Neem (Azadirachta indica) has been planted in windbreaks of two rows in the Majja Valley of central Niger for more than 25 years (Persaud et al. 1986). Local villagers began to harvest fuelwood by varying methods from the oldest windbreaks 10 years after their initial plantings. Harvesting the fuelwood by removing branches overhanging the alleys from trees in both rows maintained the environmental benefits of the windbreaks in controlling wind erosion and, in doing so, increased the yields of millet and other cereals planted in adjoining fields.

The Dehesa system in southwestern Spain consists of two closely relative agroforestry practices (Maranon 1988; Joffre et al. 1989). Livestock are grazed in woodlands that are dominated by Quercus ilex, with Q. suber and Q. faginea occasionally intermingled, at which time the practice is silvopastoral in nature. Cereals are cropped on one-fifth of the area every 5 years, when the practice is agrosilvipastoral. Mature Q. ilex trees are harvested for fuelwood, other local wood products, and acorns. When they are present, Q. suber is harvested for cork every 10 years and Q. ilex is lopped every 8 to 12 years to enhance production of acorns.

Multipurpose trees are agroforestry systems in themselves. A well-known multipurpose tree in the Sahelian region is Acacia albida. Farmers value the tree for fodder and green manure and it is harvested for tannins and gums, charcoal, and wood for carpentry (Hocking 1987). A unique feature of A. albida is its leaflessness in the rainy season, which minimizes its competition with agricultural crops. The tree also provides shade for people and their livestock.

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