Agroforestry Systems最新文献

We analyzed the dynamics of floristic diversity and soil characteristics in a 10-year-old fertirrigated cork oak (Quercus suber) stand, a species of high ecological, social, and economic importance in the Mediterranean region. Given the decline of cork oak in recent decades, long-term research on newly established stands using fertirrigation was initiated to accelerate tree growth until productive maturity. The study was conducted over a 6-ha area, subjected to various fertirrigation treatments. Across the study site, 4 × 8 m sample plots were established under three canopy cover classes. The aim of this study was to assess soil recovery and floristic composition in relation to canopy cover. Soil recovery was evaluated by comparing the current chemical composition with the initial soil status. For floristic composition, the Zürich-Montpellier School method was applied within each sample plot. Conservation status was assessed by the quality and quantity of plant bioindicators. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and Principal Component Analysis were used to determine the degree of similarity between plant communities. The main results indicated an overall soil recovery that was not associated with canopy cover. In contrast, the diversity and quality of floristic composition differed significantly in areas with higher canopy cover compared to more open areas, though plant diversity was lower under dense canopies. These findings suggest that irrigating cork oaks accelerates ecological recovery, facilitating the establishment of new forest ecosystems in a shorter time frame. The most positive impacts were observed in the improvement of floristic composition and a reduced need for heliophilous shrub control.

In the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), agroforestry has become an essential land-use strategy that combines ecological preservation with socio-economic progress. This research presents an extensive bibliographic review of current studies on agroforestry in the IHR, emphasizing significant patterns, thematic areas, and existing research gaps. Through a review of peer-reviewed journals, books, reports, and conference papers, we have identified key themes such as environmental sustainability, socio-economic benefits, biodiversity conservation, and policy frameworks. Our analysis highlights the broad acknowledgment of agroforestry’s benefits in the region while also pointing out ongoing challenges, including policy limitations, the effects of climate change, and issues related to land ownership. Substantial gaps in research, especially concerning the long-term evaluation of agroforestry’s effects and the involvement of local communities in policy development is recognized as a major factor impeding agroforestry success in the region. The conclusions drawn from this review provide important insights for future research and policy measures aimed at improving agroforestry practices in the IHR.

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Climate change has had increasingly negative effects on agricultural productivity. Alley cropping agroforestry systems may improve crop resilience to climatic variation as they provide a more stable microclimate for physiological and productive performance of crops as compared to conventional monocultures. This study evaluated microclimatic variation as well as physiological and productive performance of maize in an alley cropping agroforestry system with the presence of Leucaena leucocephala, Guazuma ulmifolia; experiments consisted of six treatments (and two controls) with and without soil cover using foliage obtained of each tree species and a combination of both. Microclimate in the crop area and physiology of the maize plants (gas exchange, water use efficiency, fluorescence, and water status) were characterized 45 and 70 days after planting the maize. Treatments with soil cover had lower soil temperatures (0.48–1.28 °C) and retained 14–50% more water than those without cover. Transpiration and CO₂ assimilation of maize plants increased from day 45 to day 70 in all treatments. Maize plants in the treatment with both tree species with soil cover and treatment with L. leucocephala without cover had the greatest CO₂ assimilation; total weight of maize grain was up to 85% greatest in treatments with soil cover, which also showed up to 21% higher chlorophyll content. Given that application of soil cover using foliage of woody species in agroforestry systems improves microclimate, crop physiology and yield of maize, implementation of such systems could be a viable strategy for mitigating the effects of climate change on agriculture.

Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and water extractable organic carbon (WOC) are important parameters of soil fertility and essential indicators for sustainable management of any land use types. This study was undertaken in 2B4D6-watershed of central Himalaya to examine the soils (0–30 cm depth) of different land use types i.e. agroforestry (agrisilviculture, agrihorticulture, agrihortisilviculture, agrisilvihorticulture), silvipastoral (chir pine, mixed and banz oak based silvipasture) and grasslands for MBC, MBN, microbial population and WOC along the elevation gradient ranging from 980 to 2250 m a.s.l. Watershed (2B4D6) was delineated in five elevation zones i.e. E₁ (< 1100 m), E₂ (1101–1400 m), E₃ (1401–1700 m), E₄ (1701–2000 m) and E₅ (> 2000 m). The MBC, MBN, microbial population and WOC contents varied significantly among land use types and it increased along the elevation. Significantly highest MBC and MBN (597.33 and 65.33 µg g⁻¹ dry soil) was recorded in banz oak-silvipasture and lowest in grassland (318.59 and 37.80 µg g⁻¹ dry soil), respectively. While, WOC ranged from 139.13 to 260.32 µg g⁻¹ dry soil with highest in banz oak-silvipasture. Microbial population significantly varied in land use types along elevation and had strong positive correlation with MBC, MBN and WOC. Two principal components (which explained 87.60% of total variance) were extracted from parameters of the soil. To enhance soil health and nutrient cycling, prioritize agriculture-based agroforestry systems for their higher MBC, MBN and microbial population. Adopt silvipastoral systems as effective alternatives, especially at elevations above 2000 m, where soil benefits are maximized.

