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Forests
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Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems
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Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2022) | Viewed by 9912

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Niels Thevs

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. World Agroforestry Centre, Central Asia Office, 138 Toktogol Street, 720001 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
2. Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), 53113 Bonn, Germany
Interests: water resource management; soil organic carbon; sustainable intensification; remote sensing; agricultural economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Martin Welp

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forest and Environment, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Eberswalde, Germany
Interests: social-ecological transformations; sustainable land and water management; systems leadership

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agroforestry has increasingly gained attention in science as well as for its implementation on farms. Agroforestry is seen as a major method to improve farmers’ livelihoods, while substantially contributing to mitigate climate change and providing many other kinds of ecosystem services. It combines the advantages of increasing the number of trees, while not displacing other land uses, in particular food production. On the other hand, agroforestry is being widely confronted with negative perceptions that it compromises crop yields and farm incomes. A great number of studies has been investigating the bio-physical effects of trees on farms within agroforestry systems, whereas the economy and the sustainability of whole agroforestry systems deserve further research. This special issue therefore aims at contributions focusing on the following fields:

  • Economy of agroforestry systems from farm level to landscape or regional level
  • The role of agroforestry products (timber, biomass, etc.) in the creation of regional value chains
  • Impeding and enabling factors of agroforestry adoption
  • Resilience and sustainability of agroforestry systems, including both societal and environmental aspects

Dr. Niels Thevs
Prof. Dr. Martin Welp
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agroforestry
  • livelihoods
  • economic dimensions
  • resilience
  • social acceptance
  • agro-economy
  • scaling
  • implementation
  • finance

