Agroforestry Practices DVD Questions Flashcards
What are riparian forest buffers comprised of?
- trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses that are preferably native
- acts as a living filter
What are some of the benefits (environmental and economic) of initiating riparian buffer strips?
- protect water quality
- control erosion (stabilize banks & improve aquatic habitats)
- provide food and cover for wildlife
- less crop loss due to wet years
- cash incentives
What are the three management zones of riparian buffers?
- Narrow area with no management activity; found next to water’s edge (includes native trees/shrubs adapted to floodplain conditions). The goal is to stabilize the bank and provide woody debris for habitats.
- Wider area that can be actively managed (ex. providing wood products) and consists of trees/shrubs that can tolerate periodic flooding. The goal is to uptake/store nutrients.
- High infiltration, sediment filtering, and nutrient uptake occurs, which helps to disperse runoff. It is usually native grasses/forbs, but depends on the typical amts of runoff.
What should you consider before planting a riparian buffer strip?
- what do you want the stream to look like?
- what do you want the site to accomplish?
How wide should the buffer be?
The wider the better, but for different goals, different widths are required.
ex 1. erosion control is 30-50ft
ex 2. filtering is ~130ft
ex 3. wildlife habitat is 80-150ft
What are other riparian management practices?
- stream bank stabilizing
- small wetlands
- controlled grazing practices
Why should a buffer be inspected annually?
To determine the need to remove excess sediment at the cropland edge to prevent runoff
What is alley cropping?
Trees and crops integrated into farming operations to create a diversity of income sources. Rows of trees are planted at wide spaces to create alleys for crops
What are the benefits of alley cropping?
- crops give annual income while trees establish
- more wildlife habitat
- reduced erosion
- extra income from tree products, like nuts
- windbreak
- improved crop production
What should be considered when designing and alley crop?
- identifying production objectives
- determining tree spacing
- row orientation to receive max sunlight
- creating a maintenance plan
What maintenance considerations are required in an alley cropping system?
- weed control (especially in establishment stages)
- pruning
- fertilization (especially important for nut production)
What are some of the tree characteristics that should be considered in an alley crop?
- consider soil, climate, and products that are marketable
- species compatible with crops
- high quality and fast growing
- deep rooted
- site tolerance
- produce light shade
What determines the short-term success of an alley crop?
- the combo of trees and crops planted (companion crops)
- as trees mature, shade increases, so more shade tolerant crops need to be planted
What is silvopastoral management?
It focuses on combining trees, forage, and livestock and is managed as a single integrated practice. It lets each aspect develop to its full economic potential
What should be considered before initiating a silvopastoral system?
- needs to be planned and intentional (letting cows graze in a natural forest is not the same)
- check land use policies, zoning, and tax regulations
- also check regulations on stream side protection and maintaining habitat
