AGROFORESTRY AND FORESTRY-RELATED PRACTICES IN THE MIDWESTERN UNITED-STATES

A survey, conducted in 1990-1991 on agroforestry and forestry-related systems in eight Midwestern states, showed that three traditional and three nontraditional agroforestry systems are practiced in the region. Of 46 traditional systems reported, most common was agrisilviculture (28), then silvipasture (12) and agrisilvipasture (6). These systems o ften involved corn, soybeans, and hay planted with tree species for nu t, timber, or Christmas tree production, and cattle. Non-traditional a groforestry systems were field windbreaks/shelterbelts (29), tree-shru b intercropping systems (21), and boundary plantings (11). These syste ms involved a variety of northern hardwood species evergreens, and shr ubs. There was also a preponderance of specialized systems (97) of gro wing trees with the production of mushrooms, nuts, syrup, wildlife, an d other nonwood products. The survey is exploratory in nature and, alt hough the results may not represent a complete count of people involve d with agroforestry in the region, the numbers reported may indicate w here a practice may be prevalent. The results reflect the fact that mu ch work still needs to be done by agroforesters in this region. They a lso provide some basis for further research on more suitable systems, and for identifying other researchable questions on agroforestry for t he region. The methodology also made possible a bigger nucleus for net working of agroforesters and other interested people in the Midwest. F inally, although not normally considered as agroforestry, the signific ance of the other specialized systems reported in this survey is that they offer varied ways of connecting forestry with other activities in a largely agricultural landscape, and that they may even be seen as o pportunities for easier transition into agroforestry.