2012 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 114-119
This research aims to restore saline soil areas using a diverse tree planting technique: a case study of Nongsim sub-district, Borabue, Mahasarakam, Thailand. The study focuses on community participation aspects in the restoration attempt, including community perspectives toward the research project, participation motivations and community’s use of saline soil areas. Diverse trees both native and introduced species were planted in an approximate 1.6 ha experimental plot adjacent to a village reservoir in 2008. Community surveys were conducted on a yearly basis since 2009 to examine villager perspectives toward the project, together with workshops to inform the community about research findings and get their feedbacks. In the 4-year period, 23 tree species, including eight fast-growing natives, four fast-growing introduced and 11 coastal habitat species, over 2,000 individuals were planted, but 20 species survived. Considering survival and growth rates, potential species for saline soil restoration are Combretum quadrangulare Kurz., Casuarina equisetifolia J. R.&G. Forst., Pandanus odoratissimus L.f. and Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. Community surveys, including group interviews of 11 village leaders and questionnaires of over 350 villagers from all villages in Nongsim sub-district, reveal that the community strongly agreed with the research project because they wanted crop yield improvement by restoring saline soil. Planting trees could also help increase community green areas. The majority of villagers were willing to plant trees in their farmlands, but limited land and amounts of seedlings hinder them from doing so. Furthermore, the majority of farmers (94.7%, n=76) encountering saline soil problems, used their farmland especially for rice cultivation, despite low yields because of limited amount of land. The economic value estimated in 2010 from use of saline soil paddies for rice growing is 45,577.12 Baht/household/year (n = 66) or 4,245.22 Baht/Rai (1 ha = 6.25 Rai).
