Native Plant Diversity and Livelihood Services in Functioning Agroforestry Systems of the Western Himalayan Foothills

Abstract

Agroforestry may support native biodiversity and rural livelihoods, but integrated evidence from functioning systems in the western Himalayan foothills remains limited. This study assessed native tree diversity, vegetation structure, ecosystem services, and livelihood contributions in agroforestry systems in Dunga, Thano, and Chandrabani villages of Uttarakhand, India. Vegetation was evaluated using phytosociological attributes, the Importance Value Index, diversity indices, and rank–abundance patterns, while socio-economic information was obtained from 30 households. Dunga and Thano agroforestry systems each contained 10 tree species and recorded Shannon diversity values of 2.092 and 2.087, respectively. Chandrabani contained seven species and had a Shannon diversity value of 1.729. The adjoining pure forest stands showed lower Shannon diversity values of 1.368 and 1.495 and were strongly dominated by Shorea robusta. Rank–abundance patterns indicated a more even distribution of species in the agroforestry systems. Households reported fuelwood, fodder, fruit, soil-conservation, shade, and microclimate-regulation services, although the reported levels varied among villages. Multiple regression analysis explained 54.2% of the variation in annual household income. Dependency score was positively associated with income, whereas forest dependency and family size were negatively associated with income. These findings indicate that diversified agroforestry systems can contribute to native plant conservation and locally important livelihood services, although the limited sampling design restricts wider generalisation.