Silvopastoral systems integrate the complexity of forestry and forage-livestock management in an economically and ecologically sustainable way. However, these systems have undergone intensive pressure over the past decades caused by changes in land uses, as well as, in local socioeconomic priorities that suppressed traditional practices such as livestock grazing. These changes have caused land cover spatiotemporal diversifications whose effects were investigated in a traditional oak silvopastoral system at western Greece. In order to investigate the effect of human activities over the study area, the spatiotemporal land cover changes in conjunction with human and animal population changes and the environmental factors altitude, soil depth, inclination and rock type were analyzed. Also, forest-crown density changes were examined as a complimentary factor for the investigation of human intervention in the study area. Data about land-cover changes were derived from aerial orthorectified photographs of years 1945 and 2008, complimented by maps of environmental factors. Data digitization was implemented by the use of ArcGis. Based on the data analysis it derives that land cover changes are mainly attributed to direct human intervention. Environmental factors affect the ecosystem in two ways; first by affecting the location, type and intensity of human activities in the area, for example, soil depth determines where land is more productive and so predetermines the location, type and intensity of agricultural activities. Secondly, in the areas without or with minimal human intervention, environmental factors affect directly the land cover in conjunction with natural species necessities and their antagonistic capabilities.
Agroforestry is a traditional land use system that may contribute to the solution of environmental problems in agriculture. Agroforestry is the practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crops and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. Recent research indicates that a wider adoption of agroforestry principles and practices is a key means by which the global agri-food sector might achieve more sustainable methods of food and fiber production by producing both economic benefits for farmers and environmental benefits for society. Agroforestry provides numerous provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting ecosystem services and environmental benefits while promoting eco-intensification based on a more efficient use of the resources. Nevertheless, there is only little published recent information on the contribution of agroforestry to the environment in general and on climate change, carbon sequestration and forest fires in particular. In this special issue a number of articles are included that provide a kaleidoscope of the environmental benefits that agroforestry provides to the environment.
Land use systems that integrate woody vegetation with livestock and/or crops and are recognised for their biodiversity and cultural importance can be termed high nature and cultural value (HNCV) agroforestry. In this review, based on the literature and stakeholder knowledge, we describe the structure, components and management practices of ten contrasting HNCV agroforestry systems distributed across five European bioclimatic regions. We also compile and categorize the ecosystem services provided by these agroforestry systems, following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services. HNCV agroforestry in Europe generally enhances biodiversity and regulating ecosystem services relative to conventional agriculture and forestry. These systems can reduce fire risk, compared to conventional forestry, and can increase carbon sequestration, moderate the microclimate, and reduce soil erosion and nutrient leaching compared to conventional agriculture. However, some of the evidence is location specific and a better geographical coverage is needed to generalize patterns at broader scales. Although some traditional practices and products have been abandoned, many of the studied systems continue to provide multiple woody and non-woody plant products and high-quality food from livestock and game. Some of the cultural value of these systems can also be captured through tourism and local events. However there remains a continual challenge for farmers, landowners and society to fully translate the positive social and environmental impacts of HNCV agroforestry into market prices for the products and services. 相似文献
Valonia oak (Quercus ithaburensis subsp. macrolepis (Kotschy) Hedge and Yaltirik), a deciduous species grown in the xerothermic conditions of the east Mediterranean zone of Europe, forms woodlands of open canopy that permits adequate light to reach the ground thus sustaining an exceptionally rich flora. In Greece, these woodlands are mainly used for livestock grazing and considered important silvopastoral systems. Nowadays, most of them are abandoned and degraded as a result of inappropriate management. For the effective evaluation and sustainable management of these woodlands and the establishment of reliable monitoring systems, a detailed analysis of their plant diversity characteristics across Greece is needed. This paper aims at determining and comparing floristic diversity measures as well as at assessing the impact of human activities on vegetation and floristic diversity of the most characteristic valonia oak silvopastoral woodlands of Greece. It was found that the truncated log-normal model adequately predicts the species abundance data for eleven out of the twelve woodlands. From the statistical comparison of the diversity indices Q-statistic, Berger–Parker dominance index and Shannon-Wiener measure of equitability, three groups of these woodlands can be distinguished (a) the high-richness group of Pentalofos, Lesvos, Lakonia and Thesprotia, (b) the medium-richness group of Kriti Island, Alexandroupoli, Strofylia and Galaxidi, and (c) the low-richness group of Kea Island, Amfilohia, Almyros and Lilaia. However, the Rényi’s diversity ordering diagram showed that, generally, in low levels of entropy inconsistency is the rule and no clear pattern of diversity is extracted reflecting the impact of complex factors. Among them, those related to management seem to mostly determine plant diversity of valonia oak silvopastoral woodlands, with abiotic factors having an occasionally supporting role. Changes of species richness and evenness due to livestock grazing as well as acorn and wood harvesting are further discussed. 相似文献
Agroforestry Systems - It is estimated that olive groves cover an area of 700,000 ha in Greece, with 124,311 ha forming agroforestry systems combined with various crops or... 相似文献
