Impacts of Drought on Homestead Plant Diversity in Barind Tract of Bangladesh

Abstract

Homestead is a great place for household food access, diet, and nutrition. Drought affects homestead plant diversity and reduces production, availability, and diversity that lead toward less supply and consumption. Drought detains moisture and degrades the soil that supports plant growth. Homestead provides regular bread and income in the rural areas with an effective means for both economic and environmental well-being. People are getting a good amount of subsidiary income without any extra care and effort. In managing homestead land and drought, the household needs necessary technical and managerial training. In reducing drought effects to the homestead, action research needs to be carried out on available knowledge, effective practices, water management, and the adoption of local varieties and knowledge to develop effective homestead integration. Government initiatives, community engagement and not harming the environment, and efficient uses of water could be great solutions for the adverse effects of drought on the homestead plant diversity.

1. Introduction

The most complex and uncertain natural disaster is drought, even it is difficult to predict and mitigate due to numerous factors, magnitude as well as difficulties in defining a drought. Drought causes impacts on agro biodiversity in many ways [1]. Agro biodiversity is the part of biodiversity includes both genetic diversity and crop and animal diversity in diverse agro ecosystem and different agriculture [2, 3]. It was mentioned that agro biodiversity is essentially important for sustainable development both for natural and anthropogenic as well as livelihood [4, 5]. Homestead is the traditional place and promising option for plant species conservation [6]. These efforts may help mitigate ecosystem degradation and drought impacts while providing food and economic opportunities to rural people. In the homestead, members share responsibilities and distribute gardening tasks among themselves. Women like to use homestead products for household consumption and gifting and men for sale and cash income [7]. Numerous studies in the world showed that homesteads are the place of the highest plant diversity for crops and non-crops [8]. A study mentioned that agro biodiversity support sustainable agriculture [9]. Food and Agricultural Organization-FAO [10, 11] estimated that there are 2, 50,000 to 5, 00,000 plant species in the world. According to a study, in agriculture only 1,500 plant species are being used. Another study mentioned that agrobiodiversity exists at the varietal level though number of crop species is low [12]. Agrobiodiversity provide three types of value such as use value, option value, and existence value [13]. Ecosystems that maintain naturally are considered as the major support for sustainable production and enhance food and livelihood security at local to global scale [2, 5, 14]. Agro biodiversity is contributing to agricultural production, maintaining ecosystems and human food security [12, 15, 16, 17]. Ecosystem provides four major categories of services include provisioning services, supporting services, regulating services and cultural services. Benefit may get through intrinsic values (cultural and social) and supported by biological diverse system [15].

Agro biodiversity provides diverse benefits including nutritious diets (fruits and vegetables) for human health; longer productivity; adaptation to changing conditions; and conservation methods for enabling future use. Biological diversity reduces the general risk of economic and ecological failure at individual (farmer) level as well as on global scale while making those systems more sustainable and less susceptible facing the future challenges [17, 18, 19]. Diverse agricultural production system may be less threatening to biological diversity compared to highly intensified and uniform systems, such practices still do enhance pest damage, competition for water, soil, nutrition and pollinators, result in habitat and nutrient loss and have a negative effect on non-target species [20]. The reduction of agro biodiversity is closely linked to the loss of productivity, while threatening ecological stability, the security of food supply and livelihood worldwide [15]. Strategies for identification and conservation of agro biodiversity are lacking and hence, there is need to develop indices for identification of important component of agro biodiversity, food and nutritional security. Agro biodiversity has been disturbed due to switching from rain-fed agriculture to irrigated agriculture. Increasing frequency of extreme weather patterns and droughts are going to be the most important climatic factors affecting agro biodiversity [21, 22]. Diversity has been accounted at three levels such as alpha, gamma and beta [23]. Diversity at alpha level could be measured at community level, beta for composition (change from farmers to farmers) and gamma at the larger units [2, 24]. The assessment of drought impacts on homestead plant diversity in the Barind Tract is essentially important. The study was conducted with the view to assess and compare drought impacts on homestead plant diversity in high drought and low drought areas of Bangladesh. The study is also focused on following objectives:

• Find out comparative plant diversity between drought and low drought prone areas at the homestead level in relation to season

• Establish the relationship with the homestead plant diversity with the variables

• Estimate plant species (Timber, spices, fruits, ornamental and vegetables) diversity in the homestead

The research elicited following research questions:

Research Questions:

• How they perceived drought and plant diversity?

