Agroforestry Systems最新文献

The tree-based farming system is one of the finest options for crop diversification, ecological stabilisation and economic upliftment in the Indian Himalayan regions. Keeping this scenario in mind, an on-field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of Populus deltoides ‘G-48’ tree spacings (S₁:6 m × 4 m, S₂:4 m × 4 m) with open-field condition (S₀) and different nutrient sources [T₁:Control; T₂:100% RDN (recommended dose of nitrogen); T₃:75% RDN + 25% FYM (farmyard manure); T₄:50% RDN + 50% FYM; T₅:25% RDN + 75% FYM; T₆:100% FYM; T₇:100% Vermicompost); T₈:Jeevamrut (10%), each replicated thrice] on agronomic performance of Curcuma longa at Solan, India during 2019–2021. The results revealed that C. longa grown under tree spacing S₁ coupled with the application of T₃ treatment showed marked enhancement in growth, quality attributes of C. longa and post-harvest soil nutrient status whereas, yield attributes were better in S₀. The yield of C. longa was curtailed by 22.5 and 31.6%, whereas curcumin content was enhanced by 13.4% and 12.2% under S₁ and S₂, respectively over S₀. The vegetation carbon density (66.38 Mg ha⁻¹), total ecosystem carbon density (119.04 Mg ha⁻¹), and total carbon sequestered (436.47 Mg ha⁻¹) was found to be higher under S₁, whereas soil carbon density (55.68 Mg ha⁻¹) was maximum under S₂ being at par with S₁. Maximum net returns (14,693 US$ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) were realised under S₁ tree spacing and T₃ treatment. Overall, the study concluded that in P. deltoids–C. longa system, application of 75% RDN + 25% FYM at 6 m × 4 m spacing of poplar have demonstrated efficacy in getting a better quality of turmeric, maintaining soil fertility, and combating climate change.

The biomass yield and the crude protein (CP) content of temperate agroforestry-grassland were compared with that of a treeless control between 2017 and 2021. The single factor cropping system did not determine differences in yield nor CP content, while significant interactions with other studied factors occurred. At 1 m from the field edge, grassland yield was significantly lower in both the agroforestry system and the treeless control than at the other distances studied (4, 7, and 24 m). Overall, grassland yields were similar in agroforestry and control. The CP results were inconclusive. The highest, although not significant, CP levels were found in the agroforestry variant 1 m distance from the tree strip. Our study shows that due to edge effects on biomass yields, which may also occur in the treeless control, sampling of identical distances in agroforestry and control are necessary.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the soil organic carbon stock and litter mass in silvopastoral systems (SSP) implemented with Urochloa decumbens and different Eucalyptus spatial arrangements. The SSP was implemented in 2008 with the spatial arrangements of (3 × 2) + 20 m (434 trees ha⁻¹), (2 × 2) + 9 m (909 trees ha⁻¹) and 9 × 2 m (556 trees ha⁻¹) formed by the Eucalyptus cultivars GG100, I144 and VM 58. Soil samples at 0 to 20 and 0 to 40 cm depths were collected in SSP in 2011 and 2015 to determine soil organic carbon stock. The soil organic carbon stock was 38.5% higher in 2015 compared to 2011 (111 vs. 80.7 Mg ha⁻¹), which represented an annual sink of 6.22 Mg ha⁻¹ and indicates an increase in carbon stock over years. Litter mass was greater under the canopy than between trees, probably due to the greater drop in biomass in this location. The silvopastoral systems showed similar volumes of litter and soil organic carbon, which indicates that the evaluated arrangements have similar capacities to store carbon.

Shading with dynamic agrivoltaic (AV) could be a solution to mitigate the effects of climate change but their impact on the fruit quality has not been reported. Apple metabolism and quality were evaluated in a dynamic AV system in a mature ‘Golden Delicious’ orchard in the south of France (2019–2021). Trees were exposed to three different light treatments: maximal shading all day ‘AV max’, morning shading ‘AV morning’, and afternoon shading ‘AV afternoon’. Results were compared with control trees ‘C’. Shading did not modify fruit maturity and therefore harvest date. AV max reduced dry matter content (24%), soluble carbohydrate concentrations (23%) but maintained malic acid concentrations for 2 years out of 3. Sugar:acid ratio was significantly reduced under AV max. The kinetic model simulated the concentrations of soluble sugars, starch, and other compounds (organic acids, cell walls, proteins) and their interactions with reaction rates driven by multiple parameters. The calibration of these parameters with the experimental data made it possible to simulate carbohydrate dynamics of the different experimental years and treatments with a common set of parameters. This common set of parameters indicated that shading did not mostly alter apple metabolism. The model indicated that shading reduced incoming carbon flows and increased water entering the fruit, being the main reason of internal quality modifications. Shading with AV systems seems a useful tool to modify fruit quality for future higher temperatures. Dynamic AV offers the opportunity to tilt the solar panels for optimising carbon acquisition in critical periods for quality determination.

