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This study assessed the provision of additional ecosystem services by two alley cropping systems for production of woody biomass located in Germany (Farm A and Farm B) as compared to conventional agricultural management. Stripes of fast growing trees in both farms were planted at different distances from each other and occupied various proportion of the agroforestry area. The results of nine indicators of soil, water and biodiversity related to ecosystem services were thus compared under consideration of different farm conditions and management. The additional provision of benefits in Farm A was expected in terms of reducing erosion by wind and reducing the risk of nitrate leaching to groundwater. In Farm B the main effect was related with improving biodiversity. The design of the tree stripes within the system affected the reduction of wind erosion as well as the improvement in biodiversity and was an essential factor determining the provision of ecosystem services by alley cropping systems.
Linear woody-features, such as hedgerows, windbreaks, and riparian buffer strips, composed of trees and/or shrubs are anthropogenic features, established in the past for different purposes, such as provision of field boundaries, protection from wind and supply of fuelwood. Today, they are primarily valued for their ecological benefit, while their production function has received rather little attention. This study assessed the biomass potential of existing linear woodyfeatures in a study area in southern Brandenburg, Germany. The merchantable tree volume of the measured woody-features ranged between 240 m3 ha-1 and 710 m3 ha-1, depending on the relative proportion of trees and shrubs. The results suggest that the biomass potential of linear woody-features with predominant tree proportion per hectare can be higher than this of forests.
A strategy for utilising the production function of these woody-features should take into account the provision of benefits such as wind protection, habitat provision and landscape aesthetics.
Damit Landwirte Agroforstsysteme verstärkt umsetzen, müssen Agroforstflächen mindestens genauso förderberechtigt sein wie konventionelle Ackerfruchtflächen. Bislang finden Agroforstsysteme im deutschen Agrarförderrecht jedoch keine Berücksichtigung. Da die Agroforstwirtschaft eine sehr komplexe Form der Landnutzung ist, muss eindeutig dargelegt werden, unter welchen Bedingungen es sich um Agroforstflächen handelt und wann nicht. Hierfür ist eine Definition von Agroforstschlägen erforderlich, die den Agrarbehörden eine Kontrollfähigkeit ermöglicht. Eine solche Definition, die Gehölzkulturen und Ackerkulturen auf einem Schlag vereint, ist bislang nicht mit dem deutschen Agrarförderrecht vereinbar. Dennoch erscheint es sinnvoll und notwendig, dass sich in den Agrarbehörden, vor dem Hintergrund einer verstärkt geforderten Multifunktionalität in der Landwirtschaft, mehr und mehr von sektoralen Denkmustern verabschiedet und neuen integrativen Landbausystemen zugewandt wird. Hierzu könnte die agrarförderrechtliche Implementierung von Agroforstsystemen einen wertvollen Beitrag liefern. Der folgende Aufsatz zeigt mit dem Vorschlag für eine Agroforstschlag-Definition einen konkreten Lösungsansatz für den behördlichen Umgang mit dieser Bewirtschaftungsform auf.
Agroforestry is receiving increasing attention in Germany because of its capacity to address some of the negative consequences of intensive agriculture. However the actual uptake and maintenance of agroforestry by farmers remains low. The aim of this study was to identify the opportunities and obstacles to agroforestry in Germany and to identify potential measures which could address the obstacles and increase agroforestry adoption. Qualitative interviews with 32 farmers indicated that the legal framework and administrative burden associated with agroforestry in Germany was a major obstacle. The farmers recognised that agroforestry provided environmental benefits, but these do not always increase farm profitability. Agroforestry was identified as a viable alternative to conventional farming systems, especially in less productive areas, not profitable when managed in a conventional way. To enhance the implementation of agroforestry the simplification of the legal framework is crucial. Modern agroforestry should be better recognized by existing policy measures providing payments for environmentally friendly farming. Ultimately, an integrated approach for environmental benefits and production objectives is required, which is based on rewarding farmers for providing ecosystem services (ESs) and a stronger public involvement in sustainable land use practices. Rewarding farmers for ESs could increase the interest in agroforestry in highly productive areas, enhancing sustainable land use in the long term.
Agroforestry systems are receiving increasing attention in the temperate region due to their ability to counteract negative consequences of intensively managed agricultural fields. Examples of traditional agroforestry (AF) in central Europe are orchard meadows "Streuosbt", hedgerows "Knicks" and windbreaks. Traditional AF systems are considered to be areas of high natural and cultural value (HNCV), and as such have been recognized to support high biodiversity levels. Recently, modern AF systems which are well adapted to the current farming practices and are compatible with mechanized agriculture have emerged. Modern practices such as alley cropping system for woody biomass production (ACS), composed of strips of fast growing trees and agricultural crops grown in alleys between the tree rows, can supply market goods and environmental services at the same time (Gruenewald et al. 2007, Quinkenstein et al. 2009). However, farmers in Germany have been reluctant to implement the latter systems, because agricultural policies have limited the number of trees within agricultural systems, while the former have been in danger of abandonment throughout Europe. As a result many farmers have lost interest in AF, and those that inherited land with traditional AF systems may not recognize them as such, because they are not recognized as AF according to the EU policy. The aim of this work was to investigate familiarity with agroforestry in Germany.
