The effect of agroforestry farming on wood quality and timber industry and its supportation by Horizon 2020

Abstract

One of the goals of the European Union’s agroforestry plans is to alleviate the shortage of timber in Europe caused by the growing demand for hardwoods and the declining import of tropical timber. The study shows which tree species can be considered in agroforestry systems in Europe, and which of them can be used as raw material for the wood industry and what quality of wood can be produced in agroforestry systems. Since 2005, the European Union has been officially encouraging farmers to plant the crops in an agroforestry system and parallel try to produce trunks for high quality timber. By analysing the current economic developments of the European Union, especially Horizon 2020, our study provides an overview of what can be expected by the participants of the agroforestry sector and the related primary wood industry in the European Union now and in the future. In addition to the distribution analysis, indices describing projects have also been created. Rank correlation was used to examine the relationship between them. Possible decision mechanisms were also outlined using a custom-built expert software system.

Comparative Evaluation of Pyrus Species to Identify Possible Resources of Interest in Pear Breeding

“…The pear is considered among the most commonly used dual-purpose fruit trees, along with walnut, cherry, and apple, which produce fruits but also litter, fuel wood, and timber [61]. Pear is regarded as a high-value tree in agroforestry systems, planted in cropland, pasture, or riparian buffer strips [62], where the word "high value" refers to the cultivation of fruit trees, such as apple, cherry, olive, orange, and various nuts [63]. In France, both the P. communis and Sorbus species are widely utilized in silvopastoral and, to a lesser extent, silvoarable systems [63], and pear trees showed remarkable early growth [61].…”

“…Pear is regarded as a high-value tree in agroforestry systems, planted in cropland, pasture, or riparian buffer strips [62], where the word "high value" refers to the cultivation of fruit trees, such as apple, cherry, olive, orange, and various nuts [63]. In France, both the P. communis and Sorbus species are widely utilized in silvopastoral and, to a lesser extent, silvoarable systems [63], and pear trees showed remarkable early growth [61]. Pear tree growth is important in agroforestry plots because it allows for shorter rotations, which has a positive psychological influence on landlords and farmers.…”

Wood Research at the University of Sopron – Physical-mechanical Properties

“…The former Institute of Wood Science, now part of the Institute of Basic Sciences, deals with the properties and modification possibilities of wood. The following scientific publications are good examples: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. This study presents the activities and some of our important results we have carried out in recent years to present research regarding the wood industry.…”

Hybrid Wood Composites with Improved Mechanical Strength and Fire Retardance Due to a Delignification–Mineralization–Densification Strategy

“…Wood is a natural biomass material with the advantages of being light weight, strong, easy to process, and environmentally friendly; it is widely used in various fields, such as construction, transportation, furniture, and decoration [1][2][3][4][5]. However, with the fast development of the wood industry and the policy of restricting the exploitation of forest resources, wood resources have fallen into a shortage situation [6,7]. The development of artificial forests can effectively alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand.…”