Agroforestry is an integrative farm management approach in which trees are deliberately integrated with other crops. Agroforestry systems can be effective if appropriate trees are chosen based on particular environmental and economic factors. However, it is crucial to identify suitable trees for agroforestry implementation (AI). The objective of the current study was to recognize the most suitable trees for AI in the agricultural lands of Nazar Kahrizi (NK) rural district of Hashtroud city, located in the northwest of Iran using a multi-dimensional approach. The study area was environmentally evaluated using ArcGIS, which led to the creation of 16 classes with different features. Then, based on the preference of 126 local farmers (from 26 villages of NK), 19 native trees were selected for AI assessment. These trees were evaluated and compared considering seven criteria (i.e., frostbite resistance, salinity resistance, sensitivity to drainage, storm resistance, drought resistance, preventing soil erosion, and economic benefits). Finally, a flexible multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) tool (PROMETHEE II) was applied to provide a complete ranking of preferred trees from the best to the worst for each class. The findings showed that the agricultural lands should be allocated for planting elaeagnus (about 79.6%, 27,446 ha), almond (13.5%, 4619 ha), quince (4.6%, 1573 ha), apple (1.8%, 635 ha), and walnuts (0.5%, 176 ha). Measurements showed that AI with the recommended trees in the study area will lead to CO₂ sequestration of about 12.96 Mg yr⁻¹. The approach used in this study provides a valuable resource for decision-making in AI evaluations and, therefore, contributes to preserving the lands from degradation and ensures sustainable AI.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is the main component of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems and an indicator of soil quality. The study aimed to investigate the stock and vertical distribution of SOC fractions and the SOC sequestration of different agroforestry systems (AFS) and other land uses in the Colombian Amazon. In each land use (Secondary forest—SF, Natural regeneration—NR, Alley cropping 1—AC1, Alley cropping 2—AC2, Forest plantations 1—FP1, Forest plantations 2—FP2, Crops in forest plantation—CFP, Shade trees for crops—STC, Homegarden—HG, Silvopastoral system—SPS and Pasture—P), four soil pits were made (1 × 1 × 1 m) to collect soil samples to determine SOC concentration by carbon lability fractions (C_VL: very labile, C_L: labile, C_LL: less labile, C_NL: non-labile) and bulk density at four depths (0—10, 10–20, 20–40 and 40–100 cm). The mean SOC concentration was 15.3 ± 1.2 g kg⁻¹, with a higher concentration in 0–10 cm (26.1 ± 2.4 g kg⁻¹). The concentration of the different fractions presented the following order C_VL > C_NL > C_L > C_LL (7.4 ± 0.3, 4.8 ± 0.2, 2.7 ± 0.1 and 2.1 ± 0.1 g kg⁻¹, respectively). SOC stock was 13.3 to 220.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ in the 0–100 cm layers, where FP1, FP2, AC1 and AC2 showed the highest values (174.0 to 199.0 Mg ha⁻¹). In contrast, HG, P and STC showed the lowest values with 134.0, 116.0 and 96.2 Mg ha⁻¹, respectively. Therefore, and due to the contribution of the most stable carbon fractions in the soil (C_LL and C_NL), land uses such as AC1 and AC2 presented the highest levels of carbon stability measured by the carbon management index. Therefore, the different land uses with agroforestry systems increased the amount and stability of carbon accumulated in the soil compared to pasture.

Abstract

Soils provide essential ecosystem services for the existence of ecosystems and biodiversity. It is crucial to understand their quality through the evaluation of ecological processes. However, only some studies estimate the effectiveness of ecosystem restoration based on evaluating soil quality (SQ) indicators. This research evaluated the five most common land-use scenarios in Andean ecosystems within the Natural Reserve of the Civil Society (RNSC) “La Montaña Mágica” under natural forest, coffee plantation, badlands, and active and passive restoration. The main objective was to analyze the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics concerning land use, establish the baseline for SQ indicators in different land use activities, and determine the status of restoration systems for other land uses in the study site. ANOVA and Dunnett's test evaluated SQ parameters. In passive and active restoration, soil bulk density, porosity, and the number of individuals and families of macroinvertebrates were improved. The latter presented low pH and aluminum values but increased potassium compared to other soil uses. The restoration strategies favored changes in SQ indicators due to the contribution of organic carbon, a developed root system, and the recirculation of nutrients in the edaphic system. This study provided information on changes in SQ with soil usage as a practical tool to evaluate ecological restoration methods in natural areas of the eastern Colombian Andes.

