MEDITERRANEAN SILVOARABLE SYSTEMS FOR FEED AND FUEL: THE AGROFORCES PROJECT (AGROFORestry for Carbon sequestration and Ecosystem Services)

In a silvoarable systems designed for Mediterranean lowlands with water availability, poplar SRF (Short Rotation Forestry) for biomass production has been intercropped with forage species. In this study, we want to investigate poplar and forage crops suitability to alley-cropping, to assess soil carbon balance, to assess the tree-presence effect in competing for light, to set-up remote sensing techniques with UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles). Starting from 2018, we will collect data on forage and SRF poplar biomass production. The carbon balance will be calculated by the difference between carbon inputs (aboveground and belowground biomass) and carbon outputs (soil CO2 efflux measurements). Competition for light will be studied taking hemispherical photographs according to a regular grid, to design maps of transmittance. Starting from emergency stage, we will perform flights with a drone in order to get multispectral images to study the canopies development, selecting the better performing vegetation indexes.