Analysis of the possibility of switching to agroforestry in Zselic

Abstract

Agroforestry solutions offer better use of disadvantaged agricultural land. Steep slopes and the constant risk of game damage are not conducive to agriculture. On slopes, the cost of machine operating hours is higher than on plane areas, and machines also wear out faster due to higher loads. Varied topography, steep slopes and deep valleys characterize the examined Zselic hills. There is typical forest management on the steep slopes that results in higher opportunity for game damage in the agricultural areas surrounded by forests. There are steep slopes under agriculture cultivation too that involve high operating costs. In our article, we examined whether the actual steep areas under current agricultural cultivation (slope> 12%) are large enough to consider switching to agroforestry. We have found that a quarter of all agricultural areas included in the examination is located on steep slopes, where it is worth considering switching to game damage-resistant agroforestry.