Biophysical and economic tradeoffs of intercropping timber with food crops in the Philippine uplands

Steadily rising prices for timber on Mindanao in the Philippines have given an incentive to farmers to devote some of their land to fast-growing tree species. The costs and benefits of intercropping young timber trees with food crops was studied in a 1000 stem ha stand of Paraserianthes falcataria. At 2 years of age, diameter at breast height and height of inter-cropped trees were 33 and 21% greater, respectively, than sole trees. Management costs of intercropped trees were less than half of sole trees. Allometric equations for Mindanao falca-taria were used to project future tree growth and..