Description
Natural regeneration is a biological process that can be assisted and managed by farmers and landowners to increase the recovery of native ecosystems and their functions. Usually practised on wooded agricultural land, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) is an approach that aims to increase the number of trees by protecting, managing and pruning existing tree and shrub stumps and roots to create the optimal conditions for them to flourish and germinate seeds again.
An advantage of FMNR is the freedom that farmers have in implementing and adapting this technique to their specific landscape. Farmers can make decisions based on their knowledge and experience and choose which tree species they want to target, for example, fruit trees. Farmers can also select which species they want to save or remove during the pruning process, as well as when and what preferred tree density they want.
PRE-CONDITIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
When possible, FMNR should always be preferred to tree planting because it guarantees greater survival possibilities as they have established naturally and are accustomed to the environmental and soil conditions. If no tree seedlings or roots are found on-site, seeds can be collected from native trees nearby and sown into the site at the optimal time of year for seed germination.
- If no trees are currently found on-site, farmers will need the presence of a local seed bank (trees and plants need to have roots or seeds on the ground to sprout naturally without the need to physically plant new ones).
- Everyone needs to be informed to avoid people removing or damaging natural regeneration.
- May need land ownership or permission to undertake FMNR -> insecurity of land rights is a constraint for implementation
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Materials required:
- Saw or machete
- Ribbon or paint
Steps of implementation:
- Where there are already stumps and seeds available under the soil, farmers simply have to create the conditions and allow time for these to grow back above the surface. They can achieve this by stopping the burning of stumps; stopping the harvest of new sprouts of stumps and roots; and avoiding livestock grazing on the sprouts. This allows the underground forest to regenerate, grow and become stronger, whilst being able to tolerate the stress caused by grazing.
- Select the stumps you want to protect, then the best few shoots of the stump and cut all the others; Pruning like this is important as it allows for rapid growth and taller, straighter trunks, but is dependent on several strict criteria to be successful. Farmers are asked to choose which and how many stems to remove and save to ensure that the remaining stems have more vital space and adequate conditions to grow faster and better whilst the pruned stems are suitable for firewood. All the side branches that have appeared in the time between consecutive prunings need to be removed to not affect selected stems’ regrowth.
- Marking the trees at focus using colourful ribbons or paint around the branches you want to let grow will allow you to keep track of the tree’s growth over time. Engaging individuals and the community in FMNR and pruning regularly should keep the trees protected throughout the year.
For more information on the implementation steps, please click here and here.
Considerations for application:
Advantages
- Simple, low-cost, flexible and multi-beneficial, e.g. reduces the cost of seedling production and planting, while benefiting farmers, e.g. provides a localised source of timber, firewood and food sources.
- Reduces the dependency on external resources, e.g. tree nurseries and seed banks
- Provides job opportunities for local communities.
BENEFITS
This intervention contributes to:
COSTS
Costs and benefits of implementing this intervention
| Cost p/ha | FMNR |
| Establishment costs: | Average= USD 257/ha, (range=USD20-579*) |
| Labor time: | More labor intensive and costly when there are no naturally occurring tree stumps or seedlings available.
While pruning and management of trees require some labour, this is often offset by the time saved having firewood and fodder close to home. |
| Maintenance costs: | Aver. unavailable, range = USD 31-213/ha/year |
| Benefits: | USD 72 per year per household from FMNR with trees |
| Common products: | Trees, shrubs, fodder plants. Adansonia digitata |
| Price per product: | Adansonia digitata: USD 34-75 ( fodder) |
CASE STUDIES
Description
Using FMNR, HappyFarm intends to regenerate at least 25% of the total arable land so it can be under sustainable crop production. With 110,000 hectares of arable land under sustainable cultivation, 4.6 million trees, an average of 40 trees/hectare, have been resurrected and will remove at least 110,000 tons of CO2 per year from the atmosphere.
2. FMNR application in Ethiopia
Description
In Ethiopia, data monitoring the carbon stock in World Vision's Humbo Community Managed Natural Regeneration Project spanning from 2005 to 2018 revealed that FMNR activities resulted in the sequestration of approximately 181,650 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere between 2006 and 2018. Additionally, a survey among community members indicated significant positive impacts: over 80% reported reduced on-farm soil erosion in the past five years, while 74% observed increased soil fertility over the same period. Furthermore, participants identified supplementary benefits of FMNR including enhanced rainfall, improved air quality, decreased air temperature, and diminished soil erosion in World Vision's Humbo and Soddo FMNR projects.
FIND OUT MORE
External sources
Videos
