Rubber Agroforest, an alternative sustainable farming practice for Thai smallholder farmer

Traditionally, monoculture rubber plantation is a common practice worldwide. We have study on the type and outcomes of rubber agroforest in southern Thailand for a decade. It is clear that this alternative farming practice offer more carbon storage, more litter return, faster decomposition, less soil erosion, more vertebrate diversity while no negative effect to latex production. Ongoing economic study have suggested a large deposit when right timber trees are intercropped with rubber. 

 

Sara Bumrungsri is a Professor at the Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. His research has mainly focused on the foraging ecology of insect and fruit eating bats, along with the ecosystem services they provide in terms of pest control and pollination. Recently he has been working with forest restoration in limestone mining and rubber agroforest and FSC certification.

[Host:Vanessa Mata, Bat Ecology - BATECO, Applied Ecology - APPLECOL]