Effect on maize growth of the interaction between increased nitrogen availability and competition with trees in alley cropping

Maize growing next toErythrina hedgerows had 44% lower biomass (p<0.01) and 35% lower N content (p<0.1) than maize growing in the middle of the alleys. Maize growing next toGliricidia hedgerows had the same biomass but 56% higher N content (p<0.1) than maize growing in the middle of the alleys. However these differences did not develop until 2 months after sowing of the maize.Spatial variability in soil nitrogen mineralization and mulch nitrogen release did not explain any of the differences in growth or N uptake of the maize with respect to distance from the trees. It is hypothesized that the slower growth of the maize next to theErythrina trees after 2 months is due to increasing light and/or nutrient competition from the trees as the trees recover from pollarding. The apparent lack of competition fromGlirigidia may be due to different rates of regrowth or different shoot and root architecture.A theoretical model is described demonstrating that if a crop is to take advantage of the higher nutrient availability under alley cropping it must complete the major part of its growth before the trees recover significantly from pollarding, and start competing strongly with the crop.     

Above and below ground interactions in alley-cropping in semi-arid India

The influence of micro-environment on the growth and yield of cowpea, castor and sorghum was investigated in a 10 m wide alley cropping system. The alleys were formed by Leucaena hedgerows pruned for both fodder and pole production. Below-ground interaction was examined by installing a polythene root barrier between the root systems of crops and Leucaena and by measurements of both soil moisture and root growth. Microclimate measurements included light, wind speed, humidity and temperature.Growth and yield of crops declined from 150 to 30% of sole crop as the distance from the hedgerows decreased from 5 to 0.3 m. The presence of the root barrier had a marked effect on crop growth and completely eliminated any reduction in crop yield, although shading by the hedgerows reached 30 to 85% of full sunlight. There was some modification of the microclimate in the alleys but the changes were not great enough to significantly influence crop yield. The substantial increase in crop yield in the middle of the alleys was explained by the residual effect of a previous hedgerow, removed 12 months previously, on probably the infiltration rate and nutrient status of the soil. These results clearly showed that alley cropping in the semi-arid tropics induces competition for moisture between the trees and crops which may severely reduce crop yield.     

Soil CO<Subscript>2</Subscript>, CH<Subscript>4</Subscript> and N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O emissions from production fields with planted and remnant hedgerows in the Fraser River Delta of British Columbia

Planting hedgerows on farm field edges can help mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural landscapes by sequestering carbon (C) in woody biomass and in soil. Sequestration rates however, must be assessed in terms of their overall global warming potential (GWP) which must also consider GHG emissions. The objectives of this study were to (1) compare carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from two types of hedgerows and adjacent annual agricultural production fields, and 2) better understand how climate, soil properties and plant species configurations affect hedgerow GHG emissions. At eight study sites in the lower Fraser River delta of British Columbia, we measured emissions from soil in both planted (P-Hedgerow) and remnant hedgerows (R-Hedgerow), as well as in adjacent annual crop production fields over 1 year using a closed-static chamber method. CO₂ emissions were 59 % higher in P-Hedgerow than R-Hedgerow, yet there were no significant differences of relative emissions of CH₄ and N₂O. The environmental variables that explained the variation in emissions differed for the three GHGs. CO₂ emissions were significantly correlated with soil temperature. CH₄ and N₂O and emissions were marginally significantly correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil water-filled pore space (WFPS), respectively. Emissions were not significantly correlated with hedgerow plant species diversity. While hedgerows sequester carbon in their woody biomass, we demonstrated that it is critical to measure hedgerow emissions to accurately ascertain their overall GHG mitigation potential. Our results show that there are no CO₂e emission differences between the management options that plant new diverse hedgerows or conserve existing hedgerows.     

The development of soil organic carbon under young black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) trees at a post-mining landscape in eastern Germany

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of short rotation alley cropping systems (SRACS) to improve the soil fertility of marginal post-mining sites in Brandenburg, Germany. Therefore, we annually investigated the crop alleys (AC) and black locust hedgerows (ABL) of a SRACS field trail under initial soil conditions to identify the short-term effects of tree planting on the storage of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its degree of stabilization by density fractionation. We detected a significant increase in SOC and hot-water-extractable organic C (HWEOC) at ABL, which was mainly restricted to the uppermost soil layer (0–10 cm). After 6 years, the SOC and HWEOC accumulation rates at ABL were 0.6 Mg and 46 kg ha^?1 year^?1, which were higher than those in the AC. In addition, comparatively high stocks of approximately 4.6 Mg OC and 182 kg HWEOC ha^?1 were stored in the ABL litter layer. Density fractionation of the 0–3 cm soil layer at ABL revealed that the majority of the total SOC (47%) was stored in the free particulate organic matter fraction, which was more than twice that of the AC. At the same time, a higher and steadily increasing amount of SOC was stored in the occluded particulate organic matter fraction at ABL, which indicated a high efficiency for SOC stabilization. Overall, our findings support the suitability of black locust trees for increasing the soil fertility of the reclaimed mining substrate and, consequently, the high potential for SRACS to serve as an effective recultivation measure at marginal sites.

