Agroforestry Systems for Sustainable Land Management: Innovations and Challenges

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Systems and Global Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1502

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Art and Territory Science, INTERRA Research Institute for Sustainable Territorial Development, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: agroforestry systems; land use/cover management; land use/cover dynamics; GIS; remote sensing; geomorphology; precision agriculture

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Guest Editor
Department of Art and Territory Science, INTERRA Research Institute for Sustainable Territorial Development, University of Extremadura, 10071 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: environmental modeling; land degradation; GIS; land use/cover management; land use/cover dynamics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agroforestry, the integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes, has gained significant attention for its potential to enhance biodiversity, improve ecosystem services, and contribute to sustainable land management. As global pressures on the environment and land use intensify, agroforestry presents promising approaches to address the complex challenges of climate change, food security, water scarcity, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, while maintaining or improving agricultural productivity, restoring soil health, or providing habitats for wildlife. Despite its potential benefits, the implementation of agroforestry is often constrained by socio-economic, policy, and technical barriers that vary across regions. It is crucial to identify research opportunities and challenges in this area to gain a deeper understanding of how these systems can be optimized for various landscapes and contexts.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) providing insights into agroforestry systems and their role in promoting sustainable land use and environmental conservation. It seeks to offer a platform for innovative solutions, theoretical advancements, and empirical studies that examine how agroforestry systems can be effectively integrated into diverse landscapes. The objective is to provide further knowledge of sustainable agriculture, ecosystem services, land–climate interactions, ecological resilience, and landscape management.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

  • Agroforestry effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services;
  • Climate change adaptation and mitigation through agroforestry;
  • Socio-economic challenges and opportunities in the adoption of agroforestry;
  • Policy frameworks and incentives for promoting agroforestry;
  • Technological and management innovations in agroforestry systems;
  • Local knowledge on agroforestry practices and management.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Judit Rubio-Delgado
Dr. J. Francisco Lavado Contador
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • agroforestry
  • sustainability
  • environmental conservation
  • ecosystem services
  • biodiversity
  • land management innovation
  • land use/cover dynamics
  • climate change adaptation
  • climate change mitigation

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 16167 KiB  
Article
Cosmic-Ray Neutron Sensor Backpack for Assessing Spatial and Temporal Variations in Soil Water Content in an Agroforestry System in Northern Spain
by Leticia Gaspar, Trenton E. Franz and Ana Navas
Land 2025, 14(4), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040744 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 214
Abstract
Accurate, real-time, and multi-scale soil water content (SWC) monitoring is crucial for understanding terrestrial energy, water, and nutrient cycles. This study assesses the potential of a portable cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) backpack for measuring SWC in a Mediterranean mountain agroforestry system. Seven field [...] Read more.
Accurate, real-time, and multi-scale soil water content (SWC) monitoring is crucial for understanding terrestrial energy, water, and nutrient cycles. This study assesses the potential of a portable cosmic-ray neutron sensor (CRNS) backpack for measuring SWC in a Mediterranean mountain agroforestry system. Seven field surveys were conducted in northern Spain, covering nine control points under woodland and cropland. CRNS data were compared with in situ SWC measurements from an SM-200 field probe and the NDMI index derived from Sentinel-2 imagery. The results show that the CRNS backpack effectively captures spatial and temporal SWC variations. The CRNS method demonstrated advantages over point-scale sensors by providing integrated measurements at an intermediate scale, while Sentinel-2 data offered valuable insights into moisture variability through vegetation response. The moderate correlations observed among the three methods highlight the complementarity of these approaches for soil moisture monitoring in heterogeneous landscapes. This work underscores the potential of mobile CRNS sensor as a practical tool for field-scale SWC assessment in Mediterranean mountain agroforestry systems, offering new opportunities for cropland and water management in similar landscapes. Full article
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15 pages, 1704 KiB  
Article
Fostering Circularity in Agroforestry Biomass: A Regulatory Framework for Sustainable Resource Management
by Tiago Bastos, Leonel J. R. Nunes and Leonor Teixeira
Land 2025, 14(2), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020362 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 578
Abstract
Sustainability is under threat due to inefficient waste management. In the industrial sector, mechanisms such as value chains and producer obligations have advanced circular economy practices. However, in the agroforestry sector, open burning of waste remains prevalent, resulting in resource loss and heightened [...] Read more.
Sustainability is under threat due to inefficient waste management. In the industrial sector, mechanisms such as value chains and producer obligations have advanced circular economy practices. However, in the agroforestry sector, open burning of waste remains prevalent, resulting in resource loss and heightened fire risks. This scenario jeopardizes the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability, underscoring the need for legal frameworks to ensure waste recovery. This study proposes a regulatory framework to enhance the circular economy in agroforestry waste management. A benchmarking analysis was conducted to examine waste recovery systems where circular economy principles are successfully implemented. Insights from these systems were integrated with an in-depth assessment of the agroforestry biomass recovery chain to develop actionable regulatory measures. The proposed framework includes measures such as mandatory delivery of biomass, creation of aggregation centers, and incentives for biomass recovery. These measures are tailored to reduce fire risks, improve resource efficiency, and align stakeholders’ practices with sustainability goals. Visual tools, including comparative tables and diagrams, illustrate the framework’s impact. The study highlights the potential of regulatory interventions to promote agroforestry waste recovery, supporting sustainable development. Future work should focus on pilot implementations to validate the framework’s effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Full article
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