Rubber-Based Agroforestry System in South China: Gaining … · Kadoorie Conservation China,...
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Rubber-Based Agroforestry System in South China: Gaining Ground with Farmers Padilla, H. & Li, J. Kadoorie Conservation China, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong SAR, China Rubber Analogue Agroforestry System * Native 1. Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) - existing monoculture crop 2. *Cardamom (Alpinia oxyphylla) - Chinese medicinal understorey herb 3. *Dumpling leaf (Phrynium capitatum) - understorey herb 4. *Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis) - high value timber tree 5. *Rosewood (Dalbergia odorifera) - high value timber tree 6. *Tea oil camellia (Camellia oleifera) - source of priced oil 7. *Hainan honeybee (Apis cerana hainanensis) - pollinates cardamom 8. *Stingless bees (Trigona ventralis & Trigona pagdeni) - pollinates cardamom Objective Design and promote scalable, diversified rubber-based agroforestry systems that increase ecosystem services of rubber monoculture. Situation – Rubber in China in Consumption 30% of world’s total 9.4 Million Tons in Production 8.5% of world’s total 864,806 tons 1 st 5 th Combinations accepted (increasing complexity ) ) Rubber plantation 5,149 Km 2 Rubber Monoculture Encroachment Primary Forest – Hainan Gibbon Habitat Village Massive land conversion from natural forest to rubber monoculture Situation – Rubber in Tropical Hainan Contributing to half of China’s rubber production : • Rubber: Most successful government poverty alleviation program; almost all rural households depend on rubber in Hainan • No existing model of rubber agroforestry system widely accepted by farmers in Asia • Soil erosion: Plantation without ground cover > Open grassland (Labrière et al., 2015) • Biodiversity • Ecosystem services • Water quality 16% Hainan Gibbon Nomascus hainanus “Less than 30 individuals left in the world” 7% Protected Areas 1. Looked into farmers’ backyard seedling nurseries 2. Set up demonstration farms 3. Collaborated with local government – subsidized seedlings 4. Conducted arthropod diversity study Ecosystem services • Trimmings of old cardamom stems increased soil organic matter and enhanced ecological services • Agroforestry increased arthropod diversity in rubber Social economic impact • Diversified crops increased farmers resilience to fluctuating market prices Lesson learnt • Low-lying scrubs (~ 1m high) are critical in soil erosion control • Critical to select combinations acceptable to market-oriented farmers Species Acceptability Market Price Shade tolerance Payback period - year Cardamom ☺☺☺☺☺☺ $$$ XXXXXX S -2 Agarwood ☺☺☺☺ $$$$$$$ XXXXX L - 15 Dumpling Leaf ☺☺☺ $ XXXXXX S -1 Hainan honeybee ☺☺☺ $$$ XXXXX S -1 Rosewood ☺☺ $$$$$$$ XX L - 20 Tea Oil Camellia ☺ $$$ X M -7 Stingless bee ☺ $$$$ XXXXX S -1 2 6 (Chen et al., 2018) Rubber - Cardamom Rubber – Cardamom – Dumpling leaf Rubber – Cardamom – Agarwood – Rosewood Rubber – Cardamom – Agarwood – Rosewood – Hainan honeybee – Stingless bees – uncleared understorey 8 Cardamom seedlings distribution 7 What we did Introduction Findings Rubber-Cardamom adoption - 8,600 ha References 1. Labrière, N., Locatelli, B., Laumonier, Y., Freycon, V., & Bernoux, M. (2015). Soil erosion in the humid tropics: A systematic quantitative review. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 203, 127-139. 2. Chen, B., Xiao, X., Wu, Z., Yun, T., Kou, W., Ye, H., ... & Luo, W. (2018). Identifying establishment year and pre-conversion land cover of rubber plantations on Hainan Island, China using landsat data during 1987–2015. Remote Sensing, 10(8), 1240. Qingsong Tow n , Hainan
Transcript of Rubber-Based Agroforestry System in South China: Gaining … · Kadoorie Conservation China,...