     

Soil moisture relations at the tree/crop interface in black locust alleys

A study was undertaken in Ohio to determine whether the presence of black locust hedgerows would increase water shortage on crop land. Water was applied to bare soil which had carried pure stand maize in the previous growing season, and to the previously established alley cropping plots, some of which had 100 cm deep below-ground fiberglass partitions to prevent root competition for soil moisture in the alleys. Direct soil evaporation was reduced by covering the soil with a black polyethylene sheet. Soil moisture remaining in the top 45 cm soil depth was monitored for 8 days. Soil 1 had a higher organic carbon content and contained more moisture than Soil 2, which had more gravel than Soil 1. In Soil 2 there was significantly less water in alleys without below-ground partitions than on bare soil. In alleys without below-ground partitions, the hedgerows reduced soil moisture content of the alleys without below-ground partitions, the hedgerows reduced soil moisture content of the alleys by about 8% on Soil 1 and 32% on Soil 2, after 8 days following water application. In the top 45 cm depth of Soil 1, the influence of the hedgerows in the same treatment was large within 76 cm of the hedgerows but declined farther inside the alleys. For Soil 2 which had more gravel in the lower soil layers, which prevented deep growth of black locust roots, the influence of the hedgerows was pronounced throughout the alleys but was also most marked within the 76 cm distance from the hedges.     

Agroforestry for soil and water conservation in the western Himalayan Valley Region of India 2. Crop and tree production

A ten-year-study (1983 to 1992) conducted on nine 15 × 90 m runoff plots at 4% slope compared production efficiency of Leucaena leucocephala and Eucalyptus hybrid based agroforestry as well as monocropping landuse systems in the warm, subhumid climate of the western Himalayan region of India. Treatments for the first sequence were: monocropping systems of leucaena, eucalyptus, Chrysopogon fulvus grass and maize – wheat rotation, and alley cropping systems of grass and crops at 4.5 and 10.5 m alley widths with paired contour tree rows of leucaena and eucalyptus. In the second sequence, alley width increased to 22.5 m in 1989, grass was replaced by turmeric Curcuma longa and paired contour rows of leucaena hedges were introduced in monocropping systems of grain crops and turmeric. Integration of leucaena and eucalyptus trees with crops caused severe reduction of crop yields ranging from 21 to 92% for wheat grain, 59 to 69% for maize grain, 60 to 67% for dry grass and about 50% for turmeric rhizome depending upon the age of trees and alley width. The grain yield of crops stabilized at about 50% reduction with 22.5 m alley width. Total crop biomass (grain + straw) also revealed a similar trend; however, its magnitude of reduction was less severe than for grain. Production of biomass was much lower near the tree rows than in mid alleys. Managing leucaena as contour hedgerows eliminated crop yield reduction in alleys. Performance of grass and turmeric in alleys was not found to be satisfactory. Biomass produced from trees adequately compensated the crop yield reduction. Land equivalent ratios of agroforestry landuses were comparable or even better than monocropping systems indicating suitability of these systems for the western Himalayan valley region. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Productivity of annual cropping and agroforestry systems on a shallow Alfisol in semi-arid India

An experiment was conducted at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India from June 1984 to April 1988 on a shallow Alfisol to determine whether the productivity of annual crop systems can be improved by adding perennial species such as Leucaena leucocephala managed as hedgerows. Except in the first year, crop yields were suppressed by Leucaena due to competition for moisture. The severity of competition was high in years of low rainfall and on long-duration crops such as castor and pigeonpea. Based on total biomass, sole Leucaena was most productive; even on the basis of land productivity requiring both Leucaena fodder and annual crops, alley cropping had little or no advantage over block planting of both components. Application of hedge prunings as green manure or mulch on top of 60 kg N and 30 kg P ₂ O ₅ha⁻¹ to annual crops did not show any benefit during the experimental period, characterized by below average rainfall. Indications are that (i) alley cropping was beneficial in terms of soil and water conservation with less runoff and soil loss with 3 m alleys than with 5.4 m alleys, and (ii) root pruning or deep ploughing might be effective in reducing moisture competition.     