• Are there any significant changes in homestead plant biodiversity between drought and non-drought prone areas?

• Is there any relationship between drought and plant biodiversity?

• How drought impacted on species (plants) at the homesteads?

Research Hypotheses:

H₁: There is a trend of greater homestead plant diversity in the low drought prone area than high drought prone area

2. Methodology

The study was conducted over the period of twelve months starting from July 2018 and ended by May 2019. Two sites were selected for this study one from high drought prone site and another from low drought prone site of Barind Tract with the view to see the impacts of drought on the homestead plant diversity. Homestead agro biodiversity (plants) was calculated using Shannon’s Index. Homestead agro biodiversity (only plant species) was measured using similar size of homestead from different group (small, medium and large) as the quadrant. Plant species was studied using quadrat method covering random quadrat of 10 m × 10 m size was laid for trees, vegetables and other plants (shrubs and herbs) were laid in each homestead. Total 300 respondents (150 respondents from each site) considering equal numbers of respondents from small, medium and large category of the homestead. The farm owners were asked to know about the plant species and dietary diversity. Eight Focus Group Discussion (four from each site: two with elderly people and two with the ethnic people) have been carried out to know the insights of plant diversity at the homesteads. Semi-structured questionnaire, guided checklist, expert consultation and field observation has been carried out for this study. Quadrant method has been followed in collecting data from sample unit in the study areas. Nine quadrates from high drought prone areas and nine quadrates from low drought prone areas (3 from each farm size) have been laid for the measurement agro biodiversity. Survey on crops (species) has been carried out in the sampled quadrant. Secondary relevant information has been used to enrich the study. The agro biodiversity has been calculated using Shannon’s diversity Index.

$$H=-{\displaystyle \sum }_{i=1}^S{p}_{i}ln{p}_i$$

H = Shannon’s diversity index.

S = Total number of species in the community (richness).

p_i = The proportion of species i relative to the total number of species (p_i).

ln p_i = The natural logarithm of this proportion.

3. Results

3.1 Perception of drought impacts on homestead plant diversity

An assessment on perception of drought impacts to the homestead plant diversity was carried out using Rating Percentage Index (RPI). The higher rate of respondents (RPI 30) from high drought areas perceived that plant diversity is decreasing in the homestead due to drought and low rate of respondents (RPI 42.5) from low drought areas assumed that homestead plant diversity is decreasing due to drought (Table 1). The participants from Focus Group Discussions opined that low diversity reduces production, consumption, dietary diversity and household nutrition.

Homestead diversity	High drought prone areas			Low drought prone areas
	Perception of acceptance	Perception of rejection	RPI	Perception on acceptance	Perception on rejection	RPI
Decreasing	80	20	30	30	70	42.5
Increasing	0	100	50	10	90	47.5

Table 1.

Perception of drought impacts on homestead plant diversity (field data, 2019).

3.2 Homestead plant species diversity in different seasons

3.2.1 Homestead agro biodiversity in the Rabi season

There is a negative impact of drought in the study areas. Results showed that low species diversity in the high drought prone areas during Rabi season (Table 2). The low diversity is the spiraling issues of drought. The occurrence of rainfall in the high drought prone areas is low and erratic that give birth low soil moisture resulting low yields or harvests. Farmers are trying to grow several crops for better yield and managing drought. Total 38 plant species were recorded in the homesteads from high drought prone areas and 34 plant species in the low drought homestead areas. Several causes such as water and moisture scarcity, land degradation, soil infertility, lack of awareness, less rainfall, high temperature and climate change issues have been identified by the respondents for low species diversity in the homesteads.