Cultivating a biodiverse ecosystem through the intercropping of corn and beans in an agroforestry system (AS) can be a strategy for sustainable and weather-resilient production. However, the reduction in solar radiation availability may pose a challenge to the success of this agricultural practice. The objective of this study was to determine the potential effects of solar radiation transmittance in an AS on the growth and production of corn and beans in both sole-crop and intercropped conditions. We conducted experiments using a randomized complete block design in a three-factorial arrangement (2 × 6 × 2) for corn and a two-factorial arrangement (2 × 5) for beans. The treatments included different cultivation environments (AS and full sun), corn cultivars (BRS 015FB, BRS 019TL), and plant arrangements. The plant arrangements involved both corn and bean cultivars (BRS Paisano) in monoculture and intercropped configurations with one and two rows of each species interspersed (1:1; 2:2). We assessed plant growth, yield, and biological efficiency indices for the crops. The results indicate that AS, with its reduced solar radiation, promotes greater plant height and leaf area in both corn and bean plants but results in lower productivity compared to full sun. Among the corn cultivars, BRS 019TL exhibited the highest productivity. However, in years with severe droughts, the use of intercropping with BRS 015FB shows greater land use efficiency within the AS. Furthermore, corn can be successfully intercropped with beans without a loss in production, while beans are best cultivated as a monoculture.

Agroforestry systems (AFS) represent combinations of trees, arable crops, and/or pastures. Being assemblages of diverse life-forms, they exhibit complex biophysical interactions. For instance, the multistrata canopies shade the understory crops by intercepting a significant amount of the incoming solar radiation. Optimizing understory productivity, thus, requires understanding the elements that affect the canopy transmittance of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and its spatiotemporal dynamics. We systematically reviewed the peer-reviewed literature involving 145 tropical and subtropical tree + crop combinations. The theoretical underpinnings of interspecific interactions in developing agroforestry stands were elucidated using a conceptual model. Additionally, the linkage between subcanopy PAR levels and yield was established for 11 arable crops. PAR reaching the understory and the subcanopy yield levels were tremendously variable across AFS. Relative yields ranged from 6 to 188% of the sole crops. Stage of stand development, canopy architecture, and management factors are cardinal determinants of canopy light extinction, understory PAR availability, and yield. The yield of shade-tolerant crops either increased (“over-yielding”) or remained the same as PAR levels decreased within certain limits, albeit with intraspecific variations. The tree-crop interaction effects on yield were positive, negative, or neutral. In total, 19 cases showed positive responses, 29 were neutral, and 113 were negative, with a few overlapping responses depending on the tree, crop, and management. This implies that the key to ecological intensification is component selection and management. Agroforestry, while containing the loss of, maintaining, or even increasing understory yields, thus maximizes overall (tree + crop) outputs and land equivalent ratio.

The transformation of tropical forests to agricultural systems modifies the diversity of species. Species respond differentially to disturbance depending on how they interact with their environment; therefore, the diversity of species that results following the transformation of a tropical forest could depend on the type of agricultural system that is established and the traits and functions of the species that make up the native communities. In this study, the effect of establishing two agricultural systems on an assemblage of tropical forest lizards was evaluated. To do so, the functional diversity and species diversity of lizards in tropical forest, a lime crop, and a coconut crop in southeastern Mexico were analyzed. The results showed that both the functional diversity and the diversity of species decreased when the tropical forest was transformed into either of these agricultural systems. However, this decrease differs in magnitude depending on the type of crop, since in the lime crop (less heterogeneous) there was a greater reduction in species richness, of functional groups, and of the members of the functional groups than in the coconut crop (more heterogeneous). The agricultural systems studied are not capable of maintaining the diversity of native species or the functional diversity of tropical forest lizards. Therefore, in landscapes modified by humans, it is essential to maintain fragments of native forest between agricultural plots to conserve those species highly susceptible to tropical forest transformation, as well as assemblages of species with a wide variety of functional traits.