Ecology of tree intercropping systems in the North temperate region: Experiences from southern Ontario, Canada

Temperate Agroforestry: How Forest Garden Systems Combined with People-Based Ethics Can Transform Culture

“…The science on agroforestry has provided a plethora of research on perennial-based food systems (Table 1) and has demonstrated concrete contributions from perennial plants. In addition to the yielding of tangible items for human use (e.g., fruits, nuts, medicine, flowers, fibres, lumber, fuel), perennial plants contribute to ecosystem services in multiple ways including; carbon sequestration, nutrient accumulation, water storage and filtration, production of food for non-human life, habitat creation and shelter, and other mutually beneficial interdependencies [6,[8][9][10]. However, in temperate research and application these practices have predominantly been applied to agricultural systems that are mono-cropping, highly mechanized, pesticide-and fertilizer-dependent, instead of transforming it to highly diversified interdependent systems that utilize human-scale appropriate technology and ecological practices [10].…”

Branching out: Agroforestry as a climate change mitigation and adaptation tool for agriculture

“…Measurements made in several riparian forest buffers (7-to 17-year-old) in Iowa indicated that the lower N 2 O emissions observed in the buffers compared to adjacent crop fields were likely due to both mechanisms-the elimination of N application in the buffer, as well as greater N uptake by the trees (Dong-Gill 2008). These functions working in an alley-cropping system compared to sole-cropping plots could lead to reductions in N 2 O emissions of about 0.7 kg ha -1 y -1 (0.6 lb ac -1 yr -1 ) (Thevathesan and Gordon 2004 Results from (Allen et al 2009) and others (Eckard et al 2010) indicate that silvopasture may offer several options for reducing CH 4 and N 2 O emissions. The integration of plant components in silvopasture should result in diminished N 2 O emissions due to increased nutrient efficiency and reduced N fertilizer inputs.…”

Sustainability Indicators of Biomass Production in Agroforestry Systems

“…Intercropping with SRWC can reasonably be expected to create a number of environmental benefits including increased biodiversity, reduced GHG emissions, enhanced carbon sequestration at the system level, increased soil organic matter and enhanced water conservation [49]. It can also distribute workloads over a greater period of time, which may be perceived by the practioner as a benefit and may enhance economic returns.…”

“…These zones will have to be taken into careful consideration when sampling or measuring for some of the proposed sustainability indicators [49] summarize the results of a number of studies conducted at the University of Guelph Agroforestry Research Station, a 30 ha intercrop plantation. In this summary, the authors note distinct differences in soil carbon between tree rows and the alleys with annual crops.…”