Agroforestry as a sustainable land-use model in ecologically sensitive regions: insights from the Bulgarian living lab
Abstract
Agroforestry is increasingly recognized as a multifunctional approach to sustainable land management, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation. However, empirical evidence evaluating agroforestry systems in Southeast Europe and the Balkan mountain landscapes remains limited. This study presents a case study from the Strandzha Mountains (Bulgaria) investigating the capacity of agroforestry systems to enhance ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and landscape resilience within a Living Lab framework established under the REFOREST project. A multidisciplinary comparative analysis was conducted across three land-use systems: an agroforestry apiary system, silvopastoral permanent pasture, and conventional rapeseed monoculture. The assessment integrated physicochemical soil quality indicators, biological soil assessment using the QBS-ar index, floristic and phenological surveys (2023–2025), and forage productivity analysis. The agroforestry and silvopastoral systems demonstrated substantially higher ecological quality (65–67/100) than intensive agricultural management (43/100). The apiary system exhibited the highest soil organic matter content (5.3%) and elevated biological soil quality (QBS-ar = 45), characterized by specialist euedaphic taxa such as Protura, which indicates low anthropogenic disturbance. Floristic surveys documented 210 vascular plant species, including the tertiary relict Vaccinium arctostaphylos and protected orchids (Anacamptis papilionacea and Ophrys cornuta), identifying these systems as important micro-refugia for regional biodiversity conservation. Phenological analyses further revealed a stable flowering continuum that supports pollinator networks throughout the growing season. Agroforestry systems in the Strandzha Mountains effectively integrate productive land use with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem resilience, providing a climate-adaptive and empirically validated framework for sustainable land management in Southeast Europe.