The institutional context is of key importance for improved management practices

The protection of trees on fields depends on local institutions

In Niger, the tree cover has increased through farmer managed natural regeneration of trees and shrubs on fields in villages with established surveillance committees for trees on fields, or with a village chief showing leadership regarding the regeneration of trees. [Baggnian et al 2014]. This decentralization of control of tree management from the state to communities seems to be crucial for farmer managed regeneration of trees to work [Mikulčak 2011]. Land tenure influence tree management. Land ownership increase the likelihood that farmers plant trees, but does not influence if farmers protect naturally sprouting trees.

Multifunctional landscapes must be managed in an integrated way

Farmers are knowledgeable of what the landscape provides and how the generation of these benefits are interlinked, but institutions at higher level might not integrate their work sufficiently. In Burkina Faso there seems to be a potential for integrated management as the responsibility for natural resources management is decentralized to the municipal level. But this decentralization is relatively new and the provincial, regional and national ministries are still separate for agriculture, livestock and environment [Sinare 2016].