Fuelwood and fodder consumption patterns among agroforestry-practicing smallholder farmers of the lower Himalayas, India

Abstract

Trees are important as a source of fuelwood and fodder for rural populations in the Himalayas. This paper analysed the fuelwood and fodder consumption patterns of rural households in 16 villages in Alaknanda Valley, Uttarakhand, northern India. The results showed that consumption of biomass from agroforestry and other sources varied significantly in different seasons. The fuelwood consumption requirement from agroforestry was an estimated 2.05, 0.63 and 1.24 kg/capita/day in winter, summer and rainy season, respectively, while the corresponding values for fuelwood from other sources were 1.16, 0.34 and 0.65 kg/capita/day, respectively. The fodder from agroforestry also contributed an estimated value of 12.96, 10.35 and 7.65 kg/adult cattle unit/day in winter, summer and the rainy season, respectively, while other sources contributed 3.53, 4.76 and 11.58 kg/ACU/day, respectively. These findings highlight the importance of agroforestry comprising suitable tree species for fuelwood and fodder in mountainous regions. Agroforestry can be a potential strategy to enhance resilience to climate change among smallholders who are fully dependent on natural resources, by reducing the risk of total crop yield losses, providing a more stable source of fuelwood and fodder, and reducing the time and energy spent on collecting resources from outside the smallholding or farm.