Assessment of the Growth, Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Value of Fruit Trees and Perennial Trees in Agroforestry Systems

Abstract

Farmers in the southern region prefer to grow fruit trees and perennial trees together in an agroecosystem. To assess the value and ecosystem services alongside the utilization of fruit trees and perennial trees planted in the southern agroforestry system, a survey of plant diversity was conducted, together with an evaluation of the value of each plant species. It was found that plant groups can be classified according to their use into three groups: fruit trees, local vegetables, and utility trees. The total diversity was 20 families and 33 species. High-value plants in the fruit trees and perennial trees, with high value per area, include Monthong durian (60,000 baht per year), local durian (8,000–16,000 baht per year), longkong (4,000–12,000 baht per year), Siamese rosewood (100,000 baht per year), and golden teak (40,000–80,000 baht per year). In terms of ecosystem services, it was found that the ability to absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen was quite similar in both fruit trees and utility trees. The ability to absorb carbon dioxide was 5.43 and 5.82 tons per rai per year, respectively, while the ability to produce oxygen was 14.50 and 15.54 tons per rai per year, respectively. This study shows that the integrated fruit tree agroforestry system in the southern region not only maximizes land-use efficiency but also creates value from the plants cultivated together in the agroforestry and low-carbon agricultural systems, sustainably benefiting farmers’ agricultural ecosystems.