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1724 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Ecological and Economic Efficiency of Agroforestry Systems in Arid Conditions of the Lower Volga
by Evgenia A. Korneeva and Alexander I. Belyaev
Forests 2022, 13(8), 1248; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081248 - 7 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2388
Abstract
The aim of this study was to research the cost effectiveness of creating forest reclamation complexes on slopes, as well as to determine the patterns of their orographic dynamics, taking into account environmental aspects in arid conditions. With the help of modeling agroforestry [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to research the cost effectiveness of creating forest reclamation complexes on slopes, as well as to determine the patterns of their orographic dynamics, taking into account environmental aspects in arid conditions. With the help of modeling agroforestry landscapes, we established forest plantations created from Lanceolate ash (Fraxinus lanceolata) in arid climatic conditions on sloping lands, the cost of planting of which is EUR 1202–EUR 1453 per ha of forest. The specific capital intensity of the arrangement of land use by forest stands is EUR 24–EUR 63 per hectare of afforested plot, while 5–11% accounts for the cost of logging of forest care and 2–30% for the inclusion of a hydraulic element in forest reclamation systems. The monetary equivalent of the return on these investments in the form of prevented damage from soil erosion and air pollution is EUR 333–EUR 940 per hectare of afforested plot per year. This economic effect increases with the growth of the protective forest cover of the plot (by reducing the interband space) by almost 3 times. The benefit–cost ratio for all forest reclamation strategies on slopes is greater than 1, which confirms the high efficiency and expediency of capital investments in forest reclamation activities on slope lands to preserve the land resources of various regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 971 KiB  
Article
Potential of Agroforestry to Provide Wood Resources to Central Asia
by Niels Thevs, Kumar Aliev, Begayim Emileva, Dilfuza Yuldasheva, Guzal Eshchanova and Martin Welp
Forests 2022, 13(8), 1193; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081193 - 28 Jul 2022
Viewed by 1858
Abstract
Background: Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide timber and wood as a domestic raw material, as well as an additional source of income for rural populations. In Central Asia, tree windbreaks from mainly poplar trees have a long tradition, but were largely [...] Read more.
Background: Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide timber and wood as a domestic raw material, as well as an additional source of income for rural populations. In Central Asia, tree windbreaks from mainly poplar trees have a long tradition, but were largely cut down as source for fuel wood after the disintegration of the Soviet Union. As Central Asia is a forest-poor region, restoration of tree windbreaks has the potential to provide timber and wood resources to that region. This study aimed to assess the potential of tree windbreaks to contribute to domestic timber and wood production. Methods: This study rests on a GIS-based analysis, in which tree lines (simulated by line shape files) were intersected with cropland area. The tree data to calculate timber and wood volumes stem from a dataset with 728 single trees from a relevant range of climatic conditions. Results: The potential annually available timber volumes from tree windbreaks with 500 m spacing are 2.9 million m3 for Central Asia as a whole and 1.5 million m3 for Uzbekistan alone, which is 5 times the current domestic roundwood production and imports of the country. Conclusions: tree windbreaks offer untapped potential to deliver wood resources domestically as a raw material for wood-based value chains. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems)
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14 pages, 742 KiB  
Article
Innovative Teaching and Learning Formats for the Implementation of Agroforestry Systems—An Impact Analysis after Five Years of Experience with the Real-World Laboratory “Ackerbaum”
by Tommy Lorenz, Lea Gerster, Dustin Elias Wodzinowski, Ariani Wartenberg, Lea Martetschläger, Heike Molitor, Tobias Cremer and Ralf Bloch
Forests 2022, 13(7), 1064; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071064 - 6 Jul 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1786
Abstract
Since 2017, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) offers transformative learning modules in their curricula, which are called ITL—Innovative Teaching and Learning formats. Student tutors change into the role of teachers and organize lectures, excursions, and assignments at the Real-World Laboratory “Ackerbaum”—an [...] Read more.
Since 2017, the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development (HNEE) offers transformative learning modules in their curricula, which are called ITL—Innovative Teaching and Learning formats. Student tutors change into the role of teachers and organize lectures, excursions, and assignments at the Real-World Laboratory “Ackerbaum”—an agroforestry system in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. Students can learn about agroforestry systems, participate in research, and take practical action. The examination of the module is a scientific report linked to the experimental area. In this study, an attempt was made to verify the quality and impact of teaching formats in the ITL via the analysis of 53 reports created by 170 students as well as surveys among participants. For this purpose, indicators were formulated that capture the quality of scientific methods and the contribution to higher education for sustainable development. Students and tutors appreciate the open working atmosphere and the possibility to actively participate in the course; many leave the module motivated. Some even move toward transformation in agriculture professionally as, e.g., consultants in the field of agroforestry. As a transformative institution, HNEE offers with ITL a rare opportunity for practical application, scientific methods, and transdisciplinary collaboration with different stakeholders to work on future models to change today’s agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems)
14 pages, 1682 KiB  
Article
Cost Analysis of Seed Conservation of Commercial Pine Species Vulnerable to Climate Change in Mexico
by Joel Rodríguez-Zúñiga, Cesar M. Flores-Ortiz, Manuel de Jesús González-Guillén, Rafael Lira-Saade, Norma I. Rodríguez-Arévalo, Patricia D. Dávila-Aranda and Tiziana Ulian
Forests 2022, 13(4), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13040539 - 30 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2802
Abstract
Mexico is home to 40% of the pine species in the world. By the year 2050, 20% of the Mexican forests could be lost because of climate change and other human-related activities. In this paper, we determine the potential areas for seed collecting [...] Read more.
Mexico is home to 40% of the pine species in the world. By the year 2050, 20% of the Mexican forests could be lost because of climate change and other human-related activities. In this paper, we determine the potential areas for seed collecting of four species of the genus Pinus and its ex situ economic value under different future Climate Change Scenarios (CCS). The species analyzed were Pinus oocarpa Schiede ex Schltdl, P. rudis Endl., P. culminícola Andresen et Beaman and P. leiophylla Schiede ex Schltdl. and Cham which together accounts for 19% of the timber production in Mexico. Potential areas of distribution of populations in habitats with Annual Mean Maximum Temperatures (AMMT) for seed collection were modelled through a Geographic Information System and climate database. The seed storage economic value was determined by using the Collection Cost Method. The AMMT of P. oocarpa, P. rudis, P. culminícola and P. leiophylla were 28 °C, 20 °C, 18.3 °C and 27.4 °C, respectively. The economic losses from shortages of these species due to CCS in 2050, were estimated of 88.5 million (USD) and 67.16 million (USD) with severe and conservative future CCS, respectively. The nominal investment rate would be 8.84% or more, for storing seeds of the four species and withstanding climate change. An ex situ seed bank is a medium and long-term investment; among its benefits are establishing a market price for the use and conservation of species in the face of possible adverse scenarios. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economy and Sustainability of Agroforestry Ecosystems)
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