Name of Species	High Drought Prone area				Low Drought Prone area
	Total	PI	lnpi	-(−pi*lnpi)	Name of Species	Total	PI	lnpi	-(−pi*lnpi)
Mangifera indica	154	0.25581	−0.59208	0.151	M. indica	94	0.2117	−0.6743	0.14275
Artocarpus heterophyllus	9	0.01495	−1.82535	0.027	A. heterophyllus	8	0.018	−1.7443	0.03143
Psidium guava	17	0.02824	−1.54915	0.044	Psidium guava	19	0.0428	−1.3686	0.05857
Lagenaria siceraria	16	0.02658	−1.57548	0.042	L. siceraria	22	0.0495	−1.305	0.06466
Azadirachta indica	46	0.07641	−1.11684	0.085	Spondias mombin	7	0.0158	−1.8023	0.02841
S. mombin	12	0.01993	−1.70042	0.034	Ziziphus mauritiana	15	0.0338	−1.4713	0.04971
Z. mauritiana	14	0.02326	−1.63347	0.038	Moringa oleifera	11	0.0248	−1.606	0.03979
M. oleifera	10	0.01661	−1.7796	0.03	Cucurbita	9	0.0203	−1.6931	0.03432
Aegle marmelos	8	0.01329	−1.87651	0.025	Citrus Limonium	14	0.0315	−1.5013	0.04734
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius	7	0.01163	−1.9345	0.022	Musa paradisicum	19	0.0428	−1.3686	0.05857
Colocasia esculenta	41	0.06811	−1.16681	0.079	Annona reticulate	4	0.009	−2.0453	0.01843
Bambusa spp	4	0.00664	−2.17754	0.014	Tamarindus indica	2	0.0045	−2.3464	0.01057
Citrus limonium	68	0.11296	−0.94709	0.107	Rubus	7	0.0158	−1.8023	0.02841
Musa paradisicum	14	0.02326	−1.63347	0.038	Litchi chinensis	4	0.009	−2.0453	0.01843
Annona reticulate	67	0.1113	−0.95352	0.106	Citrus maxima	4	0.009	−2.0453	0.01843
Saccharum officinarum	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008	Syzygium jambos	3	0.0068	−2.1703	0.01466
Punica granatum	25	0.04153	−1.38166	0.057	Swietenia mahagoni	26	0.0586	−1.2324	0.07217
Momordica charantia	3	0.00498	−2.30248	0.011	Tagetes	34	0.0766	−1.1159	0.08545
Capsicum frutescens	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008	Phaseolus vulgaris	13	0.0293	−1.5334	0.0449
Dioscorea	15	0.02492	−1.60351	0.04	Areca palm	7	0.0158	−1.8023	0.02841
C. frutescens	7	0.01163	−1.9345	0.022	Rosa sinensis	19	0.0428	−1.3686	0.05857
Jiga	5	0.00831	−2.08063	0.017	Carissa carandas	2	0.0045	−2.3464	0.01057
T. indica	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008	Syzygium aqueum	6	0.0135	−1.8692	0.02526
Rubus	3	0.00498	−2.30248	0.011	Carica papaya	16	0.036	−1.4433	0.05201
Phoenix dactylifera	13	0.02159	−1.66565	0.036	Basella alba	14	0.0315	−1.5013	0.04734
L. chinensis	1	0.00166	−2.7796	0.005	Ocimum tenuifloru	7	0.0158	−1.8023	0.02841
Citrus × paradise	1	0.00166	−2.7796	0.005	Jasminum	5	0.0113	−1.9484	0.02194
S. jambos	5	0.00831	−2.08063	0.017	Cocos nucifera	26	0.0586	−1.2324	0.07217
S. mahagoni	12	0.01993	−1.70042	0.034	Dillenia indica	1	0.0023	−2.6474	0.00596
Tagetes	3	0.00498	−2.30248	0.011	Cestrum nocturnum	1	0.0023	−2.6474	0.00596
P. vulgaris	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008	Ficus racemosa	2	0.0045	−2.3464	0.01057
Arecacpalm	3	0.00498	−2.30248	0.011	Manilkara zapota	2	0.0045	−2.3464	0.01057
Rosa sinensis	3	0.00498	−2.30248	0.011	Ghasful	8	0.018	−1.7443	0.03143
Dalbergia sissoo	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008	Cascabela thevetia	2	0.0045	−2.3464	0.01057
C. carandas	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008		444	0.9752		1.28672
S. mombin	2	0.00332	−2.47857	0.008
C. papaya	1	0.00166	−2.7796	0.005
Bombax cieba	1	0.00166	−2.7796	0.005
	602	1		1.201
Shanon Index (H)				1.201	Shanon Index (H)				1.286
Diversity (D)				9.239	Diversity (D)				12.7659

