Agroforestry Systems最新文献

The quantification of environmental conditions to predict the effect of extreme events (such as heat waves, HW) on livestock is important to animal welfare and performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of meteorological environments on physiological and productive parameters of heifers, either with voluntary access to natural shade on rangelands (Shade) or without (Sun), using the Heat Load Index (HLI). The experiment was carried out in Salto, Uruguay, during two consecutive summers. Three HW (Severe, Strong, Mild) and no HW (No HW) occurred in Year 1 while No HW occurred in Year 2. During the Severe HW 68% of hours corresponded to HLI warm to very warm (≥ 77.1) in the Sun and 67% of hours in the Shade. During the Strong and Mild HW, 56% of hours corresponded to HLI warm to very warm in the Sun and 49% in the Shade. No HW had more warm and very warm hours in Year 1 (Sun 48% and Shade 38%) than in Year 2 (Sun 12% and Shade 4%). During the Severe and Strong HW, shade was not sufficient to alleviate the heat load caused by advection of warm and humid air. During Mild HW and No HW, the HLI in the Shade treatment was mostly thermoneutral and temperate, which could explain the higher average weight gain compared to the Sun treatment. These findings stress the need to include natural shade on rangelands cattle production to improve animal welfare and productivity during summer.

Wooded pastures combine trees and pastures in a land-use system resulting from traditional silvopastoral practices. With their sparse tree cover, wooded pastures represent an ecotone between open area pastures and forests with potentially high species diversity, although this is poorly tested for animal groups especially insects. In this study, we aimed to characterise and compare species communities in terms of species composition and diversity indices, biomass and ecological traits of ground beetles in wooded pastures, forests and non-wooded pastures. Pitfall traps were set up in 29 study sites located in the Swiss Jura mountains. Ground beetle communities in wooded pastures largely encompass those in open pastures and forests, although some species are found only in forests or open areas. Wooded pastures and open pastures have an equivalent species diversity level, which is significantly higher than the one in forests. Ground beetle diversity is positively correlated with the surfaces of Biodiversity Promotion Areas within a 100 m radius. Areas with high tree cover (70–100%) favour brachypterous and hygrophilic species, whereas areas with reduced tree cover (0–20%) favour xerophilic and winged species. Ground beetles’ size and biomass increase with tree cover. Wooded pastures are an important ecotone, ensuring a gradual change of land-use systems between open areas and forests, where a wide range of species from both land-use systems are found. These semi-natural systems are important for the conservation of ground beetles.

Cacao can be cultivated either as a monoculture or within diverse agroforestry systems, which differ, among others, in the choice of shade tree species, tree density, and whether conventional or organic management is applied. Agroforestry can improve ecosystem services in comparison to cacao monocultures, but the effect of different systems on soil quality, a main driver of the whole ecosystem´s health, needs further investigation. We analysed soil samples from a long-term trial in Bolivia that compares conventional and organic monocultures, conventional and organic agroforestry, successional agroforestry, and fallow plots. We measured chemical parameters (pH, organic carbon, available phosphorous), microbial parameters (microbial biomass carbon and phosphorous, microbial activity), and enzymatic activity (phosphatase, β-glucosidase, urease and protease activities). Plant inputs to soil were also quantified in the different systems. Soil organic matter and enzymatic activities were higher in fallow plots than in monocultures. Agroforestry showed intermediate values, not significantly higher than monocultures. Management type (organic versus conventional) had minimal impact on most parameters. Plant matter input quantity did not affect soil properties, suggesting that quality and diversity of plant inputs might have stronger effects than the quantity. Moderate to strong spatial variability was observed for all studied parameters. For microbial and biochemical properties, sampling season also caused strong variation. Our study contributes to highlighting that the characteristics of specific plants, such as those that grow in the fallow plots, could have a higher impact on soil quality than the sheer quantity of fresh plant material incorporated into the soil.

