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Agroforestry Potential for Higher Productivity from Degraded Ravine Watersheds

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Ravine Lands: Greening for Livelihood and Environmental Security

Abstract

Ravines are considered among one of the most degraded wastelands. The ravenous watersheds can be managed through agroforestry systems successfully, which in turn provide food, timber, fuelwood, biofuels, fodder, feed and medicinal and industrial non-timber products and also help in conserving and rehabilitating ecosystems. It is now widely accepted that the future of livelihood and environmental security will depend upon the attention paid to conservation, sustainable development and management of natural resources and reclamation of degraded lands including ravines. If judiciously managed, agroforestry offers affordable alternative for managing the degraded resources for higher productivity and environmental safety. The suitable agroforestry technologies of planting forest and fruit tree species along with grasses and remunerative crops can reclaim ravine watersheds and help in generating income for resource-poor farmers. Agroforestry in ravine watersheds may be considered a low-hanging fruit and not only helps in land reclamation but also ensures environmental and livelihood security of different stakeholders.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India

    O. P. Chaturvedi & A. K. Handa

  2. Indian Council of Agricultural Sciences, Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan-II, Pusa, New Delhi, India

    J. C. Dagar

  3. ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun, India

    Rajesh Kaushal

  4. ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Research Centre Vasad, Dehradun, India

    V. C. Pandey

Authors
  1. O. P. Chaturvedi
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  2. J. C. Dagar
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  3. A. K. Handa
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  4. Rajesh Kaushal
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  5. V. C. Pandey
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Council of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi, India

    Jagdish Chander Dagar

  2. RVS Krishi Vishwa Vidayalaya, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Anil Kumar Singh

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Chaturvedi, O.P., Dagar, J.C., Handa, A.K., Kaushal, R., Pandey, V.C. (2018). Agroforestry Potential for Higher Productivity from Degraded Ravine Watersheds. In: Dagar, J., Singh, A. (eds) Ravine Lands: Greening for Livelihood and Environmental Security. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8043-2_14

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