Agroforestry in dryland Africa

Abstract

A practical manual, designed for use by field workers in subhumid and semiarid regions of Africa, including researchers working with grassroots organizations, community extension and development workers, development specialists in government agencies and national research institutes, extension training officers, and people liaising between extension and research work. The book is in 3 parts. Part I (3 chapters), Agroforestry as a popular science, provides an introduction to agroforestry and the roles of various agroforestry practices in a community setting. This is followed in chapter 2 by a description of the process and methods of participatory planning with the community, which aims to identify and adapt agroforestry practices to meet local needs. Procedures (illustrated by cartoons) are described for initial mapping and information summaries, rapid surveys of the landscape and local community, carrying out various types of interviews, timing surveys and using their results. The third chapter discusses evaluation of agroforestry projects. Part II (chapters 4-7), Agroforestry Practices, describes 15 practices for use in different types of areas: Agroforestry in cropland - dispersed trees, contour vegetation strips, alley cropping, home gardens and improved fallows; Agroforestry with structural conservation measures - trees, shrubs and grasses on small earthwork structures and on terraces, protection and stabilization of waterways and gullies, and microcatchments and water management; Agroforestry for in-between places - live fences, windbreaks, trees and shrubs on borderlines and boundaries, along waterways, floodplains, roads and paths, and around houses and public places; and Agroforestry in pastures and rangelands. Part III, Tools for agroforestry research and extension, consists of 8 appendices providing information on trees and shrubs suitable for the region, guidelines for assessing community needs and designing appropriate agroforestry activities, a glossary, and lists of acronyms, regional contacts and references. A subject index is included. A separate insert provides 4 tables, 2 giving lists of the reported uses and conditions for 161 multipurpose trees and shrubs of interest for agroforestry development, and 2 being blank tables for collection of such information