Woody biomass on farms and in the landscapes of Rwanda

Scattered trees and woodlots are a prominent feature of agricultural landscapes of Rwanda. However, little is known about their characteristics and their contribution to farmers’ wood needs. Here, we present the results of a survey of (a) the abundance, composition, and size of trees and woodlots in the low, medium and high altitude regions of Rwanda, (b) total woody biomass and biomass for fuelwood at farm and landscape levels, and (c) opportunities for their sustainable use. Scattered trees occurred in all landscapes at minimum densities ranging from 20 to 167 trees ha^?1. Of the 56 tree genera recorded, a handful of tree species dominated, with the ten most common species accounting for over 70 % of all trees recorded. Most of them provided fuelwood, fruit and timber to farm owners. Woodlots occurred on about 40 % of the survey farms and consisted for 90 % of eucalyptus coppice. Woody biomass dry weight of scattered trees on agricultural landscape was 0.7 t ha^?1 in low altitude region (LAR), 3 t ha^?1 in medium altitude region (MAR), and 1 t ha^?1 in high altitude region (HAR). Dry weight woody biomass in woodlots (<0.5 ha) was the highest in MAR (221 t ha^?1), followed by that in HAR (205 t ha^?1) and least in LAR (96 t ha^?1). About 80 % of total woody biomass in trees and woodlots on farmland was useable biomass for fuelwood, indicating that the production of fuelwood on agricultural land was important. Woody biomass on agricultural land was higher than that in forest plantations, and was potentially sufficient to reduce the gap between fuelwood supply and demand when the entire agricultural area was taken into account. In order to achieve this on agricultural land, while contributing to food security and environmental conservation as well, smallholder farmers must be provided with incentives to grow woodlots and to adopt agroforestry systems, thereby considering the trade-offs with agricultural production. Strategies to encourage smallholder farmers to increase the use of agroforestry have to account for the farmers’ ecological and socioeconomic conditions.     

Distribution of small mammals in a silvoarable agroforestry system in Northern England

The importance of agroforestry systems in temperate regions in providing habitat for small mammals has not been investigated. Numbers and densities of small mammals were assessed by live trapping in a complex farming landscape including mature hedgerows, arable fields, areas of trees planted at forestry density (2,500 trees ha–1) and trees in an agroforestry configuration (178 trees ha^–1) consisting of rows of trees separated by arable alleys. Over a 2 -year period, 1680 animals were captured; 69% were Apodemus sylvaticus L., 20% Sorex araneus L. and 10% Clethrionomys glareolus Schreber. Small numbers of Mus domesticus Rutty, Sorex minutus L., and Neomys fodiens Pennant were also caught. The density of captures of A. sylvaticus and S. araneus varied little over the whole farming landscape in contrast to C. glareolus which had a greater density of captures in mature hedgerows. However, for the small mammals collectively, away from hedgerows, the highest density of captures was found in the agroforestry tree rows (15.5 per 100 trap nights) and the least in open arable crop (4.3), with both arable alleys and forestry density trees having intermediate values (9.1 and 9.2 respectively).Densities of captures of A. sylvaticus were greater in the tree rows and arable alleys than in the forestry area and the adjacent open arable crop, whereas for S. araneus they were greater in the habitats with trees. It is clear that the range of habitats in an agroforestry system is valuable for small mammal conservation.     

A study of the potential of hedgerow intercropping in semi-arid India using a two-way systematic design

The potential of hedgerow intecrropping with Leucaena leucocephala was explored on vertic Inceptisols over 4 years at ICRISAT Center, Patancheru, India. The study was conducted using a systematic layout involving different alley widths ranging from 1.35 to 4.95 m and with varying distances between hedge and crops. The alleys were cropped with alternate rows of sorghum and pigeonpea. Hedges composed double Leucaena hedgerows 60 cm apart were periodically harvested for fodder. Sole crops of all components and a sorghum/pigeonpea intercrop were included in all four replications of the study.Starting in the second year, Leucaena was progressively more competitive to annual crops, causing substantial yield reduction. Competition (primarily for moisture) was most severe in narrow alleys and was greatest on pigeonpea.The growth of Leucaena was not sufficient to compensate for reduced crop yields. Land equivalent ratios (LERs) calculated on the basis of grain yield of crops and Leucaena fodder yields showed that hedgerow intercropping (HI) was advantageous over sole crops only during the first two years using wide alleys, but disadvantegeous in the last two years. LERs calculated on the basis of total dry matter indicated only a small advantage for HI (13–17 percent) over sole crops in wider (>4 m) alleys. Average returns per year from HI exceeded those of the most productive annual crop system (sorghum/pigeonpea intercropping) by 8 percent in 4.05 m alleys, and by 16 percent in 4.95 m alleys. Fodder production during the dry season was 40 percent of the annual total in these alley widths. Thus hedgerow intercropping at 4–5 m alley width is not very attractive for farmers in semi-arid India, which has 600–700 mm of annual rainfall. There is a need to examine the potential of HI in wider alleys. The merits and limitations of the systematic design are discussed.     

