Figure 2. Portions of the protected forests. Early Development Initiatives Protection of forest patches. The few forest patches amounting to about seven hectares have been protected since 1992. Tethering of carabaos or water buffalos, cattle and goats were prohibited inside and around these pocket forests to enhance natural regeneration and reduce soil compaction. The cutting or harvesting of trees was also prohibited. To increase protection, barbed-wire fencing was constructed in selected portions adjacent to neighboring pasture areas. This was deemed important to discourage animal owners from trespassing. Some of the adjacent lots were purchased by the principal farm developer to help save more land from further degradation. A decade after, the forest patches have become denser with enhanced regeneration. Introduction of agroforestry. Farming has been practiced in a few selected spots of the area, usually at the foot of slopes and the narrow strips between hills where the soil is deeper and richer in nutrients. The agroforestry farms cover about four hectares. Trees and plants such as mango (on the periphery of the farms), coconut, cacao, coffee, lemon trees, jackfruit and some dipterocarps like Shorea palosapis, Vatica mangachapui and Shorea contorta were intercropped with corn, peanuts and root crops. As rehabilitation of the degraded slopes continues, hopes are high that these areas can soon be grown again with food crops. Figure 3. Agroforestry farms. ENCOURAGING PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY 13
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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