Fraxinus Angustifolia for Planting in Sardinia (Italy): A Case Study of Innovative Agroforestry System
Abstract
The case study reports about the development of a 18 years old Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. tree plantation located in a representative test site for climate, soil and land use characters, of the agricultural planes of southern Sardinia, Italy. The favourable results about diameter at breast height (DBH) and other tree variables together with high potentiality for many ecosystem services too can identify this Fraxinus angustifolia tree plantation case study as an innovative agroforestry system.
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Introduction
The Sardinia island (Italy) has traditional agroforestry systems but a high potential value for innovative systems too [1-2]. The agroforestry is integration of trees, crops and livestock on the same area of land and can be applied to all agricultural systems by planting trees on agricultural landor introducing agriculture in existing woodland [3-4]. The good practices indifferent situations assure many ecosystem services (soil protection, reduction of diffuse pollution, carbon sequestration, climate mitigation and to combat desertification, biodiversity and landscape conservation) too [5-6-7-8]. The case study reports about the development of an 18 years old Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl. [9] tree plantation located in a representative test site for climate, soil and land use characters, of the agricultural planes of southern Sardinia, Italy (Fig.1), looked as innovative agroforestry system.
Conclusion
The development of a Fraxinus angustifolia tree plantation in a large and homogeneous agricultural area, representative as a test site for climate, soil and land use characters of the southern Sardinia (Italy) agricultural planes, after 18 years shows favourable results [15-16-17-18] about diameter at breast height (DBH), total height (H) and basal area (G ha-1 ). The Fraxinus angustifolia tree plantation can be really an innovative agroforestry system in Sardinia (Italy). As matter of fact the role assigned to Fraxinus tree planting as in the case study at the same time appears to have high potentiality for many ecosystem services (soil protection, reduction of diffuse pollution, carbon sequestration, climate mitigation and to combat desertification, biodiversity and landscape conservation) too [5-6-7-8].
