Farmers' Perspectives on Ecosystem Services Provided by Tree Windbreak System in Ovche Pole Region, Macedonia.

Ovche Pole Region is the second largest agricultural area in Macedonia. It is a plain with a dry climate, characterized by low precipitation and high ambient temperatures during the growing period and prevailing winds which are frequently present throughout the year. During the 1950s, the government took a large-scale operation for the establishment of tree windbreaks (field shelterbelts) that would reduce wind velocity, protect agricultural land, and increase crop productivity. Even though these systems perform important functions, approximately half of the initial tree windbreak area has been lost mainly due to land use change. Today a significant area of the existing tree windbreak belts is damaged. Actions for the protection, rehabilitation, and restoration of these systems are needed, however, without active support and understanding of farmers' perspectives on tree windbreak systems, any activity would be without major and long-term success. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to: (1) examine farmers' attitudes toward the tree windbreak system and its rehabilitation, and (2) assess farmers' awareness and perceptions of ecosystem services provided by the tree windbreak system. In this aim a semi-structured questionnaire was developed and following the convenience sampling method distributed to 72 farmers to gather the needed information. Data analysis showed that in general farmers have positively valued the tree windbreak systems and agreed that rehabilitation and restoration are needed. Regarding the ecosystem functions, the results indicate that farmers gave uniform answers in some cases, the farmers had split perceptions. According to farmers' responses, the most important ecosystem service provided by the tree windbreaks is climate regulation, this is followed by the reduction of soil erosion and runoff and the source of provisional materials function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]