Burgess, P.

Filippi, R.

Graves, A.R.

Palma, J.H.N.

Reisner, Y.

English

UTL Repository

-200000 -150000 -100000 -50000 050000100000150000W B W B W B W B10% 50% 10% 50%Without payments W ith paymentsNet Infinite Net Present Value in comparison with status quo arable farming (€ farm-1)France Netherlands Spain AveragePalma J1, Reisner Y1, de Filippi R1, Burgess P2, Graves A R2, Keesman K3, van der Werf W4, Moreno G5, Bertomeu M5, Liagre F6, Dupraz C7, Thomas T8, Bunce B9 and Herzog F11 Evaluation of Ecological Measures, Agroscope FAL Reckenholz, Zürich, Switzerland; 2 Cranfield University, Silsoe, UK; 3 Systems & Control Group, Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands; 4 Crop & Weed Ecology Group , Wageningen UR, Wageningen, The Netherlands; 5Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain; 6 Assemblé Permanent des Chambres d’Agriculture, Paris, France; 7 INRA, Centre de Recherche de Montellier, Montpellier, France; 8 Bangor University, Wales, UK; 9 Alterra Green World Research, Wageningen, The NetherlandsContact: joao.palma@fal.admin.chAgroforestry – the combination of agricultural land use with trees – has been proposed as an alternative land-use system in Europe for a decade now, in order to mitigate environmental problems of intensive agricultural production and to diversify the income of farmers. In the European research project “Silvo-arable agroforestry for Europe” (www.montpellier.inra.fr/safe) we investigated whether this potential is real and to what extent agroforestry can contribute to resolve land-use problems in European rural landscapes. We randomly selected 19 arable landscapes of 4x4 km along a gradient from Spain over France to the Netherlands. Environmental assessmentConclusionsAgroforestry can reduce erosion in average of 65% (up to 80%), reduce nitrogen leaching by up to 28 % and more than duplicate (up to quintuple) landscape diversity in the landscapes under examination. It can be profitable in the temperate zone provided high quality timber is produced and provided the subsidy schemes allow for agroforestry as a land-use system. This can have considerable implications at the European scale. On 65 Mio ha (40 % of the European arable land) the desired environmental effects could be achieved by implementing agroforestry. Acknowledgements: This research was carried out as part of theSAFE (Silvoarable Agroforestry for Europe) collaborative researchproject.  SAFE is funded by the EU under its Quality of Life programme, contract number QLK5-CT-2001-00560, and the Swiss Federal Ministery of Science and Technology contract 00.0158. Thesupport is gratefully acknowledged.Digital maps of land cover, soil properties, exposition and slope were derived for each landscape and combined with daily climatic data. Through a cluster analysis the landscapes were subdivided into areas of different potential productivity, at the same time representing areas of different productivity of hypothetical farms (Fig. 1).A biophysical model driven by light and water availability was conceived and applied in each landscape in order to assess the productivity of arable agriculture (baseline scenario) and compare it with the implementation of agroforestry with 50 or 113 trees ha-1, in 10 or 50% of the farm in the worst or best land. For all scenarios, environmental effects (erosion, nitrogen leaching, carbon sequestration, landscape diversity) were assessed with additional algorithms.Assessment of the environmental and economicperformance of agroforestry along a European gradient020406080100120W B W BStatus quo 10% 50%Sce nariosNitrate Leaching (kg ha-1 a-1)-28%Nitrogen Leaching010203040506070W B W BStatus quo 10% 50%ScenariosSeq. carbon (t ha-1) after 60 yearsUp to 60 (t ha-1)Carbon Sequestration010203040506070Status quo 10% 50%ScenariosHabitat index+160%Landscape BiodiversityAerial PhotoLand coverDEMSolar radiationSoilLand unitsLandscape scaleFarm scalePlot Model(PlotSAFE)Farm Model(FarmSAFE)Fig 1: Data processing forscenario assessment at plot, farm and landscapescaleScenariosFig 2: Data processing fortargeting areas for agroforestry at European scaleArable land. .Quercus ilex Pinus pineaProductive tree growthPopulus sppJuglans hybr.Prunus aviumEnvironmentalProblemErosion; Monotonous Landscape; N-LeachingTargetAreasAt European scale, potential productive tree growth distribution maps were developed for the five tree species studied (Juglans hybr., Prunus avium L, Populus spp, Quercus ilex L. and Pinus pinea L.) and environmental datasets were intersected with European arable land to produce “Target Areas” map for agroforestry implementation (Fig. 2).Economic assessmentFarm economic data were compiled from local, national and international statistical sources. Profitability was evaluated with a farm economic model linked to the biophysical model. Scenarios included several levels of payment schemes.European scale65 Mioha! High quality wood.! Depends on payments.When profitable,! Plant in high quality land.! In large portion.Erosion00.511.522.53W B W B W B W BA(Statusquo)10% 50% A 10% 50%Sce nariosSoil Erosion (t ha-1 a-1)-65%Contouring practices

Assessment of the environmental and economic performance of agroforestry along a European gradient

Universidade Técnica de Lisboa

https://www.repository.utl.pt/bitstream/10400.5/1694/4/REP-Palma-Poster.pdf

Assessment of the environmental and economic performance of agroforestry along a European gradient

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UTL Repository

Universidade Técnica de Lisboa