Featured Seminar

Riparian Forest Buffers in the Developed Landscape

Mike Dosskey, a research riparian ecologist with the USDA National Agroforestry Center, gave a briefing Feb. 14, 2012, about new research and design of riparian forest buffers. Listen to a recording of the briefing (.mov) and/or review his presentation:

Agroforestry Research

The National Agroforestry Center Research places emphasis on providing a scientific basis for developing agroforestry on crop, range, and pasture lands in the central United States tree-based buffers can improve water quality, enhance crop and livestock production, create wildlife habitat, and sequester carbon, among other benefits for private landowners and communities.

Ecological Functions of Buffers to understand how riparian and upland tree buffers protect water quality, enhance aquatic and terrestrial environments, and sequester carbon.
Site Design and Management to determine how to design and manage individual buffers to attain desired production and conservation benefits.
Landscape Integration to develop an improved basis for decision-making relative to design criteria and expected water quality benefits, along with other resource considerations, from tree-based buffer systems.

Resources

About Agroforestry

Agroforestry intentionally combines agriculture and forestry to create integrated and sustainable land-use systems. Agroforestry takes advantage of the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock. Agroforestry practices include:

About the NAC

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) had its origins in the 1990 Farm Bill. It began as a Forest Service Research and State & Private Forestry effort in 1992 and expanded into a partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 1995. It is administered by the Forest Service's, Washington, DC, Office of Research and Development. NAC offices are located in Lincoln, Nebraska and Blacksburg, Virginia.

NAC accelerates the application of agroforestry through a national network of partners. Together, we conduct research, develop technologies and tools, coordinate demonstrations and training, and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.

About Working Trees

The right trees planted in the right places for the right reasons can add value to land-use systems. That's the Working Trees message that helps natural resource professionals, community leaders, and landowners identify with the concept of agroforestry. NAC uses the Working Trees theme to promote the development of sustainable agriculture and communities.