Abstract
A study was carried out at Gazipur Sadar upazila of Gazipur district in Bangladesh to determine the changes in biodiversity of rural homesteads over time and modernization, factors affecting the biodiversity changes, and its impact on environment and livelihood of rural households. Data were collected from 120 households selected through a proportionate stratified random sampling technique from three villages namely, Bhawal Gazipur (traditional village), Hatiyabo (semi-modern village) and Mariali (modern village). Irrespective of the villages, species richness decreased over the last four decades (1970-2009) but not significantly though 51 (16 plants and 35 animals) species were recorded as near threatened, endangered or lost from this area. A total of 188 plant species belonging to 75 different families were identified from the three selected villages. The highest proportion (11%) of the identified species belonged to family Graminae followed by Cucurbitaceae (6%), Compositae (5%), Solanaceae (5%), Leguminosae (4%), Amaranthaceae (4%), Rutaceae (3%), Euphorbiaceae (3%), Convolvulaceae (3%), and Cyperaceae (3%). Plant biodiversity in homesteads of modern village (H= 1.029) was significantly lower (t = 2.47*) than that of traditional village (H = 1.652) i.e. homestead biodiversity decreased significantly with increase in modernization The overall plant biodiversity index (H = 1.832) indicated that plant- biodiversity was higher in the area, while the evenness index (E) value of 0.808 indicated that proportions of plant species were not uniform over the study area. 'Area of the homestead' had the largest possible (56%) contribution to homestead biodiversity followed in descending order by agricultural knowledge (9.5%), income from homestead (5.0%), environmental awareness (2.9%), nutritional knowledge (1.6%) and innovativeness (1.0%), while sanitation and fragmentation of the homestead had significantly negative contribution to homestead biodiversity. Modernization in rural areas had decreased women's participation in homestead agriculture i.e. biodiversity management and also decreased women's scope for income generation from homestead agriculture. Livelihood status (CLI) of households did not differ significantly among three selected villages. There was significant relationship between homestead biodiversity and livelihood of rural households. Significant decrease in area of homestead and also in vegetation, pond area, cow shed, etc. in the homesteads of modern village contributed to significant difference in homestead environment as compared to traditional village. However, irrespective of villages, the standard of livelihood of rural households had improved as family income and household assets increased significantly over the last four decades (1970-2009). But significant increase in illness of the household members and significant decrease in cooking energy supply from homesteads and primary health care over last four decades, attributed mostly by decline in biodiversity and environment in the homesteads, hindering overall improvement of livelihood of rural households in the study area.