Agroforestry

Introduction to Agroforestry

Agroforestry systems include both traditional and modern land-use systems where trees are managed together with crops and/or animal production systems in agricultural settings. They are dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management systems that diversify and sustain production in order to increase social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all scales. It is the land use management of trees and shrubs grown around crops and pastureland. Agroforestry is said to be environmentally sustainable as it utilize fully the land used for agriculture productivity. It is the combination of agriculture which is the cultivation of animal, plants, fungi, and other life form for foods, fibre, fuel, biochemical, medicinal and other products used to sustain and enhance human life and forestry which is the management and repairing of forest with associated resources for human benefits. Agroforestry intervation's because of their ability to provide economic and environmental benefits,are considered to be the best measures in making communities to adapt and become resilient to the impact of climate to change. Agroforestry is playing a significant role in the adaptation climate change because it improves microclimate, protect the soil loss, improve soil fertility,reduce carbon emmission and increase carbon sequestration. A number of agroforestry systems have the potential to sequester carbon. With adequate management of tree under agroforestry system a significant fraction of the atmospheric C could be captured and stored in plant.

Practice of Agroforestry

Agroforestry system used is classified into a few category which is Structural basis, functional basis, socioeconomic basis, and ecological basis

Structural basis refer to the composition of spatial and temporal arrangment of the system. Combination of forest tree with crop plant changes the horizontal and vertical arrangement of environment and often relate to the increase in diversity of animals or plants in the habitat, agroforestry can be successfully applied while maintaing the wildlife. Functional basis refer to the function of woody component. The presence of forest trees function to provide shelter for small plants which is the farm plant through windbreak and prevent soil erosion. This not only helps in protecting the cultured plant but also protect the environment habitat providing a 2 way benefits. Socioeconomic basis refer to the purpose of agroforestry in an environment can can either be subsistence, commercial, or intermediate. Agroforestry may be promoted into many other role in the society such as a platform for social forestry and improve the community access to resources as community forestry. Ecological basis is the suitability of agroforestry in the environment. Some farm plant has different habitat and its growth solely depend on the environment it lives in so agroforestry had taken account aspect such as tropical, temperate and arid environments in term of ecological and biological condition of the area in choosing the suitable forest trees and farm plant.

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Benefits of Agroforestry

Agroforestry provides a different land use option, compared with traditional arable and forestry systems. It makes use of the complementarity between trees and crops, so that the available resources can be more effectively exploited. It is a practice that respects the environment and has an obvious landscape benefit. Efficient, modern versions of agroforestry have been developed, that are adapted to the constraints imposed by mechanisation. The agroforestry plot remains productive for the farmer and generates continuous revenue, which is not the case when arable land is exclusively reforested. Agroforestry allows for the diversification of farm activity and makes better use of environmental resources. Agroforestry has interesting advantages from three different perspectives.

From the arable perspective

1. Diversification of the activities of arable farmers, with the building-up of an inheritance of valuable trees, without disrupting the revenue from those plots which have been planted.
2. Intercrop and animals(livestock) is protected by trees such as windbreak effect, shelter from the sun, rain, wind, soil is prevented from being corroded, and stimulating microfauna and microflora.
3. Tree helps in recover the loss nutrients. Nutrients is not loss from leaching and drainage with the presence of deep roots of trees planted in surrounding with the farm plants in fact, the trees enrich the soil organic matter with its tree litter of dead roots of the trees.
4. Possibility of combining the interest of the owner (for an inheritance of wood) and the farm (for access to cultivated land). Possible remuneration for the arable farmer for looking after the trees

 From the forestry perspective

1. Acceleration of the diameter growth of the trees by wide spacing. By cutting down some trees of no commercial value and make space for farm plant, allows space for trees to grow steadily.
2. Quality of wood produced is improved and useful in the industry. Such happening occur because of the less competition between its own so trees growth is optimum.
3. Guaranteed follow-up and tree care due to the arable intercropping activity. In particular, protection against the risk of fire in susceptible areas, with pastoralism or with intercrops like vine or winter cereals.
4. Agroforestry plantations on arable land allow the development of a quality wood resource that complements, rather than competes with, the products from traditionally exploited forests. It is especially important to produce wood that can substitute for tropical sawlogs, which will soon decline in availability and quality. The areas concerned will remain small in terms of their absolute value. Tree species that are little used in forestry, but are of high value, could be grown in agroforestry systems

From the environmental perspective

1. Improvement to the development of natural resources: the total wood and arable production from an agroforestry plot is greater than the separate production obtained by an arable-forest separate cropping pattern on the same area of land. This effect results from the stimulation of complementarity between trees and crops on agroforestry plots. Thus, weeds are replaced by harvested crops or pasture; maintenance is less costly and environmental resources are better used. The used of pesticide which pollute the environment can be avoided.
2. Better control of cultivated areas of land: by substituting for arable plots, the agroforestry plots contributes to diminishing the cultivated area of land. The intensification of environmental resource use by agroforestry systems is not resulting in more crop products.
3. Creation of original landscapes that are attractive, open and favour recreational activities. Agroforestry plots have a truly innovative landscaping potential, and would improve the public image of farmers to society. This will be particularly the case in very sparsely wooded areas, where plots are developed by planting arable land, and in very heavily wooded areas, where plots are developed by thinning the existing forest.
4. Counteract the greenhouse effect: constitution of an effective system for carbon sequestration, by combining the maintenance of the stock of organic material in the soil (the case especially with meadows), and the superimposition of a net fixing wooded layer.
5. Protection of soil and water, in particular in sensitive areas.
6. Improvement of biodiversity. Agroforestry favours the habitat of the. With integrated protection of crops by their association with trees, hyperparasite stimulate the (parasites of parasites) population of crops, is a promising way forwards.