The effects of between-row (alley widths) and within-row spacings ofGliricidia sepium on alley-cropped maize in Sierra Leone

The effects of spacings between hedgerows (alley widths) and the spacings of trees within hedgerows ofGliricidia sepium on growth and grain yield of maize were investigated at Senehun in southern Sierra Leone. Four between-row spacings (2, 4, 6 and 8 m) were combined with three within-row spacings (0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 m) in a split block design. Maize, at densities of 20,000, 40,000 and 53,333 plants ha^–1, was established in the alleys and also as pure crops. N, P and K fertilizers were applied to all plots before pruning of the trees began. When pruning started, only the pure maize plots received fertilizer; prunings from the hedgerows were returned to the appropriate alleys in the other plots.Plots with the highest maize populations consistently gave the best yields before pruning started, but lower populations gave improved yields after pruning. Yields of maize increased with increasing alley widths before the start of pruning, after which the narrower alleys of 2 and 4 m outyielded the wider ones by almost double, probably because of the large amount of nutrients applied in prunings. Lack of light limited grain yields before the start of pruning, when there was some shading by the hedgerows. Alleys of 2–4 m wide, planted no closer than 0.50 m within rows, resulted in more than twice the yields of maize than in the 8-m alleys planted at 0.25 m within rows, once the hedgerows were well established and were being managed.     

Consumption Patterns of Fuelwood in Rural Households of Dolakha District,Nepal: Reflections from Community Forest User Groups

Biomass plays a vital role in the energy supply of many developing countries. It is the major energy source for the rural population of Nepal, where 70 % of the total energy is derived from woody plant biomass in the form of fuelwood. The main aim of this study is to describe the fuelwood consumption pattern and the role of community forests and trees on private farmland in biomass supply to rural households in Nepal. The study investigates whether demography and socioeconomic attributes of households affect fuelwood consumption. A household survey was conducted, along with measurements of fuelwood mass for six community forest user groups in Dolakha district of Nepal. Average daily household fuelwood consumption was estimated to be 8.4 kg, giving a mean annual consumption of 3060 kg per household. Per capita fuelwood consumption per day was found to be 1.7 kg. Total fuelwood consumption of households is significantly correlated with household size, ownership of cultivated irrigated terraces and number of livestock per household, and negatively significantly correlated with ownership of cultivated rain-fed terraces. Fuelwood consumption varies significantly between seasons. Among various sources of biomass energy, fuelwood from community forests contributes 23 % and trees on private farmland contribute 12 %. The rest is provided from other biomass sources, including the remains of fodder collected from private farmland vegetation, wood previously used for fences and trellises in private farmland, crop residues, and purchased fuelwood.     

Impact of contour hedgerows on upland maize yields in the Philippines

An agricultural production function is used to examine the yield impacts of contour hedgerows constructed using double rows of the N₂-fixing species Desmodium rensonii and Flemengia macrophylla. The analysis uses data from a sample of upland Philippine maize farms and controls for input use and plot characteristics. Results support a hypothesis that the long-run impact of hedgerows on maize yields is positive. However, results suggest that in the short run, hedgerows not only reduce area available for cultivation on a plot, but also reduce the performance of corn in the remaining alleys. For newly established hedgerows an increase in hedgerow area is associated with a reduction in maize yield. The time required for hedgerows to compensate for the area they occupy is found to be approximately eight years. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Post-windthrow management in protection forests of the Swiss Alps

