Sustainability of Agricultural and Forestry Systems: Resource Footprint Approach

Land management is critical for the conservation of natural resources, particularly in agroforestry systems which rely heavily on land productivity and availability. Optimizing land utilization is critical for sustainable biomass production and is a key component of achieving effective, long-term sustainable land management. This study assesses the resource efficiency of agroforestry production systems with a novel exergy-based indicator (ΔEF). The indicator was used in the Biobío and Ñuble regions to assess the resource balance between six agricultural and two forestry production systems. The ΔEF values ranged from positive to negative, with positive values indicating better resource usage and negative values suggesting the opposite. Eucalyptus globulus had higher ΔEF values (18.06–19.5 MJex/m2.yr) than Pinus radiata (−2.71 to −1.47 MJex/m2.yr), indicating better sustainability due to its high biomass yields and lower harvesting period and resource consumption. Sugar beet, wheat, and potatoes were the most sustainable (8.57–154.6 MJex/m2.yr) because of their high yields and less intensive harvesting methods. Disparities in biomass yield, potential net primary production (NPPpot), and land management intensity drive differences in ΔEF across regions. Our findings enhance the understanding of local and non-local resource efficiency in agroforestry systems, revealing significant drivers to encourage more sustainable land management practices.