Forest garden produce

 

Village leader, Mr Midiana, presents a pineapple and a papaya from his forest garden

Fruit trees mature in fallow gardens after the main harvests of yams, sweet potatoes and greens are over. During the 20 years of fallow period, forest trees regenerate around the fruit trees, giving a diverse forest for people and wildlife to eat from. This research will allow us to investigate how fast the forest regenerates in fallow periods and how this rapid growth takes up atmospheric carbon. We will be able to see how traditional gardening can be a benefit to the forest through cycles of land use and regeneration. These methods can be supported in the best ways possible so local people can get valuable produce from forests without damaging it in the way clear cutting it for monoculture crops does.