scispace - formally typeset
Journal ArticleDOI

Interspecific interactions in temperate agroforestry

Reads0
Chats0
TLDR
The review shows that information on ecological interactions in several temperate agroforestry systems is inadequate and it is recommended that the future research should focus on exploring new species and systems that have received little attention in the past.
Abstract
The ecological principles that define the competitive and complementary interactions among trees, crops, and fauna in agroforestry systems have received considerable research attention during the recent past. These principles have not yet, however, been adequately integrated and synthesized into an operational approach. This paper reviews the ecological and ecophysiological bases for interspecific interactions based on data from site-specific research and demonstration trials from temperate agroforestry systems, primarily from temperate North America. The review shows that information on ecological interactions in several temperate agroforestry systems is inadequate. It is recommended that the future research should focus on exploring new species and systems that have received little attention in the past. Priority research areas should include cultural practices and system designs to minimize interspecific competition and maximize environmental benefits such as improved water quality. Potential for genetic modification of components to increase productivity and reduce competition also needs to be explored. Process-oriented models may be used increasingly to predict resource-allocation patterns and possible benefits for a suite of site and species combinations.

read more

Content maybe subject to copyright    Report

Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI

Agroforestry for ecosystem services and environmental benefits: an overview

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined four major ecosystem services and environmental benefits of agroforestry: (1) carbon sequestration, (2) biodiversity conservation, (3) soil enrichment and (4) air and water quality.
Journal ArticleDOI

Mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus with nitrogen-fixing trees: A review

TL;DR: It appears as though eucalypts can benefit from fixed N as early as the first or second year following plantation establishment, and a meta-analysis of 18 published studies revealed several trials in which mixtures were significantly 15 (P<0.001) more productive than monocultures.
Journal ArticleDOI

Do European agroforestry systems enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services? A meta-analysis

TL;DR: In this paper, a meta-analysis on the effects of agroforestry on ecosystem service provision and on biodiversity levels was conducted, and the results revealed an overall positive effect.
Journal ArticleDOI

Silvoarable Systems in Europe – Past, Present and Future Prospects

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the role of mixed systems of agriculture in preserving landscapes that are both culturally important and aesthetically pleasing for future European rural development and have the potential to contribute towards the increased sustainability of agriculture and enhancement of biodiversity.
Journal ArticleDOI

Windbreaks in North American Agricultural Systems

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on temperate zone, commercial, agricultural systems in North America, where windbreaks contribute to both producer profitability and environmental quality by increasing crop production while simultaneously reducing the level of off-farm inputs.
References
More filters
Book

Resource competition and community structure

David Tilman
TL;DR: This book builds a mechanistic, resource-based explanation of the structure and functioning of ecological communities and explores such problems as the evolution of "super species," the differences between plant and animal community diversity patterns, and the cause of plant succession.
Book

Plant Physiological Ecology

TL;DR: This textbook is notable in emphasizing that the mechanisms underlying plant physiological ecology can be found at the levels of biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology and whole-plant physiology, well-suited to assess the costs, benefits and consequences of modifying plants for human needs, and to evaluate the role of plants in ecosystems.
Journal ArticleDOI

Plant Responses to Water Stress

TL;DR: The role of turgor and sensitivity to stress, as well as growth adjustments during and after stress, are studied.
Journal ArticleDOI

Agricultural Intensification and Ecosystem Properties

TL;DR: The use of ecologically based management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences and have serious local, regional, and global environmental consequences.
Journal ArticleDOI

Organization of a Plant-Arthropod Association in Simple and Diverse Habitats: The Fauna of Collards (Brassica Oleracea)

TL;DR: The results suggest a new proposition, the resource concentration hypothesis, which states that herbivores are more likely to find and remain on hosts that are growing in dense or nearly pure stands; that the most specialized species frequently attain higher relative densities in simple environments; and that biomass tends to become concentrated in a few species, causing a decrease in the diversity of herbsivores in pure stands.
Related Papers (5)