The transformation of agricultural systems into agro-forestry systems as a mechanism of adaptation to climate and economic changes: some Sicilian case studies

Abstract

Many traditional agricultural systems show different limits both in ecological and economic terms. These limits are exacerbated by the increasingly extreme climatic conditions which in the southern regions are manifested essentially in a concentration of rainfall and in increasingly intense dry periods. As part of the LIFE (Desert Adapt) project, some companies involved in the project are modifying their cultivation systems without changing the land use destination. This appears possible by introducing elements of diversification which make the system more resilient as a whole but which guarantees safer economic resources. In particular, in the case of a "classic" agricultural company Caltagirone (Sicily, Ct) (prickly pear and fruit orchard), the farmer accepted spread of woody forest species for the production of firewood. Furthermore, the spread of brambles and asparagus allows you to have supplementary productions of great commercial value because the fruits are collected and sold. Generally these plants are eliminated during the normal operations of managing the prickly pear. The company is also spreading Bamboo, which is increasingly appreciated today as a “wood”. More complex are the interventions to be implemented in the cereal-zootechnical farms where the practice of burning stubble has led to the total elimination of arboreal and shrub vegetation (Fig. 1). In this case there is also a cultural problem related to the fact that shepherds do not adequately consider the advantages deriving from the presence of wood species. The projects, which will be implemented within the Rural Development Plan of the Sicilian Region but with the support of the LIFE Desert Adapt in the dissemination phase, foresee a total paradigm shift. In fact, the creation of arboreal bands presupposes that these are defended from the action of the animals in the early stages of growth and subsequently actively from fires. The latter, as already mentioned, are hanged to eliminate residual straw and this guarantees an immediate but ephemeral advantage in terms of soil fertility. The adequate management of the residues allows, in the long run, to increase the content of organic substance in the soil and therefore to achieve lasting advantages in terms of fertility. Also for these companies one of the main objectives remains to diversify production. This goal is not easy to achieve because often these companies have soils with pedological limits (excess clay) which reduces the possibility of choice. However, choices are being made that are already determining advantages including, for example, the breeding of bees and the creation of multifunctional riparian vegetation. The presence of riparian vegetation or lines of vegetation or small woods also reduces the effects of erosion and loss of surface soil. In the future, the possibility of using the trees (Popolus, Salix) for the production of wood will be evaluated.