Assessing the benefits and challenges of forest succession for sustainable development of abandoned agricultural land in the middle hills of Nepal
| dc.contributor.advisor | Bardsley, Douglas | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Cedamon, Edwin | |
| dc.contributor.author | McGunnigle, Nicola Kate | |
| dc.contributor.school | School of Agriculture, Food and Wine | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description.abstract | In the middle hills of Nepal, forest is naturally regenerating on abandoned agricultural land as a consequence of multi-faceted socio-ecological dynamics. Such landscape transitions are documented globally, and in some places the spontaneous succession of forest is promoted for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration. The concept and approach of rewilding landscapes as a deliberate conservation and restoration strategy has evolved to share a common goal that succeeds in self-regulating and sustaining ecosystems. Yet in Nepal, forests are spontaneously regenerating by matter of default. While the provision of ecosystem services from trees has long been recognised in rural farming systems in Nepal, the loss of agricultural land is perceived as a threat to food security and Nepal’s traditional agriculture-based economy. Efforts to improve agricultural production through policy instruments have made little progress in the middle hills landscape, where viable production is impeded by small, marginal land holdings and increasing labour shortages due to rising out-migration over the last three decades. In socio-ecological resilience theory, destabilisation of a system can lead to a shift that creates potential for new opportunities, and from these, diversity that improves resilience. This thesis examines the response to change in the middle hills socio-ecological system, and the collapse and reorganisation of the agrarian-forest landscape as an opportunity to develop sustainable development outcomes. Through application of mixed research methods, qualitative and quantitative data was collected using surveys, interviews and regenerating tree species identification with rural households across three middle hill districts to investigate farmers’ decision making and perceptions around land utilisation and forestation. In Phase 1, 300 household surveys were undertaken in Kaski (n=100), Tanahu (n=100) and Gorkha (n=100) districts. From these respondents, 32 households that had experienced regenerating forest on former cropland were followed up with walk and talk interviews in Phase 2. Interviews were also undertaken with Nepalese professionals working in forestry, environment and land management roles to assess opinions on potential opportunities and threats from rewilding, synonymous to natural forest regeneration. The results indicated that 69% of survey respondents had abandoned or underutilised land, and 66% had experienced succession of vegetation on formerly cultivated land. While the majority of these (62%) stated intentions – although some conditional – to reutilise this land, some households were already valuing regenerating tree species for agroforestry systems, while 38% of households with abandoned or underutilised land expressed no intention to reutilise that land. Drivers of land abandonment and perceptions of forest succession were a consequence of complex factors. Out-migration is a major driver of land abandonment, however increasing forestation is also resulting in increased humanwildlife conflict, and this itself is also a cause of land abandonment. Thus, negative household experiences with human wildlife conflict and associations with the word “wild” and “wilderness” perceived by key informants suggest the term “rewilding” would be challenging to adopt in Nepal, although the spontaneous succession is already happening. “Regenerating forest” is more widely affiliated with ecological and livelihood benefits, however the transition from fallow land to forest is not explicitly recognised in policy. The participatory Phase 2 walk and talk methodology that engaged participants in their socio-ecological context showed how perceptions of changing land use and benefits associated with regenerating forest evolved with time since abandonment. Loss of agricultural land is perceived in early stages of land cover transition, just as policy in Nepal has endeavoured to maintain agricultural productivity. Over time, however, household perceptions shifted to recognise and reap benefits from forest species that also fulfil multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Regenerating forest patches where farming activities had intermediate levels of disturbance demonstrated higher species diversity than forests that had no, low or high levels of disturbance. The majority (95%) of regenerating tree species identified by participants were native to the region, however the threat of invasive species was perceived by rural households and Nepalese professionals. To adapt to the changing landscape through opportunities from regenerating forests requires reflexive policies and supporting institutions that could enable stages of adjustment during landscape transition. Three potential pathways have been identified for the future of abandoned agricultural land in the middle hills, namely agriculture, agroforestry and forestry. Diverse land management that benefits livelihoods across the diversity of agro-climates in the middle hills requires acknowledgement that households will make alternative choices based on complex drivers and dynamics, and therefore policy needs to work within and anticipate changes to remain relevant. Rural households also need support to recognise and develop products and services from the range of agro-ecological areas through stages of succession. By recognising barriers and constraints to the different pathways through anticipating actor’s concerns, policy and institutions could assist transformational outcomes for rural livelihoods, improving resilience in the socio-ecological system. A more collaborative and reflexive policy approach could help navigate multi-scalar shifts in socioecological systems, enabling continual and improved governance of complex and dynamic transitions crossing agriculture, agroforestry and forestry pathways. Anticipation of potential flow-on effects of change through future-oriented governance could also reduce risk and improve household resilience and sustainable outcomes. This thesis has presented opportunities from forestation that are perceived by households facing changes in the socio-ecological system, and has provided strategies to improve resilience through anticipatory and responsive adaptation approaches to the shifting landscape. These results have acknowledged that agriculture will continue to be the primary livelihood focus in the middle hills, but diversity from enhancing niche opportunities is already being pursued, and through innovation could improve the resilience of rural livelihoods in an adaptive phase of renewal. | |
| dc.description.dissertation | Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2024 | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/2440/145895 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.provenance | This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals | en |
| dc.subject | forest succession | |
| dc.subject | abandoned land | |
| dc.subject | land transitions | |
| dc.subject | sustainable development | |
| dc.subject | Nepal | |
| dc.title | Assessing the benefits and challenges of forest succession for sustainable development of abandoned agricultural land in the middle hills of Nepal | |
| dc.type | Thesis | en |
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