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Agroforestry establishment and protection on degraded land in western Viti Levu, Fiji
Book chapter

Agroforestry establishment and protection on degraded land in western Viti Levu, Fiji

Steve R Harrison and Robert Harrison
Promoting sustainable agriculture and agroforestry to replace unproductive land use in Fiji and Vanuatu, pp.75-91
ACIAR Monograph, MN191, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research
2016
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Abstract

Forestry Sciences
The benefits of establishing mixed-species agroforestry in Pacific island countries are widely recognised. There is some underutilised land in western Viti Levu in Fiji, including in areas marginal for sugarcane where planting has ceased due to low profitability, and in areas where unproductive grasses are subject to regular burning. Two major problems are investigated in this paper, namely how to establish agroforestry on degraded sites, and how to protect planted areas from subsequent damage due to wildfire or other causes. The literature on reforestation of degraded areas provides insights into methods for 'regreening the bare hills', particularly concerning choice of tree species or mixtures and establishment methods. For fire prevention, a combination of policy measures (e.g. community awareness raising, use of fire wardens and training of canegrowers on green harvesting) and establishment of firebreaks and fuelbreaks (using fireresistant tree species and silvopastoral areas) would appear to offer potential. Community or group action appears to offer greater potential for success than action by individual landholders. Setting up of trial and demonstration sites of agroforestry establishment and crop protection would allow the agroforestry strategies identified to be tested and landholder knowledge about agroforestry establishment and protection tobe increased.

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