Floral Species Diversity and Management Strategies for Homestead Forests in Bangladesh: An Ecological and Strategic Assessment

Homestead forests play a vital role in sustaining rural livelihoods, enhancing food security, and conserving on-farm biodiversity in Bangladesh. However, very few research has examined how variation in homestead forest coverage influences floral species diversity, management practices, and ecological resilience within intensively cultivated floodplain agroecosystems. This study assesses floral species diversity, utilization patterns, ecosystem service perceptions, management practices, gendered participation, and socio-economic and environmental constraints across low, moderate, and high homestead forest coverage categories in Jashore district, Bangladesh. Data were collected from 110 households through stratified random sampling using semi-structured questionnaires and field surveys. Data were analyzed using ecological diversity indices, descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, SWOT analysis, and the Eisenhower Matrix. A total of 80 tree species (968 individuals) were recorded, with a moderately high Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H=3.52). Low-coverage homestead forests exhibited the highest diversity (H=3.73), species richness (R = 10.52) and evenness (E = 0.93), whereas moderate- and high-coverage homestead forests showed comparatively lower diversity values (H = 3.22 and 3.30, respectively) and greater dominance of economically preferred fruit tree species. Plantation decisions were primarily driven by household consumption and fruit production. Management practices remained largely traditional and gendered, while major constraints included pest infestation, animal damage, storm impacts, and limited access to quality planting materials. SWOT analysis and the Eisenhower Matrix identified pest management, improved seedling access, and species diversification as key management priorities. These findings provide important insights into the socio-ecological dynamics of homestead forestry and support biodiversity conservation and climate-resilient agroforestry management in Bangladesh.