Forest Farming for Farm Profitability and Ecosystem Services

Dear Colleagues,

Many small farms include large areas of forested patches, which are often unproductive or abandoned. Forest farming practices involve cultivating high-value specialty crops in the forest understory, with specific management of the canopy and the forest overstory, to promote the growth and establishment of the desired crop on the forest floor. The understory or specialty crops (aka non-timber forest products–NTFPs) can include various items for use as food (mushroom and nuts), botanicals (herbs and medicinal), decoration (floral greenery and dyes), and handicrafts (baskets and wood products). Although forest farming involves modifying the forest ecosystem, if carried out correctly, the primary forest functions are not impaired but enhanced. The opportunities emerging with the advent of science-based knowledge, technology, and information systems encourage us to envision an agricultural renaissance in the 21st century that will be more locally sourced, fairly priced, and environmentally sustainable. However, there is a scarcity of knowledge and research on forest farming and agroforestry practices in temperate ecosystems.

The importance of forest management for increased ecosystem services and improved farm profitability will be of enormous importance, especially for small farmers and their stakeholders. This Special Issue will provide much-needed information on the feasibility of incorporating forest farming practices as an alternative cropping practice. This information will be helpful in the further development of best management practices, and will facilitate decision-making for forest landowners and other stakeholders. We envision that this proposed Special Issue entitled “Forest Farming for Farm Profitability and Ecosystem Services” will encourage researchers from multi-disciplinary fields to work collaboratively to address the challenges and opportunities in this field. We also believe it will emphasize the connection between forest management, ecosystem services and farm profitability. The articles from this Special Issue will promote future research related to forest farming, forest economics, and forest management across the United States and around the world.

Dr. Sougata Bardhan
Guest Editor

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• forest farming
• forest management
• non-timber forest products—NTFPs
• farm diversification
• understory vegetation