Agroforestry in Spain
Agroforestry systems in Spain are a vital component of rural landscapes, combining agricultural, livestock and forestry practices that have sustained communities for centuries. With approximately 5.6 million hectares, Spain has the largest absolute extent of agroforestry of all European countries (den Herder et al., 2017). Due to the historical pastoral culture of the Iberian Peninsula, livestock plays a key role in most agroforestry systems, shaping both their structure and function. Spain, with its diverse climate and geography, hosts a wide variety of agroforestry systems adapted to local conditions and productive needs.
The various types of Agroforestry Systems in Spain include:
1. Dehesas: Dehesas are one of the most iconic agroforestry systems in Spain, found primarily in Extremadura, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Castilla y León. They feature scattered trees, mainly holm oaks (Quercus ilex) and cork oaks (Quercus suber), combined with pastures and, occasionally, annual crops. These systems are primarily used for livestock grazing, including Iberian pigs, sheep, and cattle, but also produce forest products like acorns, cork, and firewood. Dehesas are examples of a balanced system between production and conservation, covering approximately 3.5 million hectares in Spain. Other types of tree-dominated dehesas across Spain include Juniperus thurifera in the northern-central meseta (plateau), as well as Pinus pinea (stone pine), Quercus faginea, Quercus pyrenaica, and Mediterranean ash (Fraxinus angustifolia).
A typical dehesa with holm oak and sheep in Abadía, Cáceres (Photo credits: M. Bertomeu)
A dehesa of mediterranean ash (Fraxinus angustifolia) in central Spain. Tree pollarding provides fodder and fuelwood. (Photo credits: M. Bertomeu)
2. Silvopastoral systems in mountain ranges: In Spain’s mountainous regions, such as the Pyrenees, Cantabrian Mountains, and Sierra Nevada, agroforestry systems combine forests of conifers or deciduous trees with extensive sheep, goat, and cattle grazing. The trees provide timber, shade, erosion control, and fodder, while pastures are used for grazing and hay production all (or most) year around. In some areas, high-value fruit trees such as chestnuts (Castanea sativa) and walnuts (Juglans regia) are also cultivated, taking advantage of the multifunctionality of these landscapes.
Sheep in a Juniperus thurifera open forest in the highlands of Tiermes, Soria. (Photo credits: J. Coello).
3. Mediterranean Silvopastoral Systems: These systems are found in the semi-arid areas of Mediterranean Spain, where shrub vegetation, along with Aleppo pines (Pinus halepensis), holm oaks and kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and carob (Ceratonia siliqua), are combined with sheep and goat grazing. These systems are common in the levant region from Catalonia in the north to Murcia and Almeria in the south, where water management is crucial. The interaction between trees and pastures not only helps control erosion but also improves soil quality and resilience to drought.
Goats in an Aleppo pine forest in Cassà de la Selva, Girona. (Photo credit: AGS-CTFC-AgroForAdapt).
Goats of the local Guadarrama bred grazing in a stone pine forests in Valdemaqueda, Madrid (Photo credits: M. Bertomeu).
4. Agrosilviculture with high-value Fruit Trees: In various regions of Spain, such as the Atlantic area, the Ebro Valley, the Valencia community, and Andalusia, agroforestry systems combine annual crops with fruit trees like apple (Malus domestica), chestnut (Castanea sativa), almond (Prunus dulcis), olive (Olea europaea), and carob (Ceratonia siliqua). In these systems, trees not only diversify the production providing marketable fruits but also offer ecosystem services such as microclimate regulation, wind protection, and soil fertility enhancement through leaf litter.
Sheep grazing in an apple orchard in Asturias (Photo credits: J. Coello).
