Makoto Nohmi

Factors Affecting Small-Scale Farmers’ Land Allocation and Tree Density Decisions in an Acacia decurrens-Based taungya System in Fagita Lekoma District, North-Western Ethiopia

Abstract The development of woodlots as an additional source of livelihood and as a land management option for small-scale farmers is a challenging issue in the cereal-based subsistence farming systems of north-western Ethiopia. There is a need to understand why and which factors determine the decisions of small-scale farmers to grow short-rotation woodlots on their land. Data used in this study were collected from a survey of 200 randomly selected households in the region. A Tobit regression model was used to determine predictor variables for farmers’ decisions to allocate land to planting Acacia decurrens (J.C. Wendl.) Willd. and at what density trees are planted on the respective plots. The most important motivations for planting A. decurrens were income, soil fertility management, and soil and water conservation. Having a male head of household, long distance to markets and plots being on marginal land, among other factors, increased the allocation of land to A. decurrens woodlots. Having a male head of household, access to credit and plots being on marginal land, among other factors, increased tree planting density. Age had a negative effect on both allocation of land to woodlots and tree density, whereas farm size had an inverted U-shaped relationship with both decisions. These results suggest that wider expansion of A. decurrens-based plantation systems could be achieved through improving extension, credit access and road infrastructure to connect small-scale farmers to markets and finance.

Development of the Dividing Method of a Whole Region into Subregions Composed of Neighboring Unit Districts by the Application of the Cluster Analysis

Ordinarily, when we divide a whole region into some homegenious subregions, cluster analysis is often used. But, by the application of the ordinary cluster analysis, such a division that unit districts belonging to a cluster form a subregion which is composed of only one locational block cannot be realized. According to the object of the division, there are divisions which have to satisfy such a condition. Then, in this paper, the author tried to devise such a dividing method that satisfies the condition by the application of the cluster analysis, and applied the method to the division of the all 98 municipalities in San-in region from a standpoint of agricultural homegeneity.In order to satisfy the condition, it become necessary to judge whether any two clusters are neighboring to each other or not. Then, in this paper, the judegement was accomplished based on whether any two unit districts which belong to different clusters to each other are neighboring or not. Only the pairs of two clusters whose unit districts satisfy this criterion become subjects of the fusion at each fusing stage of the clusters. Other fusing processes are the same with those of the ordinary cluster analysis. By the application of the method, the author divided the above 98 municipalities into 15 groups (clusters) which satisfy the condition.The author also presented the method in the case that there are differences in the degree of the contiguities between any two unit districts. In this case, two ranks of the degree were set up.The method which is devised in this paper is important and effective if unit districts belonging to a cluster have to form a subregion which is composed of only one locational block. Moreover, the method has a capability that we can add other various conditions for the fusion. But, the establishment of the conditions means that strict conditions are imposed on the fusing process. Then, we have to be careful that more subregions are necessary if we need similarity among unit districts belonging to a subregion as much as that in the case of the ordinary cluster analysis.