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T. Das and A. K. Das
Garcinia kydia Roxb., Palaquium polyanthum (Wall. ex G.Don) Baill., Saurauia
roxburghiia Wall., and Sterculia foetida L., including bamboo species such as Melocanna baccifera (Roxb.) Kurz., and Schizostachyum dullooa (Gamble) Majumder.
Variations in composition and diversity were observed for the homegardens owned
by different cultural groups. Ethnicity plays an important role in explaining the differences in species composition and richness although the statistical relation found
is very poor in terms of the values obtained from multiple linear regressions. Higher
homegarden sizes were recorded for the tea garden community in the three districts
and lower sizes were recorded for the homegardens of the Burman community. The
largest number of species was recorded from the homegardens of the tea garden
labour community followed by the high altitude Khasi community. Farmers’ selection and maintenance of species diversity in the homegardens is not done with a
view to conserve but because of their multiple uses and long term product benefits.
The homegardens were also found to be an important repository of underutilized
trees like A. chama, Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., C. grandis, Garcinia spp., Meyna
spinosa Roxb. ex Link., Spondias dulcis L., Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz., and T.
ciliata. Homegardens were also found to be sites of conservation and preservation
of naturally regenerating forest tree species, especially for the homegardens of the
tea garden labourers in the Valley, such as A. chama, A. lacucha, A. malaccensis,
Chrysophyllum lanceolatum (Bl.) DC., Dysoxylum binectariferum (Roxb.) Hook. f.,
G. kydia, Licuala peltata Roxb., Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd., Streblus asper Lour.,
and Zanthoxylum limonella (Dennst.) Alston.
7 Conclusions
The discussion of the case studies on the traditional rice farming systems and homegardens from the different regions of northeastern India clearly highlight the role of
traditional communities in the conservation of agrobiodiversity in their traditional
farming systems. A large diversity of indigenous and native rice and plants exist in
such traditional farming systems of the various rural pockets of northeast India including the region of Barak Valley, Assam. This diversity of rice and plants is managed
because of the farmers’ preference and use of them and further highlight the concept
of the ‘conservation through use’ approach which is an element of a complementary
conservation strategy and there is an urgent need to strengthen and document such
traditional system of natural resource management for economic viability, ecological sustainability and social acceptability. The traditional ecological knowledge of
the different ethnic communities plays a pivotal role in the management of agrobiodiversity in the traditional rice fields and homegardens. The traditional knowledge
of the different communities which have been passed from generation to generation is reflected in their homegarden design and their management strategies of their
traditional farming systems. However some problems such as land fragmentation,
absence of labour, low economic incentives, low return from both the traditional
rice farming and homegarden agroecosystem are resulting in a lower diversity of
T. Das and A. K. Das
Garcinia kydia Roxb., Palaquium polyanthum (Wall. ex G.Don) Baill., Saurauia
roxburghiia Wall., and Sterculia foetida L., including bamboo species such as Melocanna baccifera (Roxb.) Kurz., and Schizostachyum dullooa (Gamble) Majumder.
Variations in composition and diversity were observed for the homegardens owned
by different cultural groups. Ethnicity plays an important role in explaining the differences in species composition and richness although the statistical relation found
is very poor in terms of the values obtained from multiple linear regressions. Higher
homegarden sizes were recorded for the tea garden community in the three districts
and lower sizes were recorded for the homegardens of the Burman community. The
largest number of species was recorded from the homegardens of the tea garden
labour community followed by the high altitude Khasi community. Farmers’ selection and maintenance of species diversity in the homegardens is not done with a
view to conserve but because of their multiple uses and long term product benefits.
The homegardens were also found to be an important repository of underutilized
trees like A. chama, Baccaurea ramiflora Lour., C. grandis, Garcinia spp., Meyna
spinosa Roxb. ex Link., Spondias dulcis L., Spondias pinnata (L.f.) Kurz., and T.
ciliata. Homegardens were also found to be sites of conservation and preservation
of naturally regenerating forest tree species, especially for the homegardens of the
tea garden labourers in the Valley, such as A. chama, A. lacucha, A. malaccensis,
Chrysophyllum lanceolatum (Bl.) DC., Dysoxylum binectariferum (Roxb.) Hook. f.,
G. kydia, Licuala peltata Roxb., Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd., Streblus asper Lour.,
and Zanthoxylum limonella (Dennst.) Alston.
7 Conclusions
The discussion of the case studies on the traditional rice farming systems and homegardens from the different regions of northeastern India clearly highlight the role of
traditional communities in the conservation of agrobiodiversity in their traditional
farming systems. A large diversity of indigenous and native rice and plants exist in
such traditional farming systems of the various rural pockets of northeast India including the region of Barak Valley, Assam. This diversity of rice and plants is managed
because of the farmers’ preference and use of them and further highlight the concept
of the ‘conservation through use’ approach which is an element of a complementary
conservation strategy and there is an urgent need to strengthen and document such
traditional system of natural resource management for economic viability, ecological sustainability and social acceptability. The traditional ecological knowledge of
the different ethnic communities plays a pivotal role in the management of agrobiodiversity in the traditional rice fields and homegardens. The traditional knowledge
of the different communities which have been passed from generation to generation is reflected in their homegarden design and their management strategies of their
traditional farming systems. However some problems such as land fragmentation,
absence of labour, low economic incentives, low return from both the traditional
rice farming and homegarden agroecosystem are resulting in a lower diversity of