Table 2.

Plant species diversity in the homestead in Rabi season (field data, 2019).

3.2.2 Homestead agro biodiversity in the Kharif-1 season

Results showed that the plant species diversity is more in low drought homesteads and low in the high drought homesteads (Table 3).

High drought prone area					Low drought prone area
Species	Ni	Pi	In Pi	-(Pi*ln Pi)	Species	Ni	Pi	ln Pi	-(Pi*ln Pi)
Mangifera indica	171	0.299	−0.524	0.157	M. indica	104	0.219	−0.659	0.145
Artocarpus heterophyllus	13	0.023	−1.643	0.037	A. heterophyllus	8	0.017	−1.773	0.030
Psidium guava	17	0.030	−1.526	0.045	Psidium guava	19	0.040	−1.397	0.056
Lagenaria siceraria	12	0.021	−1.677	0.035	L. siceraria	22	0.046	−1.333	0.062
Azadirachta indica	52	0.091	−1.041	0.095	Spondias mombin	7	0.015	−1.831	0.027
S. mombin	12	0.021	−1.677	0.035	Ziziphus	15	0.032	−1.500	0.047
Ziziphus	14	0.025	−1.611	0.039	Moringa oleifera	11	0.023	−1.634	0.038
M. oleifera	10	0.018	−1.757	0.031	Bel(Aegle marmelos)	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
Bel(A. marmelos)	8	0.014	−1.854	0.026	(Bambusoideae	46	0.097	−1.013	0.098
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius	41	0.072	−1.144	0.082	Citrus limonium	14	0.030	−1.530	0.045
Bamboo(Bambusoideae)	68	0.119	−0.924	0.110	Musa paradisicum	19	0.040	−1.397	0.056
Lemon(Citrus Limonium)	14	0.025	−1.611	0.039	amarindus indica	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
Musa paradisicum	67	0.117	−0.931	0.109	Blackberry(Rubus)	7	0.015	−1.831	0.027
Punica granatum	3	0.005	−2.280	0.012	Phoenix dactylifera	5	0.011	−1.977	0.021
Momordica charantia	1	0.002	−2.757	0.005	Litchi(Litchi chinensis)	4	0.008	−2.074	0.017
Yam(Dioscorea)	15	0.026	−1.581	0.042	Citrus maxima	4	0.008	−2.074	0.017
Capsicum frutescen	7	0.012	−1.912	0.023	Syzygium jambos	3	0.006	−2.199	0.014
Luffa acutangula	5	0.009	−2.058	0.018	Swietenia species	26	0.055	−1.261	0.069
Tamarindus indica	2	0.004	−2.456	0.009	Tagetes	34	0.072	−1.144	0.082
Blackberry(Rubus)	3	0.005	−2.280	0.012	Palm(Arecaceae)	7	0.015	−1.831	0.027
P. dactylifera	13	0.023	−1.643	0.037	Rose(Rosa)	19	0.040	−1.397	0.056
Litchi(L. chinensis)	1	0.002	−2.757	0.005	Carissa carandas	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
Mahagoni(Swietenia)	12	0.021	−1.677	0.035	Carica papaya	16	0.034	−1.472	−0.050
Marigold(Tagetes)	3	0.005	−2.280	0.012	Ccurbita	9	0.019	−1.722	0.033
Palm(Arecaceae)	3	0.005	−2.280	0.012	Annona reticulate	4	0.008	−2.074	0.017
Dalbergia sissoo	2	0.004	−2.456	0.009	Syzygium aqueum	6	0.013	−1.898	0.024
C. papaya	1	0.002	−2.757	0.005	Basellla alba	14	0.030	−1.530	0.045
Bombax cieba	1	0.002	−2.757	0.005	Ocimum sanctum	7	0.015	−1.831	0.027
					Jasminum	5	0.011	−1.977	0.021
					Cocos nucifera	26	0.055	−1.261	0.069
					Chalta(Dillenia indica)	1	0.002	−2.676	0.006
					Ficus racemosa	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
					Manilkara zapota	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
					Cascabela thevetia	2	0.004	−2.375	0.010
Total	571				Total	474			1.287
Shanon Index (H)				1.082	Shanon Index (H)				1.287
Diversity (D)				7.294	Diversity (D)				12.14

