This document summarizes a presentation on tree diversity given by Rengaian Ganesan of Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, India. It discusses three major programs at ATREE related to tree diversity: 1) Mapping and monitoring tree diversity and estimating ecosystem service values, 2) Understanding and enhancing the role of trees in livelihoods using participatory approaches, and 3) Restoring tree diversity using participatory approaches. Specific examples are provided on agroforestry experiences in India, linking forest fragments to pollination of orange plantations, and meeting fuelwood demands through planting diverse tree species outside of forests to reduce pressure on forest resources.

1. Tree
Diversity
Day
11
October
2012,
1030
–
1830
hrs,
Rio
Pavilion
CBD
COP
11
at the 11th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD COP 11)
Agroforestry
as
strategy
in
dryland
restoration:
experiences
in
India
Rengaian
Ganesan
Ashoka
Trust
for
Research
in
Ecology
and
the
Environment
(ATREE)
Bangalore

2. India
with
diverse
About
69
percent
(228
million
ha)
of
India
is
forests
and
equally
• dry
land
–
arid,
semi-­‐arid
and
dry
sub-­‐humid
diverse
vegetation
• heavily
populated
types
• livelihood
and
food
security
Out
of
17000
species
of
flowering
plants
2863
species
are
trees

3. Three
major
programs
on
tree
diversity
at
ATREE
1. Mapping
and
monitoring
tree
diversity
and
estimating
value
of
ecosystem
services
2. Understanding
and
enhancing
the
role
of
tree
diversity
in
livelihoods
,
using
participatory
approaches.
3. Restoring
tree
diversity,
also
using
participatory
approaches
picture

4. MONITORING TREE DIVERSITY AND ESTIMATING
VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES
Changing plant species composition and growth rates –
Indicators of climate change
Permanent Monitoring Plot

5. Multiple
drivers
leading
to
interspecific
competitive
interaction
–
that
shapes
the
population
structure
of
Phyllanthus
emblica
Hemi-­‐
Lantana
parasite,
Grazing
Natural
death
Fire
Drought
(2002-­‐2004)
Invasives
Effective
management
for
conservation
Hemi-­‐parasite
plants
requires
disentangling
the
effects
of
Grazing
in
Lantana-­‐free
area
different
drivers
to
identify
those
most
responsible
for
species
decline.
Invasives,
Hemi-­‐parasite
plants
–
Forest
management
practices

6. Native
shade
trees,
Pollinators
and
Organic
Coffee
At
farm
scale
Shade
management
Rustic
shade
Native
shade
trees
Silver
oak
Natural
farming
dominated
shade
as
a
way
of
life
Sophisticated
0rganic
farming
with
certification
(niche
for
large
farmers)
Shade
Sun
–
loving
coffee
Coffea
arabica
to
Coffea
canephora

7. Linkage
between
trees
in
forest
fragments
and
Orange
Plantations-­‐
serviced
by
wild
pollinators
Forest
fragments
and
Orange
Plantations-­‐
Pollination
service
NTFP
from
forest
patches
–
Persea
odoratissima
&
Machilus
edulis
Urbashi.P
&
Soubadra,M.

8. Trees
in
water
shed
management
Jagdish
Krishnaswamy

9. Restoring
tree
diversity,
also
using
participatory
approaches
Bandipur
Tiger
reserve,
Karnataka
• restore
arid
degraded
forest
in
wildlife
corridor
• Livelihood
availability
of
forest
resources,
• water
table
for
downstream
agricultural
lands

10. 2.
Understanding
and
enhancing
the
role
of
tree
diversity
in
livelihoods
,
using
participatory
approaches.
How
do
farmers
value
the
trees?
Sacred
tree
–Aglaia
courtalensis
• Timber
• Fodder
• Leaf
manure
• Bio-­‐pesticide
• Fuelwood
• Money
• Sacredness
Wild
Avocado
fruits
–
Persea
odoratissima
Lopped
Ficus
trees
in
farmlands
for
fodder,
minor
timber
(e.g.,poles)

11. Tree
lopped
for
leaf
manure
Fruits
of
Indian
gooseberry-­‐
Phyllanths
emblica
Fuelwood
from
trees
in
farmland
Fodder
from
trees
in
the
farmland

12. Rock
bee
hives
Ecological
Services
Refugia
–
Pollinators
Wind
breakers
Soil
binders
Nutrient
&
water
cycling
Fruit
bats
Dryland
farming
=
tree-­‐based
farming

13. Tree
diversity
in
livelihoods
-­‐
using
participatory
approaches
Forest
fringe
villages
around
Protected
Area-­‐
Can
we
help
improve
the
condition
(biodiversity)
of
these
dry
forests
and
also
meet
Bandipur
the
fuelwood
requirements
Tiger
Reserve
of
the
dependent
community?
Bannarghatta
National
park
Kalakad-­‐Mundanthurai
Tiger
reserve
• The
boundary
in
most
places
is
sharp
-­‐
Intensive
Wetland
Farming
• Limited
Fuel
wood
and
Fodder
sources
Kalakad
Mundanthurai
Tiger
Reserve
Twigs
of
Ipomoea
fistulosa
–
as
Fuelwood

14. How
much
was
the
biomass
requirements
of
these
villages
and
can
we
raise
the
fuelwood
source
outside
the
forest?
17
months
of
census
fuel
collectors
on
regular
paths
-­‐
28
tons
of
forest
fuel
wood
/
month
for
three
villages
Amounts
to
about
300
tons
per
year
and
is
removed
from
a
large
area
of
forest
roughly
about
10
sq
km.

15. HOW TO MEET FUELWOOD DEMANDS FROM
OUTSIDE THE FORESTS?
Diverse
native
and
exotic
fast
growing
multiple
purpose
tree
species
54
tree
species
–
18
fuelwood
,
16
species
fodder,
16
fruits,
rest
timber
Top
5
species
constituted
55%
of
the
basal
area
of
which
4
are
fuelwood
species
Within
4
years
247
m2
basal
area
of
trees–
42
%
basal
area
contributed
by
4
fuelwood
species

16. Biomass generation in homestead
-Fuelwood, Fodder
Three Year trees in backyard of 5 sq m,
700 kgs of fuelwood in addition to timber US$100
Income
generation
Women
Self-­‐Help
Group
Nursery
Gmelina
arborea,
Cassia
fistula,

17. COMMON DRYLAND TREES
OF KARNATAKA
Bilingual
field
guide

18. Acknowledgements
FORD
Foundation
Sir
Dorabji
Tata
Trust
Dept.
Biotechnology,
Govt.
of
India
S.M.Sehgal
Foundation