FCS Agroforestry

Mike Strachan

Policy and Development Officer

June 13th 2013

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Overview

• Generic land Types

• Options to consider and possible funding

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Arable

• Generally highly productive land of class 3.2 and better

• Generally low lying and associated with the east coast of Scotland

• Generally low numbers of trees and biodiversity

• Generally the main diffuse pollution offenders

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Mixed

• Generally associated with land class 3.1 to 4• More trees as there is a recognition of the

shelter benefits, and also of better biodiversity value

• Provides options for silvo arable and silvo pasture.

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Livestock

• Generally associated with land class 4 and poorer

• More trees associated with this type of land as there is a recognition of their benefits

• More opportunities for woodland grazing systems

• Opportunities for converting woodlands to grazing

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Silvoarable options

• Not common in Scotland• Massive loss of hedges and trees over last 50

years which continues• EFA?

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Proposal

• Plant trees at 2m (maximum) centres as linear features utilising field margins

• Prune trees to achieve a minimum of 4m of clean stem (depending on species)

• Minimum of 500m of linear feature/property• Payment/tree.• Will not use any of the productive land

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Silvopasture

• Considerable scope on mixed and livestock farms

• Payment based on 250 trees/ha • Trees to be pruned to achieve a minimum of

4m of clean stem. (depending on species)

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Woodland grazing

• Currently over 21,000Ha claimed through IACS – woods not being managed

• FCS grant support for about 400ha – agreed management/grazing plans

• ‘Grant farming’ resulted in many poor woodlands

• Convert woodlands to grazing but need to establish an alternative area

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Silvoarable?

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Woodland Grazing

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Woodland Conversion?