since 1994, in Balai Ringin Protected Forest since 1996.

The Department of Agriculture also organized some crop integration on-farms

and trials in Sarawak. One of the field stations having extensive collection of wild

fruit trees and vegetable cultivation is at Layar Integrated Agriculture Centre,

Betong, Sri Aman (Jiwan and Alek, 2001). There were also joint venture project

between Department of Agriculture and Forest Department of apiculture development

under Acacia mangium at Sampadi Forest Reserve, Lundu. Bugis farming system in

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