The Importance of Sustainable Land Use
Sustainable land use means using land assets in a way that benefits the local economy and restores soil nutrients through organic measures and tree roots. Using intensive management of the land, trees, and shrubs can be incorporated into conventional and alternative crop plantings, providing for diversity of income, increased wildlife population, and improved soil and water quality. Landowners are also able to reduce erosion and enhance the biodiversity of their land while working to sustain the land for future generations.
There are four key components to the agroforestry/sustainable land use philosophy, which include intention, intensity, integration, and interactivity. Intention means that the trees, crops, livestock, and shrubs are intentionally created and designed in the most favorable way to achieve the most benefits and highest yield possible. Intensity means that the practices and processes of agroforestry are managed intensively as to preserve the basic functions of production and protection. Operations such as pruning and thinning, fertilization, irrigation, and cultivation are often included in intensive management practices. Integration means all of the individual components are brought together and combined into a single, cohesive unit. Interactivity means that the agroforestry components (trees, crops, etc) are managed and utilized in an active fashion while at the same time balancing the benefits of conservation and the local ecology.
By planting permanent vegetation such as trees and grass in between bodies of water and cropland, the ecosystem is benefited by reducing pollution, stabilizing water banks, and improving habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial life. Windbreaks such as hedgerows work to protect crops and manage the distribution of snow, and provide many additional benefits as well. Alley cropping is the practice of planting rows of trees along the side of alleyways planted with crops, which provides for economic diversity as well as biodiversity. Silvopasture combines livestock production with trees and pasture to create a symbiotic structure. Finally, forest farming is the sustainable land use practice of growing specialty crops of high value in the understory of trees that provide the microclimate conditions needed by the crops.
In order to support the idea of sustainable land use, a global change of attitude needs to be adopted. An open-minded approach must be used so that new ideas and ways of doing things can be discovered and incorporated. Understanding the scientific principles and the way each individual component interacts within the design of the agroforestry system are likewise important. Farmers sharing ideas and information about what has worked for them is critical to the continued success of sustainable land use practices.
Developing strategies for sustainable land use and agroforestry is often hindered by confusion with the current conventional methods of land use management principles. Development of accurate definitions, practices, and policies are vital to the creation of disciplines for the sustainable land use movement. Planning to integrate agroforestry and sustainable land use practices into a functional farming operation takes time and effort. Understanding how to establish realistic goals and objectives will be a major component of measure the success of the project and can likely take up to five years to see a complete change from conventional methods to the sustainable land use methods.