Agroforestry is a land management system which combines livestock grazing and forestry - the old experimental system at Glensaugh has been in place since 1988; and the new one since 2023.
We have collected a range of data from the old agroforestry experiment and continue to use them in this way. We are also working jointly with Aberdeen University on a new agroforestry research project, FARM TREE (started September 2022) which is funded by the UKRI Future of UK Treescapes programme.
The UK Committee on Climate Change’s report (January 2020) recognised agroforestry as one key action to help deliver the major shift in land use needed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It can contribute directly to the first two policy objectives outlined by the report – to increase tree planting and encourage low-carbon farming practices - as well as having animal welfare and biodiversity benefits. It also helps to diversify farm income, leading to increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land managers and users at all levels.
"Agroforestry in Scotland - potential benefits in a changing climate". This report published in 2018 assesses the wide range of potential benefits of increasing the use of agroforestry practice in Scotland - it can be downloaded here.
Agroforestry research plots were planted at Glensaugh in 1988 as part of the UK Agroforestry Forum (now called Farm Woodland Forum). Information about the early findings from this experiment can be found here. These experimental plots have given us a unique long-term resource for assessing the wider environmental as well as economic impacts associated with this type of land management.
FARM TREE project: "Balancing farm and landscape-scale demands for integrating trees on agricultural land". In this project an interdisciplinary team of social and environmental scientists is building on existing Agroforestry initiatives and developing practical tools for farmers to enhance the expansion of trees on agricultural land. More information can be found here.
Agroforestry Virtual Tour. A virtual Tour of the Glensaugh agroforestry trial plots was developed in autumn 2019, with funding assistance from the Macaulay Development Trust - please visit our 'Virtual Farm' page on this website for further details, and a link to the Virtual Tour web pages is here.
