Item Details

Title: Agroforestry Research and Development to conserve and enhance
biodiversity in the Kigezi Highlands and Mabira forest buffer zone
of Uganda Progress report for the quarter

Date Published: 2004
Author/s: FORRI and ICRAF
Data publication:
Funding Agency :
Copyright/patents/trade marks:
Journal Publisher:
Affiliation: FORRI and ICRAF, World Agroforestry Centre
Keywords:

Abstract:

Improved faliows and rotational \voodlots are among the agroforestry practices being disseminated in
SW Uganda, which are intended to increase soil nutrient status and crop yield while providing
additional wood supplies for farmers. Under these systems, farmers are exploring planting Sesbanm
sesL'an. &1/iandra ca/oI/yrsns and A/mis aciirninata tree species for two years on the upper degraded part of
terraces benches. Besides increased crop yields and enhanced wood production, these systems are
hypothesized to enhance carbon sequestration in agricultural system and therefore have potential for
carbon credits. Given a major widespread concern about increased carbon emissions and the resultant
global warming, small-scale farmers can beneht from global carbon trade if proper institutional
arrangements are established. A study was therefore conducted with the overall objective of comparing
carbon storage in soil and above ground in these improved agroforestry fallow systems compared with
the continuous cropping system. The specific oblectives were (1) Estimating above ground and soil
organic carbon accumulation and variations in mineral nitrogen under the different tree systems
compared to a continuous cropping system, (2) Assessing crop performance after the failows from the
farmers' perspective, (3) Estimating potential carbon accumulation through restoration of degraded
bench terraces using improved fallows, (4) assess the economic potential of improved fallow systems.