4. THE ROLE OF TREES IN LAND USE

4.1 Products and services derived from agroforestry systems

Agroforestry practices contribute a wide range of products and services. Trees may provide food, shelter, energy, medicine, cash income, raw materials for crafts, fodder and forage and resources to meet social obligations. Trees used in agroforestry systems can also provide a variety of services such as being a form of saving and investment and contributing to the improvement of soil fertility for crop production. These products and services can be summarized as follows:

FOOD

•  Increased amounts of food

•  A year-round supply of food

•  Better-quality food

Energy

• Increased fuelwood supply

• Better-quality fuelwood

• Cheaper and more convenient fuelwood sources

Shelter, structures

• Building materials

• Shade

• Protection from wind

• Protection from animals

• Marking of boundaries

Medicine

• Preventive (to maintain health)

• Curative (to treat diseases or injuries)

• Veterinary medicine

Raw materials for craft and cottage industry

• An increased supply of materials

• New types of material

Cash income, savings and investment

• Employment (cash earnings)

• Sale of products (cash earnings)

• Substitution of own products for purchased items (less cash spent)

• Exchange of products for other goods (less cash spent)

• New forms of saving and investment

• Greater profitability or security of existing savings and investment

Fodder and forage

• Primary feed

• Supplementary feed

Resources to meet social obligations

• New or improved source of support for social obligations

Conservation of soil, water and plant resources

•  Increased amounts of water for plant growth, domestic use and livestock

•  Improved seasonal availability of water

•  Improved amount, quality or timing of water delivery to dams and large-scale waterworks

•  Protection of soil from erosion and loss of nutrients

•  Restoration of degraded soils

•  Improvement of soil moisture and fertility

•  Maintenance or increase in species and habitat diversity

•  Substitution of farm tree products for over-use of woodlands for fuel and other items

•  Improved conditions for natural regeneration of most desirable species

In the following sections some of the roles trees can play in land-use systems will be discussed in more detail.

Footnote__________

Section 4.1 is based on Rocheleau, 1988, pp. 32-33.