Agroforestry: mapping the way with GIS

Abstract

Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry technologies to create diverse, profitable, and sustainable land-use systems (Rietveld, 1995). Agroforestry practices include alley cropping, forest farming, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, and windbreaks-each of which meets environmental, social, and economic needs (Gold et al., 2000). Environmentally, agroforestry practices can reduce erosion, improve water infiltration and quality, moderate microclimates, enhance nutrient cycling, and provide wildlife habitat (Allen, 1995; Sanchez, 1995). Socially, partnerships that implement publicly owned agroforestry projects like community shelterbelts may revitalize communities (Josiah et al., 1999). And Rattan Lal of Ohio State University (2000) recently cited agroforestry as one of the future technological innovations needed to meet food demands for a growing global population.

Citation

Bentrup, Gary; Leininger, Tim. 2002. Agroforestry: mapping the way with GIS. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 148-153