Classification of Traditional Agroforestry Practices in Turkey

The word as agroforestry was accepted as a new concept in late 1970s, whereas it was an old practice in which many culture experienced it in different ecological region of the world. At the beginning, though some practices, especially in tropics and developing countries called agroforestry applications, it was recognized by most of the developing countries as well as industrialized countries. It is clear that agroforestry is a new scientific discipline now as agriculture and forestry fields. However, agroforestry is still a new concept for academical and institutional level in Turkey. But, many people living in rural areas in Turkey have been experiencing it for a long time. In this study, traditional agroforestry practices were observed, determined, and classified. In this connection, most of agroforestry production patterns are being observed as similar as to all other traditional practices in the country. Results showed that, agroforestry application could be put into major agroforestry practices in the country such as agrisilvicultural systems; alley cropping, multilayer tree gardens, multipurpose trees on crop lands, homegardens, trees in soil conservation and reclamation, shelterbelts and windbreaks, silvopastoral systems; trees on rangelands or pastures, protein banks, plantation crop with animals, agrosilvopastoral systems; homegarden involving animals, multipurpose woody hedgerows, apiculture with trees, aquaforestry, multipurpose woodlots. These practices are also suitable for agroforestry patterns to solve the problems related to deterioration of family farms in Turkey. As agroforestry practices, shifting cultivation and taungya are determined in the country; however, both practices are causing forest degradation.