Developing agroforestry decision-support tools: lessons learned Gary Bentrup1, Susan Stein2

1USDA National Agroforestry Center, Lincoln, NE USA

2USDA National Agroforestry Center, Washington, DC USA

Background

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agroforestry Center has

developed several decision-support tools (DSTs) that can be used individually

or in conjunction to aid in planning and designing agroforestry systems.

National

Agroforestry

Center

To download or request these DSTs and other resources, use the QR code

or go to: https://www.fs.usda.gov/nac/tools/index.shtml

Examples of DSTs Created

NTFP Calculator: A spreadsheet for providing estimates of income potential

from producing non-timber forest products.

Tree Advisor: An online plant selection guide to help identify better species of

trees and shrubs to achieve a suite of user-defined purposes.

AgBufferBuilder: A GIS-based program for designing agroforestry buffers

around agricultural fields for water quality enhancement.

Design Guidelines: Illustrated guide for designing multifunctional agroforestry

buffers. Available in English, French, Korean, Spanish, Chinese, and Mongolian.

Lesson Learned Rationale

Focus on planning and

design

Planning and design DSTs and research tools have different end points. It is not feasible to

develop one tool to effectively serve both of these purposes. The primary purpose for

planning and design DSTs is to focus on answering what, where and how, whereas research

tools are focused on hypothesis testing.

End-user participation Create the DST with end-user participation throughout the development process to ensure

the tool meets users’ needs, capabilities, and resources. Focus groups of users can

demonstrate use, value, and validity of a product while providing critical feedback.

Appropriate level of

technology

Avoid the tendency to build DSTs with the most bells and whistles. Users often want tools

that are straightforward and simple to use.

Transparency Users need to conceptually understand the methodology used in the DST or else it will be

perceived as a “black box” and generally users will not accept and utilize the results.

Multiple scales Agroforestry decision-making occurs at multiple spatial and temporal scales and requires

different tools.

Nationally, tools often support policy and program development on the role agroforestry can

play in achieving broad societal goals.

At the state level, resource managers need landscape level tools to prioritize resources and

to develop technology transfer programs.

At the site or small watershed level, tools should yield specific information for designing and

implementing agroforestry systems.

Suite of loosely

coupled DSTs

A suite of tools is necessary to address the variety of decisions that need to made. These

should be loosely coupled rather than tightly woven together into one DST. This approach

gives users the needed flexibility to select the DSTs they want to use. This also facilitates the

integration of new tools and the replacement of old tools.

Financial and technical

sustainability

To remain a viable operational DST, the long-term financial, technical, and human resources

costs of maintaining and updating the tool must be considered. Computer-based DSTs

require continuous support in order to remain functional as technologies and software

programs change.

Find a champion Find a champion in a user group or organization to help promote the DST.

Other language

versions

Consider developing DSTs in other languages where appropriate.

Approach and Lessons Learned

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) uses an iterative, design

approach for developing a diverse set of user-based agroforestry tools and

resources. Over the past 20 years, NAC has identified several considerations

for building effective and sustainable DSTs.