🌲 Classification of Agroforestry

This lesson introduces core social and farm forestry concepts and their practical relevance for sustainable land use and farm livelihoods.

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Classification of Agroforestry

Lec4. Classification of Agroforestry systems

Nair ( 1987) has classified the agroforestry systems based on the following four

criteria.

1. Structural Basis

2. Functional basis

3. Socio economic Basis

4. Ecological basis

STRUCTURAL BASIS

a) Nature of Components

b) Arrangements of Components

a) Nature of Components

1. Agricultural systems

2. Silvopastoral systems

3. Agrosilvopastoral systems

4. Other systems

1 . Agricultural systems

i. Improved fallow species in shifting cultivation

ii. The taungia system

iii. Multispecies tree gardens

iv. Alley cropping

v. Multipurpose trees and shrubs on farmlands

vi. Crop combinations with plantation crops

vii. Agroforestry fuel wood plantations

viii. Shelter belt s

ix. Wind breaks

x. Soil conservation hedges

Silvopastoral systems

i) Protein bank

ii) Live fence of fodder trees and hedges

iii) Trees and shrubs on pastures

Agrosivopastoral systems

i)Home gardens

ii) woody perennials for browse, mulch, green manure, soil conservation

Other systems

i) Apiculture with trees

ii) Aquaforestry

iii) Multipurpose wood lots

b) Arrangement of components

1. Spatial arrangement

2. Temporal arrangement

FUNCTIONAL BASIS

i) Productive functions

ii) Protective functions

i) Productive functions

Food

Fodder

Fuel wood

Cloths

Shelter

NTFPs

Protective functions

Wind breaks

Shelterbelts

Soil conservation

Soil improvement

Shade

SOCIO ECONOMIC CLASSIFICATION

i) Commercial systems

ii) Intermediate systems

iii) Subsistence systems

ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION

i. Humid / sub humid

ii. Semiarid / arid

iii. Highlands

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Summary Cheat Sheet

Topic	Key takeaway
Main focus	Classification of Agroforestry.
Section context	Revise this lesson with the rest of Social and Farm Forestry for stronger conceptual continuity.