Enhancing productivity and agro-biodiversity in smallholder farming systems in dryland areas:

1. Enhancing productivity and agro-biodiversity in smallholder farming systems in dryland areas: a multi-scale case study in Tigray, Ethiopia. • Introduction Land degradation and loss of agro-biodiversity affects smallholder farmers in dryland regions by decreasing the buffering capacity of agro-ecosystems and increasing proneness to yield variability including crop failure due to weather extremes. A better understanding of the underlying processes such as land use dynamics, agro-biodiversity and agricultural productivity are necessary, Especially in developing countries like Ethiopia where 85% of the population directly dependon agriculture. Figure 1. Location map of the study area in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. 2. Objective The overall objective of the research was to assess land use/land cover (LULC) dynamics, agro-biodiversity, agricultural productivity and sustainability, and their relationship at different spatial and temporal scales in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. 4. Results (Cont) Higher F. albida density in less intensively cultivated land uses. 3. Materials and Methods A multi-scale approach was adopted to carry out the research. Remotely sensed and field data were used to assess agro-biodiversity and agricultural productivity. Figure 4. Overlay relationship of Faidherbia albida trees with (a) 2005 Land use/ Land cover map and (b) elevation map in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. High productivity at high agrobiodiversity and less soil erosion in farms in Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Figure 2. Materials and methods used in the study. 4. Results Diversity of trees/shrubs and crops in farms were negatively related to road proximity in Tigray, northern Ethiopia Figure 4. Relationship between relative agro-biodiversity, productivity and soil erosion (compared to the maximum of these variables in the data set) in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. 5. Conclusion Results of this study indicate restoration of agro-biodiversity and agroforestry systems may assist resource poor smallholder farmers to be food secured. The study can stimulate new directions for improving resource utilization in complimentarily way between agro-biodiversity/agro-forestry conservation and agricultural production to enhance sustainable agricultural productivity. Figure 3. Spatial distribution of (a) tree/shrub species and (b) crop variety in relation to proximity to a road in Tigray, Ethiopia. Acknowledgement The authors would like to thank an International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-Lukas Brader Fellowship and a Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NUFFIC) for providing financial support to carry out the research. We thank Dr Lukas Brader for his follow ups and encouragements. We are also very grateful to ICARF, particularly to Dr. Dennis Garrity and Dr. Frank Place, for sponsoring to the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry (WCA).