Table 3.

Plant species diversity in the homestead in Kharif-1 season (field data, 2019).

3.2.3 Homestead plant species diversity in the Kharif-2 season

It was found that homesteads of low drought areas show greater diversity than high drought area (1.287 ‹ 7.294) during Khari-2 season (Table 4). Respondents mentioned that it happened due to low rainfall and low soil moisture retention during the period.

High drought prone area					Low drought prone area
Species	Ni	Pi	In Pi	-(Pi*ln Pi)	Species	Ni	Pi	ln Pi	-(Pi*ln Pi)
Mangifera indica	125	0.22	−0.65	0.145028	M. indica	67	0.218	−0.66	0.14
Artocarpus heterophyllus	9	0.02	−1.80	0.028676	A. heterophyllus	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
Psidium guava	15	0.03	−1.57	0.041893	Psidium guava	16	0.052	−1.28	0.07
Lagenaria siceraria	16	0.03	−1.54	0.043891	L. siceraria	15	0.049	−1.31	0.07
Azadirachta indica	46	0.08	−1.09	0.088780	Spondias mombin	5	0.016	−1.79	0.03
S. mombin	12	0.02	−1.67	0.035576	Ziziphus	8	0.026	−1.59	0.04
Ziziphus	13	0.02	−1.64	0.037740	Moringa oleifera	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
M. oleifera	10	0.02	−1.75	0.031051	sweet gourd(Cucurbita)	6	0.019	−1.71	0.03
Bel(Aegle marmelos)	8	0.01	−1.85	0.026215	Citrus Limonium	9	0.029	−1.53	0.04
sweet gourd(Cucurbita)	6	0.01	−1.97	0.020990	Musa paradisicum	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
Amorphophallus paeoniifolius	47	0.08	−1.08	0.089931	Ata(Annona reticulate)	3	0.01	−2.01	0.02
Colocasia esculenta	5	0.01	−2.05	0.018194	Tamarindus indica	2	0.006	−2.19	0.01
Bamboo(Bambusoideae)	65	0.12	−0.94	0.108144	Blackberry(Rubus)	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
Lemon(Citrus Limonium)	14	0.02	−1.61	0.039844	Litchi(Litchi chinensis)	4	0.013	−1.89	0.025
Banana(Musa paradisicum)	59	0.10	−0.98	0.102562	Jambura(Citrus maxima)	4	0.013	−1.89	0.02
Ata(Annona reticulate)	2	0.01	−2.45	0.008688	Syzygium jambos	1	0.003	−2.49	0.01
Saccharum officinarum	25	0.04	−1.35	0.059988	Mahagoni(Swietenia)	14	0.045	−1.34	0.06
Bedena (Punica granatum)	3	0.01	−2.27	0.012096	Marigold(Tagetes)	29	0.094	−1.03	0.10
Momordica charantia	2	0.03	−2.45	0.008688	Phaseolus vulgaris	9	0.029	−1.53	0.04
Yam(Dioscorea)	15	0.03	−1.58	0.041893	Palm(Arecaceae)	5	0.016	−1.79	0.03
Chili (Capsicum frutescens)	7	0.01	−1.91	0.023658	Rose(Rosa)	11	0.036	−1.45	0.05
Jhinga (Luffa acutangula)	5	0.01	−2.05	0.018194	Carissa carandas	1	0.003	−2.49	0.01
Tamarind(T. indica)	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	(Syzygium aqueum)	6	0.019	−1.71	0.03
Blackberry(Rubus)	3	0.01	−2.27	0.012096	Papaya(Carica papaya)	13	0.042	−1.37	0.06
