HOMESTEAD TREE SPECIES DIVERSITY AND IT’S IMPACT ON SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITION OF FARMERS IN CHANDPUR DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Trees on homestead play a vital role in providing diverse goods and services. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of tree diversity on different socioeconomic factors in homesteads in the study area. The study area covered four villages of two upazilas of Chandpur district, Bangladesh. Assessment was done by approach of random sampling. Information concentrated from an accumulation of 63 households ranging from marginal, small, medium and large categories. A total of 2604 trees representing 23 families were identified. Fuel wood (26.67%), fruit (23.81%) and timber (22.86%) species were the important plant use categories. Determination of the relative abudance of the divergent species revealed that Artocarpus heterophyllus constitutes 27.8% of homestead agroforestry followed by Mangifera indica, which occupies 16.59%. Shannon Wiener index (H) was used to evaluate the tree diversity and evaluation showed that tree species diversity of the area was 2.58 and species evenness index (E) was 1.62. According to the of plants catagorization, Shannon Wiener index (H) varies from 1.38 to 2.60. Tree species diversity was positively influenced by occupation, livlihood condition, farm size, homestead size, education and annual income, but negatively influenced by gender, age and family size. Results of this study can contribute to modify agroforestry programs for implementing future tree planting activities for different target populations in various economic and environmental circumstances.