Agroforestry is an alternative to unsustainable agricultural practices, aiding in the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. However, accurately assessing the carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry tree species remains challenging due to reliance on destructive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive methods that hinder forest cover restoration in Côte d'Ivoire. Commonly used pantropical allometric equations lack specificity and precision, complicating carbon sequestration estimates. To address this, our study focused on four agroforestry species in Côte d'Ivoire: Theobroma cacao, Hevea brasiliensis, Coffea canephora, and Anacardium occidentale. We compared aboveground biomass estimates obtained using general and specific allometric equations for these species, collecting dendrometric measurements from 655T. cacao, 69 H. brasiliensis, 90 C. canephora, and 73 A. occidentale individuals. No concordance was found between generic and specific allometric equations using a linear regression model. The general equation significantly underestimated aboveground biomass by 20.06 kg, 1.10 kg, 7.28 kg, and 11.50 kg per tree for T. cacao, H. brasiliensis, C. canephora, and A. occidentale, respectively. The differences indicated a carbon sequestration potential 17.2% to 18.7% higher when using specific equations in cocoa-based agroforestry systems. This study underscores the urgency of developing customized allometric equations for more precise carbon sequestration assessments, enhancing the accuracy of agroforestry's contribution to climate change mitigation.

Successional agroforestry systems have the capacity to increase soil fertility and restore degraded ecosystems. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of agroforestry systems, at different stages of ecological succession, on the dynamics of chemical and physical soil fertility attributes in the Brazil South region. Soil samples were collected under five different conditions: (i) Control (T) = initial system (without agroforestry); (ii) SAF1 = agroforestry with 1 year of development; (iii) SAF3 = agroforestry with 3 years of development; (iv) SAF7 = agroforestry with 7 years of development; and (v) reference system (naturally regenerating forest with 30 years). Subsequently, determinations/calculations were carried out for chemical attributes/parameters (exchangeable Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺, P, Al³⁺, H⁺, sum of bases, effective and potential cation exchange capacity, cation exchange saturation with bases and Al³⁺), physical attributes (soil bulk density, particle density, total porosity, and moisture), and soil physicochemical properties (pH H₂O, pH in saline solutions, and SMP method), as well as chemical element stocks were calculated based on soil mass in each sampled layer. Results showed an increase in pH, total porosity, and nutrient stocks with the systems' development time, accompanied by a decrease in acidity components. The increase in soil fertility is directly related to the increase in soil organic matter content.

Selecting suitable tree species, cultivars or clones in agroforestry is essential for maximizing volume growth and reducing mortality. While most studies have investigated the performance of understory crops, more information is needed about the performance of trees in agroforestry systems. In the last decades, the forest industry in the Southeast has produced high-yielding loblolly pine varieties that can be propagated by cloning. We evaluated the performance of two forest industry-rated loblolly pine clones (Pinus taeda L.) that we planted in an agroforestry and a plantation setting at a northern Alabama site. Specifically, we assessed and compared the survival and growth of two genetically improved pine clones: clone 1 (CF Q3802-43) and clone 2 (CF L3519-41). Clone 1 had a significantly higher overall survival rate than clone 2 (86% vs. 83%). However, clone 2 demonstrated a superior performance growth compared to clone 1. Tree basal area, live crown ratio, height and total tree volume inside-bark of clone 2 averaged 0.027 m², 70%, 10.7 m and 0.11 m³, respectively, and all were significantly higher than those of clone 1 (0.024 m², 63%, 9.8 m, and 0.09 m³). Therefore, clone 1 is preferred over clone 2 for our region and in similar site conditions if survival is considered a selection criterion and clone 2 is preferred from the wood production viewpoint. However, it will be more advantageous to use clone 2 overall since its higher average tree volume (0.11 m³ vs. 0.09 m³ of clone 1) can easily offset the lower survival rate.

The relevance of cocoa agroforestry is widely discussed in debates on sustainability transition in cocoa, especially in the context of ending hunger and poverty among cocoa farmers. Whereas this has led to multiple cocoa agroforestry investments by NGOs, governments, and cocoa and chocolate companies in West and Central Africa, a notable gap exists in the literature on how these interventions respond to the needs of cocoa farmers who are typically framed as the primary target of equity in cocoa sustainability discussions. This paper contributes to bridging this gap by analyzing equity in implementing various cocoa agroforestry projects by different actors in Ghana’s Juabeso-Bia Landscape (JBL). I find that the ongoing cocoa agroforestry initiatives may be broadly characterized as renovative or additive in terms of how they (re)shape the various components on cocoa farms. Yet, they are all designed to primarily enhance cocoa productivity even when seasonal food insecurity is one of the most pressing challenges among cocoa farmers in the JBL. The persistent neglect of food in cocoa production risks leaving poverty and hunger in cocoa households unaddressed. Additionally, it increases cocoa households' predisposition to forest conversion, making current forms of cocoa agroforestry an indirect driver of deforestation in the landscape. To transform the current situation, policymakers and scholars must reflexively integrate household food security in designing cocoa agroforestry, prioritizing farmers’ involvement in dynamic agroforestry technologies that contribute directly to local food access over time. This contrasts the current policy and practice of cocoa agroforestry, focused on maintaining a prescribed number of shade trees on new or existing cocoa farms but highly likely to engender significantly greater inequity in the cocoa sector.