Phoenix dactylifera	14	0.02	−1.61	0.039844	Basella alba	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
Litchi(L. chinensis)	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	Ocimum tenuifloru	7	0.023	−1.64	0.04
Jambura(C. maxima)	1	0.00	−2.75	0.004878	Jasminum	4	0.013	−1.89	0.02
Golap jam(S. jambos)	5	0.01	−2.05	0.018194	Coconut(Cocos nucifera)	22	0.071	−1.15	0.09
Mahagoni(Swietenia)	13	0.02	−1.64	0.037740	Chalta(Dillenia indica)	1	0.003	−2.49	0.01
Marigold(Tagetes)	3	0.01	−2.27	0.012096	Cestrum nocturnum	1	0.003	−2.49	0.01
P. vulgaris	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	Ficus racemosa	2	0.006	−2.19	0.01
Palm(Arecaceae)	4	0.01	−2.15	0.015242	Manilkara zapota	2	0.006	−2.19	0.01
Rose(Rosa)	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	Ghasful	5	0.016	−1.79	0.03
Sissoo(Dalbergia sissoo)	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	Cascabela thevetia	1	0.003	−2.49	0.01
C. carandas	2	0.00	−2.45	0.008688	Total	308	1	−59.58	1.31
Shanon Index (H)				1.082	Shanon Index (H)				1.287
Diversity (D)				7.294	Diversity (D)				12.14

Table 4.

Homestead diversity inKhari-2 (field data, 2019).

3.3 Relationship of plant species diversity with the seasons and variables

The respondents believe that it is happening due to drought (causal effects of low soil moisture, low water holding capacity of the soil, low soil fertility and low rainfall over the season). It also affects agro ecology for the production. The numbers of family member has the effect on homestead agro biodiversity followed by age, income, education, land size and farm category. According to the hypothesis there is significant difference of homestead agro biodiversity between high and low drought prone areas. The family member has the large effect on homestead agro biodiversity followed by age, income, education and farm category (Table 5).

Diversity value	Age	Income	Education	Farm category	Tenanat type	Location	member
0.134199134	38	140000	9	1	1	1	3
0.190675991	60	120000	0	1	3	1	6
0.131275168	46	72000	8	1	1	1	4
0.092691622	45	200000	1	2	1	1	4
0.087486157	42	70000	5	2	1	1	5
0.126855601	42	300000	8	2	1	1	6
0.089473684	46	300000	0	3	1	1	5
0.177253479	42	325000	10	3	3	1	5
0.260814249	60	310000	10	3	1	1	6
0.060846561	60	120000	10	1	3	2	2
0.111111111	33	35000	1	1	1	2	2
0.169117647	38	100000	1	1	3	2	5
0.070075758	53	100000	10	2	3	2	3
0.06685633	37	150000	8	2	3	2	4
0.083870968	52	175000	5	2	1	2	4
0.046444122	52	280000	0	3	3	2	4
0.109311741	50	245000	10	3	1	2	4
0.180225989	65	80000	8	3	3	2	4
r	0.25	0.15	0.16	0.08	−0.02	−0.40	0.56

Table 5.

