UNHIDE Agroforestry - A Knowledge Exchange Latvia- Sweden 2023-25 - Report - Page 21
The system has 20 metres wide alleys, and 4 metre
wide refuges, a distance that is adapted to the farm’s
8 metre wide seed drill.
at various scales, and its potential suitability for
planting hedges or tree lines within agroforestry
systems.
“Photosynthesis creates precipitation
as it cools the immediate area around
the leaves—hence, we can plantwater”
- James Godfrey Faussett, forest advisor, Miyawaki forest
and nature restoration expert.
The method mimics natural succession by densely
planting a high diversity of locally sourced native
trees, with as broad a genetic pool among individuals as possible, in order to accelerate the
mycorrhizal collaborations needed to rebuild soil
microbiomes. Once established, such tree lines
can improve stress tolerance and survival among
interplanted, more sensitive species.
“Before introducing sensitive trees
such as walnuts or sweet chestnuts into
the system, we ought to mimic natural succession; start by allowing pioneers—wind-dispersed species such as
willow, alder, birch, and poplar, which
prefer sun and bare soils. Once these
have established, welcome mid-succession, semi-shade-tolerant trees such as
hawthorn, elder-berry, and bird cherry—bird-dispersed species that accept
both bacteria- and fungi-dominated
soils. Finally, allow sensitive and climax
trees that depend on mycorrhizal collaborations to enter—naturally arriving
with mammals and larger birds.”
- Wouter van Eck, Ketelbroek food forest, the Netherlands.
In Sweden, we have only about 40 native tree species, yet they form the backbone of the country’s
biodiversity. For this reason, we believe it is crucial
to integrate them into agroforestry systems, and,
where necessary, keep them low through coppicing and pollarding.
With a diversity of native trees such as oak, bird
cherry, willow, linden, maple, and rowan, insects
and birds would be attracted and, in return, provide efficient, integrated pest management.
Introducing plants typical of species-rich forest