Sheep grazing in an olive tree orchard in Mirabel, Cáceres (Photo credits: M. Bertomeu)
5. The agroforestry system of holm oak (Quercus ilex) mycorrhized with truffles is a unique and highly specialized practice in Spain, particularly in regions like Aragón, Catalonia, and Castilla-La Mancha. In this system, holm oaks are cultivated to host the prized black truffle (Tuber melanosporum), a symbiotic fungus that thrives in the tree’s root system. The combination of traditional oak management with truffle cultivation not only provides high economic value through truffle harvesting but also contributes to soil health, biodiversity, and the preservation of Mediterranean forest landscapes. This agroforestry model offers a sustainable way to blend forestry with lucrative agricultural production.
Alley cropping system combining hybrid lavender (Lavandula x intermedia) with holm oak trees (Quercus ilex) mycorrhized with black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) in the high steppes of San Felices, Soria. (Photo credits: AGS-CTFC-AgroForAdapt)
SPANISH DELEGATION IN EURAF
Comunidad de Sistemas Agroforestales y Cultivos Mixtos – Community of Agroforestry Systems and Mixed Farming
In November 2023 we created a thematic social network to enhance the interactions between agroforestry stakeholders in Spain and Portugal, based on Landfiles platform. This tool was launched by PRIMA Transition and LIFE AgroForAdapt projects, while further projects including Agromix, DigitAF and Gov4All have joined afterwards.
In particular, we aim to:
(i) Promote the knowledge of agroforestry systems and mixed farming as resilient systems from an economic, productive and environmental point of view.
(ii) Facilitate the exchange of experiences and information between landowners and between them and other stakeholders (consultants, researchers, administration, etc.), both through the daily interaction within the social network and in regular digital or face-to-face meetings.
(iii) Promote the consideration of agroforestry systems in the political and regulatory framework.
(iv) Disseminate actions and opportunities on capacity building, training and financing related to agroforestry and mixed crops.
By mid-2024 there are 140+ members and have organised two trimestral live webinars.
Since 2024, this Community is the Spanish representative of EURAF.
Delegate: Manuel Bertomeu (University of Extremadura)
Sub-delegate: Jaime Coello (Forest Science and Technology Center of Catalonia, CTFC)
Deputy delegate: Diana Jiménez (BETA-UVic)
AGROFORESTRY PROJECTS IN SPAIN
2022- 2025. DigitAF. DIGItal Tools to boost AgroForestry
2021 – 2026. LIFE AgroForAdapt. Sistemas AgroForestales para la adaptación al cambio climático de espacios agrícolas y forestales mediterráneos
2021 – 2024. Transition. InnovaTive Resilient fArmiNg Systems In MediTerranean environments
2021- 2024. AGROMIX. Participatory research for resilient land use in Europe
2017-2019. AFINET. Agroforestry Innovation Networks.
2014-2017. AGFORWARD. AGroFORestry that Will Advance Rural Development
2017-2023: Mosaico-Extremadura Project. Acción participativa e innovación social en la lucha contra los incendios forestales
2016-2022: LIFE Dehesa/Montado Adapt. Promoting Dehesa and Montado adaptation to climate change
References
Comunicaciones de la V Reunión del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Sistemas Agroforestales: Sistemas agroforestales: sostenibilidad y avances en sistemas silvoarables y silvopastorales. (2018)
Innovation leaflets from Agforward (01-06): https://www.agforward.eu/Innovation-leaflets.html
Los sistemas agroforestales en el Plan Estratégico de la PAC Español: análisis y reflexiones (2024). Artículo disponible en castellano e inglés.
Los sistemas agroforestales (2019). Dossier técnico disponible en castellano y catalán.
Manual de Sistemas Agroforestales de AFINET: https://agroforestrynet.eu/?lang=es
San Miguel; S. Roig & I. Cañellas (2002). Las prácticas agroforestales en la península ibèrica. Cuad. Soc. Esp. Cien. For. 14: 33-38. En: «Actas de la I Reunión sistemas agroforestales-I Reunión espacios naturales». Cuadernos de la Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales (SECF).