Drivers of social and ecological resilience in tropical homegarden systems

Agroforestry systems, such as homegardens, provide social-ecological benefits but face increasing pressures from climate change. In this study, we identify drivers of social and ecological resilience to perturbances in homegardens by examining the influence of livelihood assets, ecological diversity, legacy effects and system age. We collected data from around 360 homegardens in Kerala, India, using household surveys, agrobiodiversity plots and remote sensing-derived vegetation data and analysed them by fitting linear and logistic regression models. Social resilience was positively associated with access to credit, homegarden size and past shock exposure, while ecological resilience was positively associated with plant access and negatively linked to homegarden age. Our findings suggest that homegarden resilience may be facilitated by tailored interventions that enhance financial certainty and access to plant resources, as well as preparedness strategies. These insights are crucial for ensuring the resilience of homegarden systems amid increasing environmental and socioeconomic challenges.