The two storms Vivian (1990) and Lothar (1999) left an area of roughly 9000 ha of fully damaged protection forests in Swiss mountain regions. Given this huge dimension, questions arose on how to manage these areas to keep the protection gap, i.e. the time period with reduced overall protection against natural hazards, short. Quantifications are presented for the stability of lying logs left in place, the frequency of post-disturbance mass movements, and the tree regeneration in windthrow areas. The average height above ground of unsalvaged lying logs decreased from 2.1 m shortly after disturbance to 0.8 m 20 years later. In the period 1990–2014, the number of avalanches in windthrow areas was markedly small, and annual rates of shallow landslides and debris flows in windthrow areas did not differ from rates in comparable undamaged forested areas. Regeneration density rarely exceeded 4000 stems ha^?1 20 years post-windthrow at elevations above 1200–1500 m a.s.l. Mean height of tallest trees reached 5.6 m in areas that were cleared and 6.5 m in those left unsalvaged. Trees planted post-windthrow were 1.0–2.4 m taller than naturally regenerated ones. Practitioners rated the protective effect to be acceptable 24 years post-disturbance in only 5 out from 16 observed windthrow areas (31%), with planting trees as the main cause of success. We conclude that in protection forests the regeneration speed after disturbance rarely meets practitioner’s expectations in terms of both stem density and stand structure. However, leaving woody debris from wind disturbance in place proved to replace protective effects for an astonishingly long time. An intensive management with salvage logging, planting and even technical constructions seems therefore only inevitable on windthrown areas where risks seem too high based on hazard, damage potential and possible spread of bark beetles to nearby protection forests. A management alternative applicable to many other cases of windthrown protection forests is to plant trees between lying stems.     

Multipurpose trees and shrubs on farmlands in Tamil Nadu State (India)

Farmers in Tamil Nadu State integrate numerous species of multipurpose trees and shrubs on their farmlands in close association with agricultural crops and/or livestock. The dominant among them areBorassus flabellifer, Tamarindus indica, Ceiba pentandra, Acacia leucophloea andA. nilotica.These woody perennials are better able to cope with poor growing conditions. Their increasing integration on farmlands represents a strategy to minimise risk of crop failure. Some species (e.g.Prosopis juliflora andDelonix elata) are deliberately used to ameliorate infertile or saline soils in order to permit the growing of annual crops. In addition to producing fuelwood, charcoal, fruit and fodder and providing many service functions, these species require only fewer inputs and give the farmer a choice of management options in the event of poor crop growth. The productivity of these traditionally managed and little-studied agroforestry systems can considerably be improved by scientific interventions.     

Diversity, composition and density of trees and shrubs in agroforestry homegardens in Southern Ethiopia

Diversity of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems contributes to provision of wood and non-wood products, and protects the environment, thereby, enhancing socioeconomic and ecological sustainability of the systems. This study characterizes the diversity, density and composition of trees in the agroforestry homegardens of Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia, and analyses physical and socioeconomic factors influencing diversity and composition of trees in the systems. A total of 144 homegardens were surveyed from 12 sites. In total, 120 species of trees and shrubs were recorded of which, 74.2 % were native to the area. The mean number of tree species per farm was 21. Density of trees varied between sites with mean values ranging from 86 to 1,082, and the overall average was 475 trees ha^?1. Four different crop-based enset (Enset ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman)-coffee homegarden types were recognized and they differed not only in the composition of major crops but also in the diversity, density and composition of trees. The composition, diversity and density of trees is influenced by physical and socioeconomic factors. The major physical factors were geographical distance between sites and differences in altitude of farms. The most important socioeconomic factors were farm size and access to roads. Tree species richness and density increased with farm size. Increased road access facilitated marketing opportunities to agricultural products including trees, and lead to a decline in the basic components of the system, enset, coffee and trees. In the road-access sites, the native trees have also been largely replaced with fast growing exotic species, mainly eucalypts. The decrease in diversity of trees and perennial components of the system, and its gradual replacement with new cash and annual food crops could jeopardize the integrity and complexity of the system, which has been responsible for its sustenance.     

