The IFLS has recently started cooperating with the young research initiative agroforst-monitoring as part of the MIXED project.
Can agroforestry increase the humus content of arable soils? Does the shedding of leaves from trees lead to the accumulation of important nutrients in the topsoil? What specific decisions need to be taken when establishing mixed land use systems in order to achieve the desired effects? We would like to answer these and many other questions on the topic of modern agroforestry together with the team from agroforst-monitoring [link in german].
The idea originated with students of landscape ecology in Münster: "We want to make agroforestry systems tangible and build a collective sense for the multifunctionality of the landscape".
An idea that encouraged many citizens to visit the agroforestry farms already involved. After all, agroforest-monitoring is about the active participation of volunteer citizens and associations in the research of agroforestry systems. The citizen science approach offers the possibility of direct exchange with different stakeholders of mixed land use systems.
With the participation of citizen scientists, soil samples were taken on three farms this year. Of particular interest are soil chemistry and everything to do with humus dynamics. However, the accompanying citizen science research is to cover many other aspects, from biodiversity to economic and social aspects.
The coordination will continue to be carried out by the students from Münster. The IfLS and other institutes support the implementation of this long-term project.
Contact person at IfLS: Dr. Holger Pabst (pabst[at]ifls.de)
