MATERIALS AND METHODS
Six villages ‘Samsadipur’, ‘Capasia’, ‘Chak Capasia’, ‘Guabasnia’, ‘Baduria’
and ‘Mirkamari’ of Rajshahi district in the Padma floodplain in Northern
Bangladesh were selected. The river Padma, that drains from the Gangotri Glacier
of the Himalayas (located in Uttaranchal, India in a region bordering Tibet) and
flows through India and Bangladesh towards the Bay of Bengal, borders this
area. The climate is “tropical monsoon” with a maximum mean temperature of
about 35º
C during the months of April, May, June and July; and a minimum
temperature in January of about 10º
C. The annual average air humidity is 80%
and the annual average rainfall is over 1,400mm. The topography is that of a
flood plain with an average elevation some 20m above sea level and loamy soils.
The villages were selected for their experience with agroforestry practices in
an area where the researchers were familiar with the culture, norms and local
language, and had access to data previously collected in the area.
The area is somewhat remote with poorest infrastructure, production and
social conditions. Most of the inhabitants are subsistence farmers with a very low