Microbial community diversity in a 21-year-old temperate alley cropping system

Soil physical and chemical properties in the crop alleys and tree rows in alley cropping systems vary greatly due to differences in litter quality and microclimate under trees compared to the alleys. Variations in soil properties influence microbial diversity and function, and thus, in alley cropping systems, bacterial diversity could be different between soils in tree rows and crop alleys. The objective of this study was to compare and contrast soil bacterial diversity in the crop alleys and tree rows in a 21-year-old alley cropping system in Northeast Missouri, USA. Soil samples were taken in three parallel transects to a depth of 10 cm in the tree row and at the middle of the alley in a silver maple (Acer saccharinum) alley cropping system with a companion maize (Zea mays)—soybean (Glycine max) rotation. Soil bulk density, C and N concentrations were similar between the different transects while minor differences were observed between crop alleys and tree rows. No significant difference in bacterial diversity was observed between the tree rows and alley soil based the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles, band richness (19.6 and 22.8 for tree row and alley, respectively) and Shannon–Weiner diversity (2.958 and 3.099 for tree row and alley, respectively). Identification of bacterial genera revealed dominance of gram +ve as well as gram ?ve bacteria in both soil types. Ordination plot revealed no clustering effect based on location (transect) or on the cropping system in the different samples. Bacterial diversity in crop alleys most likely was influenced not only by the maize-soybean rotation, but also by the tree rows contributing both above and belowground litter for the past 21 years.     

An evaluation of agriculture, forestry and agroforestry practices in a moderately alkali soil in northwestern India

Productivity, sustainability and economics of agriculture, forestry and agroforestry land use practices were compared over a six year period in a split plot experiment on a moderately alkali soil of the Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, India. Three commercial trees of the area formed the main plot treatments and four crop sequences were the sub-plots. The trees were: poplar (Populus deltoides), Acacia (Acacia nilotica) and Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus tereticornis), and the crop sequences were (1) rice (Oryza sativa)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) for four years followed by guinea grass (Panicum maximum)-oats (Avena sativa) for two years; (2) rice-Berseem (Trifolium alexandrium) for four years followed by cowpea (Vigna unquiculata)-Berseem for two years; (3) pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)/sorghum (Sorghum bicolor)-mustard (Brassica juncea) for three years followed by turmeric (Curcuma longa) for three years and (4) no intercrops (only trees). Eucalyptus and poplar gained maximum height, girth and woody biomass in six years when they were intercropped with rice crops in sequences 1 and 2. Acacia attained maximum growth in the absence of intercrops. Protein content in guinea grass was more under tree canopies than in the open. Soil amelioration during five years followed the order: Acacia based system > poplar > Eucalyptus > sole crops. The benefit-cost ratio was heighest (2.88) in poplar based system and minimum (1.86) in Acacia based system. The study indicated that growing trees and agricultural crops together is a better land use option in terms of productivity, maintenance of soil conditions and economics. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Biomass equations for seven different tree species growing in coppice-with-standards forests in Central Germany

With an increasing demand of sustainable raw materials for bioenergy use, coppicing as management approach to increase the biomass production of forests is becoming of greater importance. This study describes the parameterization of biomass equations for six tree species traditionally used in coppices forests, namely sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.), field maple (Acer campestre L.), European ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.), European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus L.), downy birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.), and common hazel (Corylus avellana L.) growing in coppice-with-standard systems in Lower Saxony, Germany. The parameterization was based on measurements of over 950 trees sampled from two forest sites. The sampled trees were felled and separated into three biomass compartments (stem, coarse branches, and fine brushwood) and weighed on site. The dry weight of sub samples from each compartment was measured. Equations were derived for total aboveground biomass, stem biomass, and crown biomass using regression analyses. We either used diameter at breast height as single independent explanatory variable or in combination with tree height. Biomass production of stump sprouts and generatively grown stems was compared for ash and sycamore maple. In the same age classes, it was found that ash stump sprouts had a slightly higher production than seed-grown stems. For sycamore maple, no difference was detected.     

Alley cropping and analog forests for soil conservation in the dry uplands of Sri Lanka

The use of contour hedgerows of woody legumes to control soil erosion has been promoted amongst smallholders in the Upper Mahaweli catchment of Sri Lanka since 1988. The success of this program depends greatly on the properties of the different production systems occupying the alleys created by these hedgerows such as: profitability, time taken for profit to be realized, labour requirements, seasonal distribution of labour, environmental and economic stability, biophysical sustainability, the contribution of the system to the domestic needs of the farm family, adoptability of the system and successful management of the hedgerows. These properties were used to evaluate seven desktop farm models with different combinations of: seasonal crops, coffee-pepper intercrop, fodder-dairy, woodlot, and analog forest established in the alleys. The analog forest is a perennial polyculture which, like the traditional forest garden, is structurally and functionally analogous to the natural forest. It was found that a model with 40% seasonal crops, 20% perennial crops (coffee-pepper) and 40% analog forest made the best compromise between the properties under consideration. It is recognized that the socio-economic conditions that determine the appropriateness of this model in the Sri Lankan context are not universal and the extension of the analog forest concept into other tropical uplands is discussed.