Big trees were removed
He said that within these agroforestry areas, large trees have been removed and trees with low ecological value are now being planted in individual block plantations. Block plantations usually include fewer species of trees. Its numbers were found to be increasing and this was confirmed by interviews with some villagers in Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra and other states. The team, including researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, said decisions to remove trees are often driven by the perceived low benefits of trees. This is also linked to concerns that shade from trees like neem could adversely affect crop yields.
More than 50 lakh trees disappeared
The researchers said agroforestry trees are an important part of India's landscape as they generate socio-ecological benefits due to their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the air while being a natural climate solution. The study mapped and monitored trees from about 60 crore agricultural lands over the last decade, excluding block plantations. They found that about 11 percent of large farm trees disappeared by 2018. Additionally, more than 5 million large farm trees could disappear during the 2018-2022 period, partly due to changed farming practices, the researchers said. Because trees inside the fields are considered harmful for crop production.
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