Peatlands in South Sumatra, Indonesia, covering 24% of the region, are vital for local livelihoods and ecosystem services. Unsustainable cultivation practices threaten their sustainability through irreversible drying of the peat, increased greenhouse gas emissions and fire risks. Agroforestry practices, when adapted to peatlands, may offer multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits. This study evaluated the economic viability of two rice-based and three rubber-based agroforestry systems, designed by World Agroforestry for cultivated peatlands in South Sumatra, comparing them to monoculture baselines. Using decision analysis and probabilistic modelling, including Monte Carlo simulations, we conducted probabilistic cost-benefits analyses, accounting for risks and uncertainties and incorporating expert knowledge. Our model simulated decision outcomes under two scenarios—with and without considering family labour in the costs—to assess the impact of family labour on the outcomes. We identified key uncertainties affecting model outcomes through sensitivity analysis and value of information calculations. Our results showed that rice-based agroforestry systems require substantial establishment costs, mainly for constructing dikes to enable dryland crop cultivation. Despite these upfront costs, the two designed rice-based agroforestry systems offer the potential for higher net returns compared to rice monoculture, especially when family labour costs are excluded from the calculation. All rubber-based agroforestry systems demonstrate higher net returns in the long term compared to rubber monoculture in both family labour scenarios. Narrowing knowledge gaps related to key variables, such as the discount rate, crop yields, crop prices, risk event probabilities and rice yield losses, is important for supporting the decision-making process for rice-based agroforestry systems.

Cocoa agroforestry systems (CAS) are widely advocated for their numerous benefits such as food security, soil productivity, and carbon sequestration. However, the role of CAS of various ages in soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and nutrient processes remains poorly understood, particularly in Ghana. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess the impact of different ages of CAS on soil carbon stocks and soil fertility attributes in the semi-deciduous forest zone of Ghana. Based on availability and similar management practices, cocoa agroforestry systems aged 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years were sampled for soil data collection. In each CAS, three 30 m × 30 m quadrats were randomly laid, and soil samples were taken. The SOC content in the 25-year-old CAS was 1.11–1.25 times higher than that of the other CAS. We observed a 16% increase in SOC stocks in the 25-year CAS compared to the 5-year CAS, highlighting the buildup of SOC over time. The 25-year-old CAS exhibited a higher capacity to store microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen, mineralizable nitrogen, available phosphorus, and exchangeable cations, as evidenced by the cluster analysis. The principal component analysis revealed a strong influence of twelve soil attributes, including nitrate and ammonium nitrogen, SOC contents and stocks, and MBC, emphasizing their critical role in soil fertility in CAS. The study underscores the importance of CAS as a climate regulator through its role in soil organic carbon storage. Consequently, these results have important implications for sustainable land management and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

This study examined the dynamics and diversity of enset-based agroforestry systems in Southwest Ethiopia, with a focus on structure and composition of enset gardens in Kaffa Zone. A total of 240 gardens were assessed from eight locations in Telo and Adiyo districts. The results showed that the enset gardens of Kaffa are basically poly-variety in nature, composed of multiple enset varieties, with some individual gardens hosting up to 16 distinct landraces. The gardens shared a number of structural features in terms of component organization. However, the components such as age, gender, and use groups are not represented equally. The gardens are therefore dynamic in composition. Their dynamic nature arises from the impact of socioeconomic, human, and environmental factors, with the former primarily differentiating clonal variation across gardens. In Kaffa, enset is represented by a large number of intraspecific units; with altogether around 126 named units were recorded. Of these, 82 landraces that have actually grown were recorded in Telo and Adiyo districts, making Kaffa a hub of enset diversity. The Kaffa custom of managing a garden with multiple varieties is seen as a means to safeguard diversity. However, there were many landraces with a narrow distribution and low abundances. Typically, many gardens contain a much larger number of a few cosmopolitan ones, indicating the need for prompt measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of this unique farming in Ethiopia.

