Modelling the costs and benefits of agroforestry systems

Posted 22 July 2020

Timber Economics Biodiversity

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Integrating trees into agricultural production systems can provide a range of benefits that may add substantial value to farm enterprises. Here, the Imagine bioeconomic model was applied to agroforestry systems at four sites in Tasmania.

Integrating trees into agricultural production systems can provide a range of benefits that may add substantial value to farm enterprises. Here, the Imagine bioeconomic model was applied to agroforestry systems at four sites in Tasmania.

The aim was to understand the costs and benefits of a range of P. radiate agroforestry system configurations (two row belt, five row belt, 10 row belt, and two by two row belts) integrated with a livestock grazing enterprise, in comparison to the returns from either full pasture or full trees.

The benefits from the trees that are accounted for by the Imagine model include the timber, amenity and carbon values, as well as the additional shelter benefits that trees provide to the adjacent agriculture.

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CSIRO, November 2018 - Daniel Mendham