Target regions for silvoarable
Agroforestry in Europe
Yvonne Reisner, Felix Herzog, Riccardo De Filippi
João Palma
Agroscope FAL Reckenholz
Swiss Federal Research Station for Agroecology and
Agriculture
Zurich, Switzerland
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Europe and traditional silvoarable Agroforestry
What about modern silvoarable Agroforestry?
Where is it possible?
Where does it make sense?
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Aim of the study
To identify target areas in arable land to implement
new silvoarable agroforestry systems in Europe.
GIS-analysis based on digitally available geo-information
„coarse grained“ assessment (1km x 1km)
based on environmental analysis:
1) productive tree growth for:
- Juglans hybrids (Juglans regia; European walnut)
- Prunus avium (Wild cherry)
- Populus ssp. (Poplar)
- Pinus pinea (Italien stone pine)
- Quercus ilex (Holm oak)
2) risk areas (soil erosion, nitrate leaching, low landscape
diversity)
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Methods (1)
Target regions were defined at the intersection between
(i) regions where productive tree growth in an agroforestry
setting is possible and
(ii) regions where environmental problems exist which
agroforestry can help to solve.
Europe
productive tree growth
arable land
environmental risk
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Target
region
Methods (2)
Europe
productive tree growth
Target
region
arable land
environmental risk
Regions where productive tree growth in an agroforestry
setting is possible
based on the tree growth requirements:
Soil
European Soil Data Base, map 1:1’000’000
Climate
CRU University of East Anglia, resampled
to 1km2 grids
Topography
U.S. Geological Survey'
s (USGS)
EROS Data Center, 1km resolution
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Example: Walnut
Environmental requirements for productive tree growth
Criteria
Altitude
Precipitation / year
Mean annual temperature
Mean maximum temperature of hottest month
Mean minimum temperature of coldest month
Soil texture
W ater regime
Soil type
Minimum available depth for root to grow
Minimum soil water capacity of the 1 m of soil
W ind (max. average windspeed)
Frost
Juglans hybrids
0 - 900 m
450 - 1500 mm
8 - 19°C
20 - 30°C
>-4 - 4 °C
medium, medium fine, fine
Dry, semi-wet
Arenosol, Cambisol,
Chernozem, Fluvisol,
Greyzems, Luvisol
>1m
150 mm
<7 m/s
<100 days/year
The climatic and edaphic requirements of the five selected tree species are defined using a literature
ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
review,1the
CAB International (2003) and expert knowledge (questionnaire).
Maps of the environmental requirements of Juglans hybrids
potential area for walnut:
15% of the arable land
Paris
Vienna
Valladolid
Toulouse
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Agroforestry trees for temperate Europe
potential area for walnut:
15% of the arable land
potential area for poplar:
34% of the arable land
potential area for wild cherry:
18% of the arable land
Arable
land covers about 35 % (170 million ha) of the european area
1 WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
ST
Agroforestry trees for mediterranean Europe
potential area for Italien stone pine :
4% of the arable land
potential area for holm oak:
10% of the arable land
Arable land covers about 35 % (170 million ha) of the european area
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Methods (3)
Europe
productive tree growth
arable land
environmental risk
Regions where environmental problems exist which
agroforestry can help to solve
based on environmental problems:
high nitrate concentration in the groundwater
Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (EU directive)
high risk for soil erosion
EU-project PESERA
low landscape diversity
PELCOM and CORINE land cover maps
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Target
region
Regions with environmental problems
>50 mg NO3/l
>5t/ha/a soil loss
25km2 squares with >50%
arable land
~ 11 % of arable land
~ 5 % of arable land
~ 68 % of arable land
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Methods (4)
Europe
productive tree growth
arable land
environmental risk
Target regions are those where agroforestry is possible
with a productive tree growth and where environmental
risks call for agroforestry.
Overlaying
(1) productive tree growth
(2) arable land
(3) environmental risk
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Target
region
Target regions for silvoarable agroforestry
North-Germany
Vienna
SW-France
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Po-Valley
Results (1)
1) Arable land: 171.000.000 ha (34% of european area)
2) Potential distribution (in arable land)
Suitable for at least one tree species: 90 million ha (53%)
3) Risk areas (in arable land)
• 8 million ha (5%) soil erosion (99% suitable for trees)
• 50 million ha (30%) nitrate leaching (58% suitable for
trees)
• 116 million ha (68%) landscape diversity (87% suitable
for trees)
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Results (2)
4) Target areas
65 million ha (= 38% of arable land)
38% of arable land there is at least one environmental
problem and the possibility to plant one or more tree
species.
area where exists at least one environmental problem:
138 million ha (= 81% of arable land).
From this area: 47% is suitable for one or more tree
species.
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Results (3)
On 38 % (= 65 million ha) of the arable land in Europe, trees
could be implemented for silvoarable agroforestry.
With this new SAF:
•Soil erosion can be reduced on 6 million ha
•Nitrate leaching can be reduced on 30 million ha
•Landscape diversity can be enhanced on 42 million ha
Although limited by constrained data availability, the study
shows that the implementation of trees in arable landscapes
in Europe would be possible throughout all climatic zones
(from the south of Spain to the north of UK).
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
Final considerations
The description of the environmental conditions developed
in this study assist farmer and policy makers to know which
tree species are worth considering for use in particular areas.
However, the maps do not guarantee the success of a
particular tree on a particuar site. Other factors needs to be
considered carefully.
The quality of the input data is very important. The quality
of the output can not be better than the quality of inputdata.
The data were analysed with a resolution of 1 x 1 km. That
means, that going into a site, the specific edaphic or
micrclimate condition can be different.
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO
SAFE-project
http://www.montpellier.inra.fr/safe
This research was carried out as part of the SAFE
(Silvoarable Agroforestry for Europe) collaborative
research project. SAFE is funded by the EU under its
Quality of Life programme, contract number QLF5CT-2001-00560, and the support is gratefully
acknowledged.
The Swiss part of the project is additionally funded by
the Swiss Federal Ministery of Science and Technology
(contract 00.0158).
1ST WORLD CONGRESS OF AGROFORESTRY, 2004, ORLANDO