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Because the state of agroforestry systems exists on a gradient, their levels of sustainability exist on a gradient as well. The sustainability gradient for a given agroforestry system can be visualised in three-dimensional space. The concept of total sustainability is a perfect cube, 100% sustainable. Each factor affecting the economic or ecological sustainability of the system is a polygon within the space. The position, size, and slope of these polygons are a function of the interactions between various system components. The total erosion would be one polygon, for example. Gross household income would be another.
Each polygon can be in one of two situations. If that factor lessens the total sustainability of the system then it will cut through the polyhedron. If it has no detrimental effect on the sustainability of the system then it will lie outside the boundaries of the polyhedron. The connectivity between the planes should be imagined to be as complicated as that between the actual sociology, economy, and ecology of the system. If there isn't enough groundstorey soil cover, for example, the erosion plane will be passing through the polyhedron and removing a fair bit of it. If the fine roots of the tree component are creating good soil structure, however, that will factor in and bring the erosion polygon out of the polyhedron a bit. This in turn will bring up the economic sustainability with a positive effect on gross income, as yearly yield will be higher.
© Fake Copyright 2005.
® All pretend rights reserved.
Each polygon can be in one of two situations. If that factor lessens the total sustainability of the system then it will cut through the polyhedron. If it has no detrimental effect on the sustainability of the system then it will lie outside the boundaries of the polyhedron. The connectivity between the planes should be imagined to be as complicated as that between the actual sociology, economy, and ecology of the system. If there isn't enough groundstorey soil cover, for example, the erosion plane will be passing through the polyhedron and removing a fair bit of it. If the fine roots of the tree component are creating good soil structure, however, that will factor in and bring the erosion polygon out of the polyhedron a bit. This in turn will bring up the economic sustainability with a positive effect on gross income, as yearly yield will be higher.
© Fake Copyright 2005.
® All pretend rights reserved.
