Food-grade wood species

Food trees in the systemDREVO Living Mountainsmust ensurefood source for humans, wild animals, birds and pollinatorsand promote the sustainability of agroforestry ecosystems.

Priority	Tree	Main product	Benefits to the ecosystem	Optimal zone
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Walnut (Juglans regia)	Walnuts	High-calorie food for humans and animals	Foothills, valleys
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Edible chestnut (Castanea sativa)	Walnuts	Massive harvest, food for people and wild animals	Lower and middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Oak (Quercus spp.)	Acorn	Feed for wild boars, deer, and birds; after processing, it becomes human food.	Middle and lower slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Wild apple (Malus sylvestris)	Fruit	Food for birds, bears, ungulates and humans	Middle slopes, foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Wild pear (Pyrus pyraster)	Fruit	High drought tolerance, animal food	Lower slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Cherry (Prunus avium)	Fruit	Food for birds and humans	Middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Plum (Prunus domestica and native species)	Fruit	Food for animals and humans	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Cherry plum (Prunus cerasifera)	Fruit	Early harvest, food for wild animals	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Mulberry (Morus alba, M. nigra)	Berries	Very high yield, bird food	Warm areas
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Quince (Cydonia oblonga)	Fruit	Drought-resistant crop	Foothills
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Hazel (Corylus avellana)	Walnuts	One of the best hazelnuts	Undergrowth
⭐⭐⭐	Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)	Fruit	Important winter food for birds	Upper and middle slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra)	Berries (after processing)	Food for birds and insects	Forest edges, undergrowth
⭐⭐⭐	Red (Cornus mas)	Fruit	Early fruiting, drought resistance	Lower slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)	Berries	Nutrition, nitrogen fixation, slope stabilization	Dry slopes
⭐⭐⭐	Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.)	Fruit	Food for birds and small mammals	Forest edges

For warm and Mediterranean climates

Priority	Tree	Main product
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Olive (Olea europaea)	Olives, oil
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua)	Pods
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Pistachio (Pistacia vera)	Walnuts
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Almond (Prunus dulcis)	Walnuts
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Fig (Ficus carica)	Fruit
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Pomegranate (Punica granatum)	Fruit
⭐⭐⭐	Хурма (Diospyros kaki)	Fruit

By type of food product

Category	Main types
Walnuts	Walnut, chestnut, hazelnut, almond, pistachio
Fruit	Apple, pear, plum, cherry plum, cherry, quince, mulberry, fig, pomegranate, persimmon
Starchy fruits	Chestnut, oak acorns (after processing)
Oilseeds	Olive, walnut
Wildlife food	Oak, rowan, hawthorn, apple, pear, chestnut

Food shrubs

Priority	Bush	Main product
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Hazelnut	Walnuts
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Sea buckthorn	Berries
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Red	Fruit
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Currants (local species)	Berries
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Blackberry	Berries
⭐⭐⭐⭐	Raspberry	Berries
⭐⭐⭐	Honeysuckle	Berries
⭐⭐⭐	Hawthorn	Fruit
⭐⭐⭐	Elderberry	Berries (after processing)
⭐⭐⭐	Rose hip	Fruit

Priority groups

Group	Main types	Main function
High-calorie foods	Walnut, chestnut, hazel	Long-lasting source of energy and protein
Mass fruiting	Apple, pear, plum, cherry plum, mulberry	Food for humans and animals
Food base for wild fauna	Oak, rowan, hawthorn	Maintaining bird and mammal populations
Mediterranean cultures	Olive, carob, almond, pomegranate	Drought-tolerant agroforestry
Forest shrubs	Hazelnut, sea buckthorn, dogwood, rosehip	Bottom tier, berries and nuts

The DREVO Food Forest principle

A food forest must provide a harvest throughout the season:

spring- honeysuckle, mulberry;

beginning of summer- cherry, raspberry;

summer- plums, early apples, blackberries;

autumn- pears, chestnuts, walnuts, acorns, dogwood, quince, late apples;

winter— preserved rowan, hawthorn and rose hips, as well as nuts and chestnuts.

This approach simultaneously ensures food security, supports wildlife, and creates resilient agroforestry ecosystems.