We tested the approach in the summer of 2010, using an investigation area in the district of Unterlenningen (Figure 1), belonging to the low mountain range of the Swabian Alb in southwestern Germany. To reduce the number of variables, the analysis focused on a single land use type, namely the region’s typical form of orchards, called Streuobstwiesen: meadows relatively sparsely stocked with fruit trees, mainly apple, cherry, plum and pear trees. The meadows are predominately used for livestock (grazing, haymaking); meanwhile, the trees provide fruits for direct human consumption or as a basis for juices or spirits. In the Swabian Alb region, this special form of agroforestry characteristically forms a large belt around villages, ranging from the bottom to the lower and middle sides of the area’s valleys