CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE PRODUCTIVITY OF AGROSILVOPASTORAL SYSTEMS WITH WILD PEAR (PYRUS PYRASTER) IN TRANSYLVANIA

Agrosilvopastoral (ASP) systems are among the most effective measures for protecting pastures and animals during the grazing season from the impacts of global climate warming. Pastures with 25 wild pear (Pyrus pyraster) trees per hectare in southeastern Transylvania have a green forage mass (GM) production of 13.25 t/ha, which is 101.3% higher compared to pasture without trees. Additionally, one wild pear tree produces on average 25–50 kg of fruit, resulting in approximately 860 kg/ha, priced at 0.5–0.7 Euro/kg, representing an income of 516 Euro/year. The total wood volume harvested at 80 years is 18.56 m³/ha (trunk), at a price of 160 Euro/m³, and 5.57 m³/ha of firewood at a price of 60 Euro/m³, totaling 41.4 Euro/ha/year. Cow milk production in this ASP system is 6,960 liters/ha, priced at 0.5 Euro/liter, totaling 3,480 Euro/year. Summing the values of milk, wood, and fruit from the ASP systems results in 4,037 Euro/year, to which additional benefits are added, such as animal welfare, biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and landscape improvement, which are harder to quantify. The nearby treeless pasture produces on average 6,920 liters/ha/year of milk, valued at 3,460 Euro/ha. The economic value of the ASP systems with wild pear was over 17% higher than treeless pasture, with multiple other environmental and animal benefits that require further evaluation.