Valonia oak agroforestry systems of Greece are Mediterranean systems of high natural and cultural value with distinct economic, environmental, social and historical characteristics. These systems can be silvopastoral or agrosilvopastoral, and have been used since ancient times for grazing, and acorn and wood harvesting. Acorn cup collection for use in tanning, which has been undertaken since at least the fifteenth century, was an important economic activity from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century contributing to the local economy and development. This overview describes the historical importance of valonia oak in Greece, and the present extent, structure, ecology, products and services of valonia oak agroforestry. The sustainability of such systems is being promoted through the sale of traditional and new products, eco- and agri-tourism, and engagement with local stakeholders. 相似文献
Whilst the benefits of agroforestry are widely recognised in tropical latitudes few studies have assessed how agroforestry is perceived in temperate latitudes. This study evaluates how stakeholders and key actors including farmers, landowners, agricultural advisors, researchers and environmentalists perceive the implementation and expansion of agroforestry in Europe. Meetings were held with 30 stakeholder groups covering different agroforestry systems in 2014 in eleven EU countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom). In total 344 valid responses were received to a questionnaire where stakeholders were asked to rank the positive and negative aspects of implementing agroforestry in their region. Improved biodiversity and wildlife habitats, animal health and welfare, and landscape aesthetics were seen as the main positive aspects of agroforestry. By contrast, increased labour, complexity of work, management costs and administrative burden were seen as the most important negative aspects. Overall, improving the environmental value of agriculture was seen as the main benefit of agroforestry, whilst management and socio-economic issues were seen as the greatest barriers. The great variability in the opportunities and barriers of the systems suggests enhanced adoption of agroforestry across Europe will be most likely to occur with specific initiatives for each type of system. 相似文献
Potential benefits and costs of agroforestry practices have been analysed by experts, but few studies have captured farmers’ perspectives on why agroforestry might be adopted on a European scale. This study provides answers to this question, through an analysis of 183 farmer interviews in 14 case study systems in eight European countries. The study systems included high natural and cultural value agroforestry systems, silvoarable systems, high value tree systems, and silvopasture systems, as well as systems where no agroforestry practices were occurring. A mixed method approach combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was taken throughout the interviews. Narrative thematic data analysis was performed. Data collection proceeded until no new themes emerged. Within a given case study, i.e. the different systems in different European regions, this sampling was performed both for farmers who practice agroforestry and farmers who did not. Results point to a great diversity of agroforestry practices, although many of the farmers are not aware of the term or concept of agroforestry, despite implementing the practice in their own farms. While only a few farmers mentioned eligibility for direct payments in the CAP as the main reason to remove trees from their land, to avoid the reduction of the funded area, the tradition in the family or the region, learning from others, and increasing the diversification of products play the most important role in adopting or not agroforestry systems. 相似文献
Agroforestry is a sustainable land management system recognized worldwide but not implemented in a extensive form in temperate and developed countries. Agroforestry has been promoted in the last decades at global level as it provides more efficient and sustainable farming systems. This review aims at summarizing the main research findings explaining why agroforestry is a sustainable land management that fulfils and is affected by different Global, Pan-European and European policies as well as how innovation is currently fostered in Europe, therefore linking research, policy and innovation. This review specially targets researchers and policy makers working in integrated land systems. There is a global and European recognition of the role that agroforestry can play to provide products but also to deliver highly important ecosystem services. However, the promotion of agroforestry practices at European level is still not well addressed by the Common Agricultural Policy. The clear identification of agroforestry practices, the link of management plans to establish agroforestry pursuing a final eligible tree density for the Pillar I payments should be addressed as initial steps to foster agroforestry in Europe. There is a lack of knowledge transfer that promotes agroforestry at field level, which should be approached by using stakeholder integration within the policy development as it is currently done by the EIP-Agri.
Most farm-based agroforestry projects focus on the integration of trees on arable or livestock enterprises. This paper focuses on the integration of understorey crops and/or livestock within high value tree systems (e.g., apple orchards, olive groves, chestnut woodlands, and walnut plantations), and describes the components, structure, ecosystem services and economic value of ten case studies of this type of agroforestry across Europe. Although their ecological and socio-economic contexts vary, the systems share some common characteristics. The primary objective of the farmer is likely to remain the value of tree products like apples, olives, oranges, or nuts, or particularly high value timber. However there can still be production, environmental or economic benefits of integrating agricultural crops such as chickpeas and barley, or grazing an understorey grass crop with livestock. Three of the systems focused on the grazing of apple orchards with sheep in the UK and France. The introduction of sheep to apple orchards can minimise the need for mowing and provide an additional source of revenue. Throughout the Mediterranean, there is a need to improve the financial viability of olive groves. The case studies illustrate the possibility of intercropping traditional olive stands with chickpea in Greece, or the intercropping of wild asparagus in high density olive groves in Italy. Another system studied in Greece involves orange trees intercropped with chickpeas. Stands of chestnut trees in North-west Spain can provide feed for pigs when the fruit falls in November, and provide an excellent habitat for the commercial production of edible mushrooms. In Spain, in the production of high quality walnut trees using rotations of up to 50–60 years, there are options to establish a legume-based mixed pasture understorey and to introduce sheep to provide financial and environmental benefits. 相似文献
