Forestry Designs
Forestry Methods:
To date most proficient method for growing trees is agro forestry.
Sustainable organic agro forestry:
This is a full spectrum maximum yield sustainable agro forestry system planting trees at high density to produce multiplicity of sustainable resources.
Resources include: clean air, lumber, food crops and alternative fuel “ethanol”. This methodology requires education in arboriculture, horticulture, organic soil sciences, agronomy and alternative energy. This is an all encompassing strategy that requires hands on maintenance, education, and consultation.
Inter-crop method: Diverse and comprehensive to the available markets our focus is on high quality high demand lumber and inters crops. Conclusively only high production crests species will be selected for our focal point.
Planting strategy:
- High density: This begins with a 3’center spacing with two 9’ wide access roads per acre this is 4,420 trees per acre for the initial planting.
- Medium density: This begins with a 5’center spacing with 9’ wide access roads per acre. This is 1,740 trees per acre for the initial planting.
- Low density: This begins with 10’ center spacing with access roads staggered through out dependent upon inter crops selected. This is 435 trees per acre allowing inter cropping.
Maintenance strategy: Seasonally the trees are pruned and systematically removed to make room for extensive arrangements of inter crops. The inter crops are harvested accordingly. This process continues every year for 5 to 10 years creating a 60’ to 80’ over story with a 5’ to 30’ mid story of diverse intercrops leaving a low density of 270 to 435 trees per acre depending upon the intercrops selected. We recommend that trees are coppiced and harvested on a staggered schedule according to size of trees every 4 to 5 years.
Commercial agro forestry:
This is the farming to produce both agricultural and lumber products commercially allowing for larger harvesting equipment for corn, wheat, alfalfa etc.
Planting strategy:This begins with 10’ center spacing with access roads staggered through out dependent upon inter crops selected. This is 435 trees per acre allowing for intense inter cropping.
Maintenance Strategy: Seasonally the trees are pruned and intercrops harvested. We recommend that trees are coppiced and harvested on a staggered schedule according to size of trees every 4 to 5 years
Oasis agro forestry:
Planting strategy: planted in a desert setting employing a circler row of paulownia megafolia trees 100’ wide total diameter of circle 500’ leaving a 300’ opening in the center with a 20’ access road to the center. At the center of the circle a grove 50’ in diameter is planted. Fruit trees are then installed around the out side of the inner circle towards the center grove stopping at ½ distances to the grove allowing for inter crops.
Native species reestablishment strategy: This requires planting paulownia at high density agro forestry then systematically thinning the plantation while planting native species through out slowly removing the paulownia completely.
Desert bio remediation Strategy:This is planting the perimeters of deserts and slowly moving inward allowing water table balancing and important mycology for the soil creating a microclimate of sustainable land where their was once no available resources.
Plantations: This planting aims for high volumes of lumber and emphasizes more on forestry than agriculture.
- High density: This begins with This begins with a 3’ center spacing with two 9’ wide access roads per acre this is (4,420 trees per acre) for the initial planting.
- Medium density: This begins This begins with a 5’ center spacing with 9’ wide access roads per acre. This is (1,740 trees per acre) for the initial planting.
- Low Density: This begins with 10’ center spacing 435 trees per acre, with access roads staggered through out. We recommend that trees are coppiced and harvested on a staggered schedule according to size every 4 or 5 years.
- Woodlots: Small opportunistic planting of any shape for a wide variety of purposes. Such as triangles in paddock corners, circles for mid paddock shelter and fire blocks near the house.
- Wind breaks and Belts: Planting in straight lines along fences or curved along streams.
- Widely spaced: planted for aesthetics or ornamentals park style shade trees
Agro Forestry can produce multiple benefits for the farm, the environment and the community.
Production Crops and Species:
A varied range production crops and species are currently present in agro forestry. Determining which ones are most appropriate for your situation will involve careful study of a number of points.
- The available markets. Their distance, accessibility and potential returns.
- Your current market? What type of farm forestry would best compliment it? Which locations would give the best result?
- The physical attributes of the site. That is the average rainfall, soil profile, drainage and exposure.
Benefits
- Additional and diversified earnings.
- Improved growing environments.
- A buffer against the cyclical downturns in prices and drought, frost and flood events.
- Improvement and maintenance of soil and water.
- Increases in capital value.
- Health through water table balance. Trees lower water tables - this helps to combat a salinity problems
- Wind breaks provide protection for livestock crops and pastures
Other benefits to the environment and community are:
- The creation of new jobs and industries.
- Sustainable management of natural resources.
- Increases in biodiversity.
- An industry that easily fits around the activities of most agricultural ventures.
- Prices of wood products are relatively stable compared to most agricultural products. Long-term productivity is not weather dependant.