Correlation of homestead plant diversity among the variables.

3.4 Homestead plant species diversity changing over times

As per Focus Group Discussions, the participants mentioned that plant diversity is decreasing in the high drought prone areas due to drought effects. Seventy seven percent household respondents from high drought prone areas reported that homestead plant diversity is decreasing with the increased frequency of drought (Figure 1). Only 10 percent household respondents from low drought prone areas believe that homestead plant diversity is decreasing with the influence of drought.

Figure 1.

status of homestead plant diversity in relation to farm category.

3.5 Drought impacts on the homestead production

It was found that 30 percent respondents perceived reduced plant species diversity in the high drought area. People in the low drought area are confused about the changing of agro biodiversity. About 53% people of low drought area observed extinction of some species (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Drought impacts on homestead diversity.

3.6 Testing of hypothesis

Low drought prone area tends to a greater homestead agro bio-diversity than high drought prone area. Calculated t value 0.004555 and table value with the df (2–1) (9–1) = 8 at 99% level is 2.896, i.e. the calculated t value is less than critical t value (0.004555 ‹ 2.896). The hypothesis is accepted and there is significant greater homestead agro biodiversity in low drought prone area (Table 6).

Homestead number	High drought prone area	Low drought prone area
H1	0.134199	0.060847
H2	0.190676	0.111111
H3	0.131275	0.169118
H4	0.092692	0.070076
H5	0.087486	0.066856
H6	0.126856	0.083871
H7	0.089474	0.046444
H8	0.177253	0.109312
H9	0.260814	0.180226

Table 6.

Species diversity (Ds) value of high drought and low drought prone area.

4. Discussion

It was found that homestead number five (medium farm) showed greater plant diversity in the high drought prone areas and homestead number seven (large farm) showed greater diversity in the low drought prone areas. A study reported that the small farm holders utilized their homesteads more efficiently [25]. The study found that the homesteads contained tree species, fruit tree species, vegetable species, spices, ornamental species, medicinal species and wild species for different uses (timber, fuel, food, medicine and esthetic). Total 43 plant species (trees, fruit, vegetables, spices, ornamental, fuel and medicinal) were found in the study areas. Similarly 43 plant species were reported in the homesteads from the central parts of Bangladesh [26]. Timber tree got more preferences followed by fruits, vegetables, spices and ornamental. The researcher reported that timber tree species have been found as the preferred species due to future capital as the wood [25]. The results showed that the homestead in the low drought prone areas represent greater plant diversity in the homesteads. Household use their homestead produces mostly for foods, fuel, medicinal purpose and cash income. One study concluded that home gardens can be a tool for conservation of biodiversity [27]. Homestead plant diversity is essentially important to cope with the climate change issues and drought. Similarly a study reported that homestead biodiversity enhance the resilience capacity of the community [28]. Another study found that diverse variety increases production especially in environmental extreme (drought, flood) situations, they maintain diversity to reduce the risks [29]. In our existence, more plant species biodiversity can secure food for the farming community. A study is also reported that it is hard in surviving severe drought frequently cause famine in farming communities [30].

5. Conclusion

Homestead is the great place for household food access, diet and nutrition. Drought affects homestead plant diversity and reduces production, availability and diversity that lead toward less supply and consumption. Drought arrest moisture and degrade the soil that support plant growth. Actually homestead provides regular bread and income in the rural areas with an effective mean for both economic and environmental well-being. People are getting good amount of subsidiary income without any extra care and effort. In managing homestead land and drought, household needs necessary technical and managerial training. In reducing drought impacts to the homestead, action research needs to be carried out on available knowledge, effective practices, water management and adoption of local varieties and knowledge in order to develop effective homestead integration. Government initiatives, community engagement and doing no harm to the environment and efficient uses of water could be great solutions for adverse effects of drought to the homestead plant diversity.