LSUAFRP Field Report No 2004/05 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute Draft Report on Phonesay District Agro-ecosystems Analysis Luang Prabang Province Land Management Component - Soils Survey and Land Classification Centre Lao Swedish Upland Agriculture and Forestry Research Programme August, 2004 Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute LSUAFRP Field Report No. 2004/05 Draft Report on Phonesay District Agro-ecosystems Analysis Luang Prabang Province Land Management Component - Soils Survey and Land Classification Centre August 2004 Lao-Swedish Upland Agriculture and Forestry Research Programme Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ...................................................................................1 1.1 INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1 1.2 PARTICIPANTS IN PILOT AEA ACTIVITY ..................................................................................1 1.3 AGRO-ECOSYSTEM ANALYSIS PROCESS ...................................................................................1 1.4 OVERALL PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF AEA.........................................................................2 2 AEA PROCEDURES AND METHODOLOGY ..........................................................................2 2.1 KEY OUTPUTS ...........................................................................................................................2 2.2 AEA PROCEDURES....................................................................................................................2 2.3 AEA IMPLEMENTATION STAGES ..............................................................................................4 2.4 AEA ANALYSIS TOOLS.............................................................................................................4 3 SYSTEM DEFINITION..................................................................................................................5 3.1 REQUIRED OUTPUTS FROM SYSTEM DEFINITION......................................................................5 3.2 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES DEFINED ........................................................................................5 3.3 DEFINING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE SYSTEM...........................................................................6 3.4 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PHONESAY DISTRICT.....................................................................6 3.5 DISTRICT CONTEXT...................................................................................................................7 3.6 DISTRICT SYSTEMS HIERARCHY ...............................................................................................7 3.7 SECONDARY DATA NEEDS........................................................................................................8 3.8 BIO-PHYSICAL DATA.................................................................................................................9 3.9 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA ...........................................................................................................9 4 AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONING ...............................................................................................14 4.1 REQUIRED OUTPUTS FROM ZONING........................................................................................14 4.2 ZONING TOOLS USED..............................................................................................................14 4.2.1 Map Overlay Techniques...................................................................................................14 4.2.2 Description of Secondary Data Used................................................................................14 4.3 ZONING PROCEDURES .............................................................................................................15 4.3.1 Preliminary District AE Zones Delineated.......................................................................16 4.3.2 Draft Zone Descriptions....................................................................................................16 4.3.3 Key Issues Emerging from Zoning ....................................................................................17 4.4 PREPARATION FOR FIELDWORK ..............................................................................................18 4.4.1 Additional Information Needs...........................................................................................18 4.4.2 Follow-up on Key Issues ...................................................................................................19 5 FIELDWORK ................................................................................................................................20 5.1 REQUIRED OUTPUTS FROM FIELDWORK .................................................................................20 5.2 LOGISTICS, TEAM FORMATION AND OPERATION....................................................................20 5.3 FIELD TOOLS USED .................................................................................................................21 5.3.1 Focus Groups ....................................................................................................................21 5.3.2 Transect Walks ..................................................................................................................21 5.3.3 Key Informants ..................................................................................................................21 5.3.4 Problem Census.................................................................................................................21 5.3.5 Market Studies ...................................................................................................................22 5.4 INFORMATION ACQUIRED FROM FIELD WORK .......................................................................22 5.5 KEY ISSUES EMERGING FROM FIELDWORK ............................................................................22 6 SYSTEMS ANALYSIS..................................................................................................................24 6.1 REQUIRED OUTPUTS FROM SYSTEMS ANALYSIS ....................................................................24 6.2 ANALYSIS TOOLS USED ..........................................................................................................24 6.3 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISTRICT SYSTEM ......................................................................25 6.3.1 Phonesay District Agro-ecological Zone Map .................................................................25 6.3.2 Phonesay District Agro-ecosystems Transect Table ........................................................25 6.3.3 Key Issues and Important Problems .................................................................................33 6.3.4 Application of Available Farming System Technologies..................................................33 6.3.5 Proposed Solutions............................................................................................................35 7 DISTRICT AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE DESCRIPTIONS................................................36 7.1 ZONE 1- LOWER ELEVATION, POTENTIALLY PRODUCTIVE UPLAND AGRO-ECOSYSTEM.........36 7.1.1 Spatial Analysis .................................................................................................................36 7.1.2 Time Analysis.....................................................................................................................37 7.1.3 Flow Analysis ....................................................................................................................38 7.1.4 Zone 1 System Properties Analysis ...................................................................................40 7.1.5 Zone 1 Key Questions, Problems & Proposed Solutions .................................................40 7.2 ZONE 2 - NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION BUFFER ZONE AGRO- ECOSYSTEM ........41 7.2.1 Spatial Analysis .................................................................................................................41 7.2.2 Time Analysis.....................................................................................................................42 7.2.3 Flow Analysis ....................................................................................................................42 7.2.4 Zone 2 Systems Properties Analysis..................................................................................43 7.2.5 Key Questions, Problems & Proposed Solutions .............................................................44 7.3 ZONE 3 - FOREST PROTECTION AND SUSTAINABLE USE AGRO-ECOSYSTEM ...........................45 7.3.1 Spatial Analysis .................................................................................................................45 7.3.2 Time Analysis.....................................................................................................................47 7.3.3 Flow Analysis ....................................................................................................................48 7.3.4 Zone 3 System Property Analysis......................................................................................49 7.3.5 Key Questions, Problems & Proposed Solutions .............................................................50