Cropland Abandonment in the Community-Forestry Landscape in the Middle Hills of Nepal

Abstract Cropland abandonment has been a major land-use concern, threatening food security globally. Understanding the factors contributing to cropland advances change science and provides essential information for policy making, both of which aim improve agriculture land management. Despite many studies conducted on this topic, we still lack in-depth understanding how feedbacks from natural system influence cropland-use decisions at household level in human system. We fill knowledge gap by conducting study Middle Hills Nepal, where community forestry is an integral part collected qualitative data through focus-group discussions, key-informant interviews, review local community-forest management documents, quantitative socioeconomic survey 415 households. geolocated 1264 parcels owned these households recorded their use statuses. found that there increasing trend due multiple socioeconomic, ecological, biophysical factors. A higher likelihood linked have more out-migrants, female heads, nonagricultural occupation larger areas landholding. The also are far households, close forest edge, steeper slopes likely be abandoned. These findings provide key makers devise effective measures managing developing sustainable rural Nepal.