Agroforstsysteme in Mitteleuropa als ein Beitrag zur nachhaltigen Landnutzung: Das Beispiel der Lärchenwiesen und Lärchenweiden in Südtirol.

Because of the global environmental problems caused by intensive and unsustainable agriculture, the promotion and development of sustainable land-use strategies are necessary which, on the one hand, implement the goals of nature conservation as well as environmental and resource protection, but, on the other hand, also include socio-economic aspects of sustainable regional development. Agroforestry systems can contribute to sustainable land use under certain environmental and socio-economic conditions. Agroforestry systems are land-use systems that combine the cultivation of perennial woody plants on the same area with the cultivation of agricultural products, either simultaneously or at different times. In addition, the areas can be grazed. The example of larch meadows and pastures in South Tyrol (N Italy) illustrates the manifold ecosystem services that traditional agroforestry systems can provide. As a sustainable land-use system, existing traditional agroforestry systems, wherever useful for nature conservation and socio-economic reasons, should be reactivated, restored, or recreated on degraded agricultural land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]