Recent spatiotemporal dynamics of agroforestry systems in Europe

Abstract

Context

Agroforestry is a land management system that integrates woody vegetation with crop and/or livestock production to benefit from ecological and economic interactions. Such systems also include agricultural land uses combined with small woody features (SWF) such as hedgerows, avenue trees, woodlots and riparian buffer strips, which often form field boundaries.

Objective

The paper aims to analyse the spatial and temporal dynamics of agroforestry systems in the EU by determining their current extent, assessing the changes and transitions among land uses and its intensity, and evaluating the likely drivers of these changes.

Methods

To achieve this, the LUCAS dataset was consulted, and the agroforestry systems categorised into common agroforestry systems (AF_C) and SWF agroforestry systems (AF_SWF). AF_C included six types of systems: silvopastoral, silvoarable, agrosilvopastoral, grazed permanent crops, intercropped permanent crops and kitchen gardens. AF_SWF included four types: SWF-arable crops, SWF-permanent crops, SWF-grazed grassland and SWF-ungrazed grassland. The intensity analysis of land use changes involving agroforestry systems was conducted at three levels: interval, categorical and transitional, across two time periods: 2012–2015 and 2015–2022.

Results and conclusions

Agroforestry systems in the EU covered 408,073 km² (25 % of UAA) in 2022, with AF_SWF systems (64 %) being more widespread than AF_C systems (36 %), and silvopastoral systems as the dominant type (29 % of the total agroforestry area). Over recent years, agroforestry area declined by 36 %, mainly due to SWF reduction from agricultural intensification and grazing abandonment, with SWF-permanent crops experiencing the highest loss (−56 %). Kitchen gardens were the only agroforestry type that expanded (24 %). France, Italy, Ireland, and Spain showed the largest declines (accounting for 62 % of the surface losses), while gains were only observed in Sweden, Hungary, Estonia, Finland, Czechia, and Slovakia. Most transitions (77 %) involved conversion to other land uses, though the loss rate slowed after 2015. Additionally, 18 % of changes were due to conversions from other land uses to agroforestry, while 5 % involved transitions among different agroforestry types.

Significance

This study provides the most up-to-date assessment of agroforestry system distribution and dynamics in the EU using the LUCAS dataset. The findings highlight the ongoing decline of agroforestry systems, emphasizing the need for policies that promote their conservation and integration into sustainable agricultural practices, particularly within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). By integrating an intensity analysis, the study enhances the understanding of land use transitions and their drivers, offering valuable insights for land management, ecosystem services, and climate resilience.