Impact of Agroforestry on Physical Health and Screen Time: A Study in Garhwal Himalaya, India
Abstract
Contribution of agroforestry towards ecosystem services is being recognized globally. The benefit people gains from an ecosystem are crucial to community health serving as abridge between nature and society. Forests and agriculture, particularly agroforestry, are some of the vital natural resources for rural and subsistence communities, offering a range of ecosystem services such as food, fodder, fuelwood, timber, medicines and other non-timber forest products. Cultural services are non-material benefits that people derive from ecosystems, contributing to physical health, spiritual enrichment, recreation, ecotourism, cognitive development, and leisure. Cultural services support physical, cultural and intellectual development, including arts, music, and other recreational activities. This study was conducted on people owning and managing Grewia optiva (Bhimal) based agroforestry systems of Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarakhand state of India and mainly focuses on physical health of elderly agroforestry farm owners in the form of physically active hours and reduced screen time. Nowadays, where maintaining health as well as physical activities are considered crucial, this study highlights the role of agroforestry in lifestyle of elderly people. An increase inactive hours and a considerable reduction in screen time have been observed in elderly people from study area as compared to elderly people who were not involved in agroforestry practices. This is an important aspect of agroforestry besides climate change adaptation and mitigation which is yet to be analysed, quantified and studied.
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Introduction
Agroforestry is a land-use system integrating shrubs and trees into rural landscapes and agricultural lands to enhance ecosystem sustainability, productivity and diversity. It is a combination of modern and traditional land-use practices, including the management of trees alongside agricultural crops and livestock on the same unit of land [1]. Most abundant tree species on trees outside forests are Grewia optiva (Bhimal), Quercus leucotrichophora (Banj oak), Mangifera indica (Mango), Ficus spp., Pinus roxburghii (Chir pine), Cedrus deodara (Deodar) and Cupressus spp.. Among these, bhimal and banj oak trees are the most abundant tree species in rural areas [2]. Grewia optiva is a multipurpose tree species and is an important agroforestry tree that provides valuable resources such as leaf fodder, fiber, and fuelwood. It is highly preferred and generally retained by farmers, particularly for feeding livestock due to its high digestibility and preference among cattle [3, 4]. It is avery good source of fiber and used locally to make tokris, ropes and scrubs for cattle. The trees on farms are seasonally lopped for fuelwood. Grewia optiva in agroforestry systems significantly influence the socio-economics of the rural population of Garhwal Himalaya.
The tree based agroforestry systems not only provide direct benefits but also the indirect ones in the form of cultural, regulatory and supporting ecosystem services. Although the studies regarding cultural ecosystem services provided by agroforestry systems are there but most of them are very much limited to the recreational and tourism values. Past studies on physical and psychological health due to agroforestry systems are almost none and are an underexplored and underrated area of interest. Present study helps understanding the basic lifestyle activities of two people group in study area and how it may affect health outcomes in elderly people.
Conclusion
From the forgoing result and discussion, it can be concluded that involvement of people with nature yields an increase in physical health and reducing the need of smartphone, television or other screen time. These studies need to be further elaborately conducted to know more about the impact of agroforestry on peoples’ physical, mental and social status.
