Poplar Plantation as an Agroforestry Approach: Economic Benefits and Its Role in Carbon Sequestration in North India
Article
Joshi, Rajeev, Sharma, Bharat, Singh, Hukum, Dhakal, Nabin, Ayer, Santosh and Maraseni, Tek. 2024. "Poplar Plantation as an Agroforestry Approach: Economic Benefits and Its Role in Carbon Sequestration in North India." Journal of Resources and Ecology. 15 (4), pp. 880-888. https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.04.009
| Article Title | Poplar Plantation as an Agroforestry Approach: Economic Benefits and Its Role in Carbon Sequestration in North India |
|---|---|
| Article Category | Article |
| Authors | Joshi, Rajeev, Sharma, Bharat, Singh, Hukum, Dhakal, Nabin, Ayer, Santosh and Maraseni, Tek |
| Journal Title | Journal of Resources and Ecology |
| Journal Citation | 15 (4), pp. 880-888 |
| Number of Pages | 9 |
| Year | 2024 |
| Place of Publication | China |
| ISSN | 1674-764X |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.04.009 |
| Web Address (URL) | https://www.jorae.cn/EN/10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2024.04.009 |
| Abstract | Poplar has gained popularity among farmers of Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, and the foothills of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh due to their fast growth rate and suitability for industrial uses such as pulp and timber production. Integrating poplar trees into agroforestry systems optimizes land resources and economic gains, as successful techniques have been developed to coordinate crop timing and arrangements effectively. Integrating poplar trees with agricultural crops provides additional income streams for farmers and contributes to soil conservation, biodiversity enhancement, and other environmental benefits. Farmers in these regions typically employ effective spacing of 5 m×4 m for block plantation and 1 m×3 m for row plantation. In the present study, a systematic literature review encompassing 137 English-language journal articles was conducted to assess the economic benefits of Poplar using discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, considering short-rotation poplar (SRC) and very short-rotation poplar (vSRC) plantations alongside annual crops. The findings revealed that increasing canopy density led to a decline in crop yields by 37%, 70%, and 99% at canopy densities of 30%, 60%, and 90%, respectively, from early spring to harvest. Cost-benefit analysis in Saharanpur district, India, indicated average annual net returns of USD 346.36 for Poplar-based agrisilviculture, while monoculture yielded USD 140.73 per annum. Furthermore, economic analysis in Yamunanagar and Haridwar districts showed benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2.35 to 3.7. Additionally, Poplar block and boundary plantations were found to sequester significantly more carbon in long-lived biomass, serving as substitutes for fossil fuels (5.45 and 1.84 t ha–1 yr–1) in poplar-based systems with block and boundary plantations. The study suggested expanding spacing between tree rows may mitigate resource competition between plantations and crops. The study inferred that Poplar-based agroforestry may play a crucial role in climate mitigation programs by effectively sequestering atmospheric carbon and offering fuel, fodder, timber, and wood products, thereby alleviating pressure on existing natural forests. |
| Keywords | agroforestry |
| Contains Sensitive Content | Does not contain sensitive content |
| ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 410406. Natural resource management |
| Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
| Byline Affiliations | Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal |
| Sustainable Initiatives for the Community (SIFC), Nepal | |
| Forest Research Institute, India | |
| Institute for Life Sciences and the Environment |
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