Agroforestry Assignment Name:

What is agroforestry?

What happens to the efficiency of photosynthesis with increasing light intensity?

What are three advantages agroforestry can provide over conventional agricultural and forest production methods?

How does agroforestry ameliorate the effects of climate change?

The following are some obstacles to adoption of agroforestry. Label them from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most critical and 1 being the least critical.

_____ Lack of financial assistance

_____ Lack of seed/seedling sources

_____ Unfamiliarity with technologies

_____ Unavailability of information about agroforestry

_____ Lack of apparent profit potential

_____ Competition between trees, crops, and animals

_____ Insufficient land

_____ Lack of financial assistance

_____ Lack of training or expertise

_____ Expense of additional management

For each of the following descriptions match the word from the list at the bottom of the page that best applies.

__________________ Visually defined by the presence of trees widely scattered over a large agricultural plot or pasture. The trees are usually of a single species with clear regional favorites.

__________________ Crops are purposely raised under tree canopies and within the resulting shady environment.

__________________ Not commonly encountered, these systems employ woody perennials in the role of a cover crop. For this, small shrubs or trees pruned to near ground level are utilized.

__________________ Crop strips alternate with rows of closely spaced tree or hedge species. Normally, the trees are pruned before planting the crop. The cut leafy material is spread over the crop area to provide nutrients for the crop. In addition to nutrients, the hedges serve as windbreaks and eliminate soil erosion.

__________________ Similar to alley cropping in that trees alternate with crops. The difference is that the trees or shrubs are planted in wide strip. The purpose can be to provide nutrients, in leaf form, to the crop. The trees can have a purely productive role, providing fruits, nuts, etc. while, at the same time, protecting nearby crops from soil erosion and harmful winds.

__________________ situations where trees benefit fauna. The most common examples are the silvopasture where cattle, goats, or sheep browse on grasses grown under trees.[11] In hot climates, the animals are less stressed and put on weight faster when grazing in a cooler, shaded environment. Other variations have these animals directly eating the leaves of trees or shrubs.

__________________ There are a number of applications that fall under the this heading. These include the living fences, the riparian buffer, and windbreaks.

__________________ a system originating in Burma. In the initial stages of an orchard or tree plantation, the trees are small and widely spaced. The free space between the newly planted trees can accommodate a seasonal crop. Instead of costly weeding, the underutilized area provides an additional output and income.

Word List:

Boundary Systems, Alley Cropping, Fauna-Based Systems, Shade Systems, Taungya, Crop-Over-Tree Systems, Strip Cropping, Parklands