Multipurpose Trees (MPTs) and other agroforestry species

Abstract

The multipurpose tree (MPT) is a term that is used almost exclusively in tropical agroforestry. In a general sense, the perennial and taller plant components of agroforestry systems (AFS) are referred to as trees, but the MPTs are woody species that are deliberately kept and managed for more than one preferred use, product, or service. Such species, relatively underutilized in commercial forestry and conventional agriculture are the distinctive components of most AFS in the tropics. Several of them are designated by single-purpose-sounding terms such as fodder trees, fruit trees, fuelwood species, and other special-purpose trees, but they provide multiple products and services. The MPTs have been a major thrust area of research in tropical agroforestry with emphasis on the collection, synthesis, storage, and dissemination of information at various levels (global, national, regional, etc.). The World Agroforestry Agroforestree database and the Agroforestry Species Switchboard launched in 2019 (http://www.worldagroforestry.org/products/switchboard/) document more than 26,000 plant species across 24 web-based information services that support agroforestry research. Several other global and regional databases are available and are listed in the chapter. The chapter also includes (Annexure 13-I) short profiles of about 60 commonly used MPTs in tropical AFS, with illustrative photographs of many. In addition, numerous other species that are important components of various AFS are designated as "lesser-known" or "less-prominent" taxa that include woody as well as non-woody, and seasonal or perennial species; Annexure 13-II includes profiles and photographs of ten such species. Brief notes are also included of a few unique high-value species traditionally grown in agroforestry combinations and are under the threat of extinction because of overexploitation for their high-value products.