Knowledge of how tree species with contrasting growth strategies establish in temperate tree-based intercropping (TBI) systems is still limited. We assessed the 10-year performance of five hardwood species (Alnus glutinosa, Juglans nigra, Quercus macrocarpa, Quercus rubra, Tilia americana), planted either in monoculture or with hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides × P. nigra), in a TBI system (50 trees ha⁻¹) in southern Québec, Canada. Mixtures generally performed as expected from component monocultures, with no significant net biodiversity effects, except in Quercus rubra-poplar mixtures that showed positive interactions. Productivity in mixtures was mainly driven by poplar dominance, reflecting a selection effect rather than complementarity, with early biomass outcomes shaped more by fast-growing poplar than niche differentiation. Tree carbon sequestration rates averaged 1.2 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in hardwood monocultures, 4.4 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in mixtures, and 7.1 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in poplar monocultures. In mixtures, hardwoods had reduced diameter growth but maintained similar heights, resulting in higher height-to-diameter ratios that indicate straighter, more desirable stem form for timber. Juglans nigra and Quercus macrocarpa showed the greatest diameter growth reductions, likely due to shade intolerance. Physical injuries and morphological defects tended to be less frequent in mixtures, although not significantly. Species-specific vulnerabilities, such as necrosis in Alnus glutinosa and frequent suckering in poplar, warrant further attention. Despite some reduced growth in individual hardwoods, plots with hardwoods mixed with poplar sequestered substantially more biomass C than pure hardwood plots, providing ecosystem services more rapidly and supporting long-term functions in productive TBI systems.

Coffee production faces complex challenges that threaten the sustainability of the sector. Coffee agroforestry systems are widely recognized as a venue to deal with this interconnected environmental and socioeconomic challenges by enhancing the resilience of the agroecosystem through the promotion of ecological-based land practices. However, information on the benefits of associating trees with sustainability and other complex challenges remains scattered and often difficult to retrieve. This study aimed to build a comprehensive bibliographic database on coffee agroforestry systems containing pertinent and useful literature. Web of Science and the Agricultural Information and Documentation System of the Americas (SIDALC) and agroforestry expert local databases were consulted. A systematic search of publications related to coffee agroforestry systems was carried out for the last 60 years (1964–2024). Bibliometric methods were used to analyze the references. A total of 1317 references were included in the bibliographic database published in Zotero. For the bibliometric analysis, only 1107 references were considered. Latin America (702 publications) is the region with the highest number of publications on coffee agroforestry. The top 10 most frequent terms were: “agroforestry”, “agroecology”, “agroforestry systems”, “biodiversity”, “certification”, “climate change”, “ecosystem services”, “pest insects”, “shade”, and “sustainability”, with variations in use between years. Terms such as “climate change” and “biodiversity” have been a growing focus of research in the last five years of the period analyzed. The Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Universidade Federal de Lavras, and Universidade Federal de ViVosa were the institutions with the highest share of publications on coffee agroforestry systems. The bibliographic reference database offers an overview of research trends in coffee agroforestry and sheds light on key knowledge gaps that must be addressed to tackle some of the pressing challenges of the sector.

This study investigates the floristic diversity and biomass carbon (BC) stocks in homegarden agroforestry (HGAF) across four Sites along varying elevation gradients at the eastern escarpment of Chercher Massif, Ethiopia. The objectives were to compare species diversity and BC stocks among sites, assess the effects of elevation and diversity on BC considering stand structure, plant origin, and life forms, and evaluate their interaction effects. A multistage sampling approach identified 120 HGAF farm households. Vegetation inventories within 20 m × 20 m plots measured perennial plants, Biomass estimated with allometric models was converted to carbon (C) stocks. Results revealed 115 plant species, with significant differences in species richness and diversity across Sites and elevation gradients. Trees constituted 51.3% of the species, with shrubs contributing 61.3% of the total number of stems. The mean total BC stock was 171.76 Mg C ha⁻¹ of which over 50% was contributed by trees, with significant variation across sites and along elevation gradients. Elevation and species diversity positively influenced BC stocks, with notable interaction effects indicating synergistic impacts. Native species significantly contributed to BC stocks than exotics, and life form significantly affected BC stocks distribution. Furthermore, the results of linear mixed models confirmed that elevation, and floristic diversity as key predictors of BC stocks, with significant interaction effects enhancing model explanatory power. The models explain a moderate proportion of variance in BC stocks, with marginal R² values of up to 54%. From a climate-smart agriculture perspective, this study highlights the importance of promoting floristic diversity and native species in HGAF to enhance BC stocks, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation. Regarding REDD + policies, the findings underscore the potential of elevational gradients and biodiversity conservation in AF landscapes to optimize C sequestration, supporting integrated strategies for forest and land management. These insights can inform policies that incentivize the conservation and sustainable management of AF systems, integrating biodiversity conservation with climate mitigation efforts under REDD + frameworks.