Alley cropping systems (ACS) are agroforestry practices in which perennial trees or shrubs are grown in wide rows and arable crops are cultivated in the alleys between the tree rows. Recently, ACS which integrate stripes of short rotation coppices into conventional agricultural sites have gained interest in Germany. These systems can be used for simultaneous production of crops and woody biomass which enables farmers to diversify the provision of market goods. Adding trees into the agricultural landscape creates additional benefits for the farmer and society also known as ecosystem services. An ecosystem service provided by land use systems is carbon sequestration. The literature indicates that ACS are able to store more carbon compared to agriculture and their implementation may lead to greater benefits for the environment and society. Moreover, carbon sequestration in ACS could be included in carbon trading schemes and farmers rewarded additionally for the provision of this ecosystem service. However, methods are required which are easy to use and provide reliable information regarding change in carbon sequestration with change of the land use practice. In this context, our aim was to develop a methodology to assess carbon sequestration benefit provided by ACS in Germany. Therefore, the change of carbon in both soil and biomass had to be considered. To predict the change in soil carbon our methodology combined the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and the soil organic carbon balance recommended by the Association of German Agricultural Investigation and Research Centers (VDLUFA). To reflect the change in biomass carbon average annual yields were adopted. The results showed that ACS established on agricultural sites can increase the carbon stored because in the new soil-plant system carbon content is higher compared to agriculture. ACS have been recommended as suitable land use systems for marginal sites, such as post-mining areas. In such areas soil carbon usually increases at a faster initial rate compared to agricultural land which means that these areas could provide high level of carbon sequestration service in the short term. The approach will be broadened to include assessment of other ecosystem services provided by ACS in Germany which would increase the possibility to adequately compensate farmers for the supply of environmental benefits.
Alley cropping systems which integrate strips of short rotation coppices into conventional agricultural sites (ACS) have recently gained increasing interest in Germany. These ACS can be used for the simultaneous production of crops and woody biomass which enables farmers to diversify the provision of market goods. Integrating trees into the agricultural landscape can create additional benefits for the farmer and society also known as ecosystem services (ES). The scientific literature suggests that ACS are able to provide additional benefits as compared to conventional agriculture. Among the important ES provided by ACS are carbon sequestration, soil fertility, water quality, groundwater recharge, and biodiversity. However, assessment methods are required which are easy to use and provide reliable information regarding change in ES with change of the land use practice. In this context, our aim was to develop a methodology to assess selected ES provided by ACS in Germany. For this purpose an indicator set was selected from the literature and linked with the relevant ES previously identified. Furthermore, a model was developed to facilitate the calculation of the indicators. The results showed that ACS established at agricultural sites have higher capacity to provide ES as compared to single-crop agriculture. The capacity of ACS with 50% trees is higher than the capacity of ACS with 30% trees which suggests that the capacity of the system to provide ES increases with increased proportion of trees. The methodology seems to be a promising tool to facilitate the assessment of ES provided by the land management practices considered. In the long term this measurement approach can be broadened to include monetary evaluation of ES. This will enable rewarding farmers for providing environmental benefits therefore, accurately compensating them for the outputs supplied.
Conventional agricultural practices have often been associated with negative externalities, such as land degradation, pollution of soil and water resources, loss of biodiversity, and decreased provision of ecosystem services (ES). In response to these negative effects, the number of indicator-based attempts to assess ES provided by land use systems has increased. However, decisions regarding the importance of the different ES are usually made subjectively. Following an objective approach through the use of a partial order ranking method, this study aimed to assess several non-provisioning ES supplied by alley cropping system (ACS) in comparison with conventional agriculture (CA). The main objective of the study was to verify the applicability of partial order ranking to an ecologically-based assessment, focusing on soil, water, and biodiversity indicators. Results from 40 hypothetical scenarios representing various site conditions of agricultural fields in Germany were calculated using the Ecosystem Services Assessment Tool for Agroforestry (ESAT-A), a toolbox designed to assess selected ES of ACS following an empirical approach. The results were ranked using partial order and were visualized by a Hasse diagram. The findings depict partial order ranking as a promising technique to support decision making in order to find priority scenarios and indicators where the provision of ES can be enhanced by establishing ACS. The minimal scenarios under CA identified with simultaneously low values of all indicators were perceived as target scenarios for establishing ACS. The values of the indicators for the current land use system need to be taken into account in order to avoid scenarios where high tradeoff was suggested. Additionally, this approach can be extended and utilized at the field level to aid farmer decisions on which land use strategy is the most suitable alternative to increase the provision of ES.