Los sistemas silvoarables modernos en España

The presence of woody vegetation inside and on the margins of agricultural fields was relatively common in Spain until the development of the mechanization of agricultural tasks from the middle of the 20th century. The process of simplifying in agricultural ecosystems and the segregation of forest areas and agricultural areas continued during the following decades, supported by a policy focused on maximizing the continuity of the cultivated areas. However, in recent years there is a body of evidence of the productive and environmental interest (ecosystem services) of recovering the woody component in the environment of cultivated land, without compromising the mechanization of agricultural ecosystems management and avoiding or mitigating a large part of the problems associated to monocultures. At European level, and particularly in France, there is a growing number of experiences that allow to know the technical requirements and advantages of the systems combined tree and agricultural production, known as silvoarable or alley cropping systems. In Spain, these systems have been used traditionally in the dehesa, but they are very scarce in other areas, due to the lack of knowledge and of specific support policies. The incipient silvoarable experiences established in recent years have valuable broadleaved species as the prevalent tree component. This paper presents a summary of the main silvoarable experiences established in our country, as well as some opportunities for their promotion.