Implications of soil fertility, land and tree tenure systems for agroforestry planning and practices in Azad Kashmir

Biological degradation of lands resulting in wood, food and fodder shortages is a major problem in Azad Kashmir. Limited tree resources are rapidly dwindling, thus widening the gap between the demand and supply of essential products. Population increase has put enormous pressure on the limited land and forest resources resulting in erosion and loss of soil fertility, destruction of watershed values and shortage of wood. If this trend is to be reversed, trees and agriculture will have to be combined in a way that will meet the demand for more intensive use of existing land resources.;Agroforestry is a land-use system that involves socially- and ecologically-acceptable integration of trees with agricultural crops and/or animals, simultaneously or sequentially, so as to get increased total productivity of plants and animals in a sustainable manner from a unit of land, especially under low levels of technological inputs and marginal lands. There is clear scientific evidence that trees have a beneficial influence on soil stability. However, not only are they used to stabilize steep hillsides and therefore reduce erosion, but also must meet the need for fuelwood. Land and tree tenure decisions must be made on who gets access on the improved resources and for how long. It is an area where we have not been successful to date. Existing land and tree tenure systems must be incorporated into the planning process of forestry projects otherwise a technically-sound forestry or agroforestry project can fail because it is viewed as a threat to existing land and tree tenure rights and responsibility.;The present study, keeping in mind both the ecological and social aspects of agroforestry, was undertaken in low fertility lands under moist temperate conditions of Azad Kashmir. It was comprised of three parts: (I) changes in key soil properties over time in black locust fuelwood plantations; (II) analysis and comparison of national legislation and black locust fuelwood plantations; (III) analysis and comparison of national legislation and customary land tenure systems; and (IV) analysis and comparison of forest legislation and customary tree tenure systems.;The results indicate significant positive changes in soil properties i.e., a significant increase in water holding capacity, organic matter and nitrogen contents in black locust plantations as compared to the control; indicating that black locust introduced in Azad Kashmir may be an appropriate tree for agroforestry systems. Three categories of land and four categories of trees were found. Each category was operated under a different set of laws. Two set of laws, statutory and customary, were in operation. These laws were conflicting with each other in tree tenure system and in community land tenure system.;The existing land and tree tenure systems suggest the appropriateness of land and tree species for planting programs. Black locust may be one of the most suitable tree species for farmlands (i.e., private property regime) but may not be as suitable for grazinglands (common property) and forestlands (state property). At the policy and programmatic level, these findings address the concerns of those who are searching for the tenurial strategies to facilitate the protection of existing trees and forests and planting of new ones.