Despite its potential for fostering farm sustainability, the adoption of agroforestry faces context-dependent challenges, among which the (perceived) shortage of decision-supporting tools and barriers hindering the assessment of economic, environmental, and social benefits. The process of digitalization offers significant opportunities to enhance sustainability, but it remains crucial to foster a human-centric, fair, and sustainable approach. In the context of the DigitAF Horizon Europe project, we present the results of a multi-stakeholder questionnaire aimed at understanding the perceptions of stakeholders regarding agroforestry and digitalization, as well as the needs of these stakeholders for a successful implementation of this agricultural practice. In the questionnaire, there was a specific focus on the need for and the conditions for the use of digital tools and models, such as generalized digital tools, applications and mapping, climate and weather forecasting and recording, farm management and decision support, and agroforestry and environmental tools. The purpose of this survey was to provide insights to inform agroforestry actors and to foster collaborative initiatives that enhance the potential of digital tools to support the design, implementation, and maintenance of effective and sustainable agroforestry in the European context. Our questionnaire was completed by stakeholders from seven European countries, including farmers, academics, policy actors, farm advisors, and actors in the value chain with an interest in agroforestry. Stakeholders from six living labs, representing Czechia, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK, were involved in the appraisal, along with a multi-stakeholder group from Belgium. Respondents used data and digital tools for various purposes in farming systems and were interested in their potential to improve agroforestry including animal, tree, and crop performance, management guidance, system design, and tree species selection. Our survey revealed that the perceived usefulness of digital tools for agroforestry was substantially higher than stakeholders' awareness of existing tools, indicating a need for better promotion and development of user-friendly, accessible solutions. Additionally, significant obstacles to agroforestry adoption, such as large up-front investments, administrative burdens, and fear of reduced CAP support, were identified, emphasizing the necessity for targeted support and policy improvements. Moving forward, efforts should focus on developing targeted solutions to promote agroforestry according to stakeholder perception, and user-friendly digital tools tailored to the needs and preferences expressed by stakeholders, while also increasing knowledge sharing and capacity building among practitioners and researchers.

Agricultural systems have a long history of responding to various economic and socio-political forces, including supply and demand, political preferences and power inequalities. Our current food system continues to respond to contemporary forces with a call for sustainable transformations in the face of increased pressure and competition over resources, severe consequences of climatic change, widespread degradation of land and water resources, and the accelerating loss of biodiversity. Both agroforestry and agroecology have evolved as approaches to agricultural management that focus on the application of ecological principles to achieve sustainable agriculture. Agroecological principles are designed to engage with the entire agrifood system, for instance identifying broad participation and involving a diversity of actors and knowledge systems. Agroecological approaches to production have significant historical and contemporary links to agroforestry approaches, but not all agroecology involves trees and not all agroforestry is in line with agroecological principles. Drawing on (1) a literature review, (2) case studies on the agroforestry and agroecology nexus presented at the 5th World Congress on Agroforestry (WCA), and (3) audience responses to statements presented at the Congress, we explore the two main ways that agroforestry and agroecology come together: agroforestry that encompasses agroecological principles and agroecological transitions that involve trees. We review the status of agroecology, the functions specific to agroforestry that can enhance the achievement of agroecological outcomes, the tensions between simple agroforestry systems and agroecology, and the larger potential of multidimensional sustainability of agroforestry with the inclusion of agroecological principles. We also present the level of agreement on four key statements about the agroforestry-agroecology nexus enumerated at the WCA. It is clear that some features of agroforestry operationalize agroecological principles that aim to transition away from monocultures and the use of environmentally disruptive agrochemicals, and toward strengthening biodiversity and resilience. Yet, much remains to be done to enhance agroecological principles more fully in framing agroforestry practices and to incorporate trees within agroecological practices. Pathways to strengthen the nexus of agroforestry and agroecology are proposed, which focus on the role of trees in multifunctionality and resilience and using agroecological principles related to knowledge sharing and equity to enrich agroforestry practices.