Rubber-Based Agroforestry System in South China:Gaining Ground with FarmersPadilla, H. & Li, J.Kadoorie Conservation China, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong SAR, China
Rubber Analogue Agroforestry System * Native
1. Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) - existing monoculture crop2. *Cardamom (Alpinia oxyphylla) - Chinese medicinal understorey herb3. *Dumpling leaf (Phrynium capitatum) - understorey herb4. *Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis) - high value timber tree5. *Rosewood (Dalbergia odorifera) - high value timber tree6. *Tea oil camellia (Camellia oleifera) - source of priced oil7. *Hainan honeybee (Apis cerana hainanensis) - pollinates cardamom8. *Stingless bees (Trigona ventralis &Trigona pagdeni) - pollinates cardamom
ObjectiveDesign and promote scalable, diversified rubber-based agroforestry systems that increase ecosystem services of rubber monoculture.
Situation – Rubber in China
in Consumption30% of world’s total
9.4 Million Tons
in Production8.5% of world’s total
864,806 tons1st 5th
Combinations accepted (increasing complexity ))
Rubber plantation 5,149 Km2
Rubber Monoculture Encroachment
Primary Forest – Hainan Gibbon Habitat
Village
Massive land conversion from natural forest to rubber monoculture
Situation – Rubber in Tropical Hainan Contributing to half of China’s rubber production :• Rubber: Most successful government poverty
alleviation program; almost all rural households depend on rubber in Hainan
• No existing model of rubber agroforestry system widely accepted by farmers in Asia
• Soil erosion: Plantation without groundcover > Open grassland (Labrière et al., 2015)
• Biodiversity• Ecosystem services• Water quality
16%
Hainan GibbonNomascus hainanus
“Less than 30 individuals left in the world”
7% Protected
Areas
1. Looked into farmers’ backyard seedling nurseries2. Set up demonstration farms3. Collaborated with local government – subsidized seedlings4. Conducted arthropod diversity study
Ecosystem services• Trimmings of old cardamom stems increased soil organic matter and enhanced
ecological services • Agroforestry increased arthropod diversity in rubber
Social economic impact• Diversified crops increased farmers resilience to fluctuating market prices
Lesson learnt• Low-lying scrubs (~ 1m high) are critical in soil erosion control• Critical to select combinations acceptable to market-oriented farmers
Species AcceptabilityMarket Price
Shade tolerance
Payback period -year
Cardamom ☺☺☺☺☺☺ $$$ XXXXXX S - 2
Agarwood ☺☺☺☺ $$$$$$$ XXXXX L - 15
Dumpling Leaf ☺☺☺ $ XXXXXX S - 1
Hainan honeybee ☺☺☺ $$$ XXXXX S - 1
Rosewood ☺☺ $$$$$$$ XX L - 20
Tea Oil Camellia ☺ $$$ X M - 7
Stingless bee ☺ $$$$ XXXXX S - 1
2 6
(Chen et al., 2018)
Rubber - Cardamom Rubber – Cardamom – Dumpling leafRubber – Cardamom – Agarwood –
Rosewood
Rubber – Cardamom – Agarwood – Rosewood –Hainan honeybee – Stingless bees –
uncleared understorey
8Cardamom seedlings distribution7
Wh
at
we
did
Intr
od
uct
ion
Fin
din
gs Rubber-Cardamom adoption - 8,600 ha
References1. Labrière, N., Locatelli, B., Laumonier, Y., Freycon, V., & Bernoux, M. (2015). Soil erosion in the humid tropics: A systematic quantitative review. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 203, 127-139.2. Chen, B., Xiao, X., Wu, Z., Yun, T., Kou, W., Ye, H., ... & Luo, W. (2018). Identifying establishment year and pre-conversion land cover of rubber plantations on Hainan Island, China using landsat data during 1987–2015. Remote Sensing, 10(8), 1240.
Qingsong Town, Hainan
