The role of agroforestry in shaping flora composition in domestic gardens of Hiwane, Hintalo Wejerat, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Backyard (home garden) agroforestry practice is most popular in the northern part of the country. This
backyard agroforestry is practiced as a mixture of crops (vegetables, herbs) and trees (fruits and fodder
trees) to provide diversified products to the cultivators. This study found over 40 species of plants
maintained in home garden of the study area. Furthermore, agroforestry practice in backyard has a
crucial role in the improvement of livelihoods to small scale farmers in the study area through direct
subsistence production, indirect subsistence production (such as foods, fuel wood, fodder and shade
to the cultivators) and income generation. Furthermore, it has helped to conserve many species of
plants in a small areas with providing diversify needs to the farmers. However, we found that availability
of water has significantly affected the home garden plant species diversity (t-test, n = 13, p < 0.05).
Additionally, there is a high correlation between the diversity of vegetables (leafy, fruit and root and
tuber crops, spice and herbs in combination) kept in backyards and availability of water (Number of
plant species = 6.11767 (± 0.14790) -0.27023 (± 0.01349) distance from the river r 2 = 0.9733, F1, 11 = 401.1
(P < 0.001) planting trees provide rural households with wood products for own consumption as well for
sale and play role in decreasing soil degradation. Furthermore, our findings also suggest that
households consider a number of attributes in making decision to backyard agroforestry practice.
These results can be used by policy makers to promote home garden agroforestry practice in the study
area by creating conducive water supply and considering households’ backyard size and roofing
system.