Landscape planning for environmental benefits
| Authors: | Samuel Feibel, Katherine MacFarland |
| Year: | 2026 |
| Type: | Miscellaneous Publication |
| Station: | Washington Office |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.2737/NAC-AN-38 |
Abstract
Agroforestry is most often implemented at the scale of the individual farm. A producer may choose to establish agroforestry for many reasons, such as to supplement income, provide shade for livestock, or create wildlife habitat. The root causes of many natural resource concerns, however, are typically best addressed across multiple land ownerships at the scale of watersheds or beyond. If incorporated into strategic, landscape-level planning, agroforestry can contribute to many conservation, restoration, production, and sociocultural benefits in the interest of the broader public.
At scale, agroforestry systems can link habitat patches within a wildlife corridor, reduce nutrient and sediment pollution across a watershed, mitigate the impacts of flooding and weather extremes, enhance local and regional economies, and contribute to a healthier food supply. Achieving the potential benefits of agroforestry across landscapes requires looking beyond property and administrative boundaries. Biophysical processes—such as wildlife migration or the transport of pollutants through a watershed—unfold across large spatial and temporal scales. Agroforestry may be one tool in a suite of practices that can impact these processes to achieve desired outcomes. Determining where and how to implement agroforestry within a broader landscape conservation initiative requires careful planning and collaboration.