Special Issue "Benefits Enclosed in Agroforestry-Based Systems"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Forestry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 February 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Elena Brunori
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro-food and Forest systems (DIBAF), Tuscia University, S. Camillo de Lellis snc, 01100 - VT Viterbo, Italy
Interests: agroforestry; agro-ecology; biodiversity; climate change; climate smart agriculture; landscape quality; resilience; soil functions, viticulture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural systems are faced with new challenges and opportunities, from feeding an expanding global population, to producing more food on fewer hectares while increasing resilience and reducing the environmental footprint.

Sustainable agricultural intensification has attracted attention worldwide as an emerging paradigm of agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences. Sustainable intensification looks at whole landscapes, territories, and ecosystems to optimize resource utilization and management and to increase the “knowledge per hectare”.

Agroforestry systems can represent a form of agriculture “alternative” to the conventional one, capable of providing multi-functional environmental, agronomic, economic, and social benefits to support the sustainable improvement of food, nutrition, and economic security. Agroforestry systems work towards land protection and conservation, and can have immense benefits for both the environment and the farmer, and stimulate the whole rural economy.

This Special Issue will include selected papers from these ecologically based natural resource management systems, which have already been adopted in many parts of the world, combined with the smart-climate agriculture approach, through the adoption of new technological trends such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Special attention will be given to studies that analyze the viability of agroforestry as strategic systems that can provide a more balanced set of provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural ecosystem services.

Above all, this Special Issue aims to reap the significant economic and environmental benefits of agroforestry systems, able to increase resilience while contributing to support ecosystem functions and preserve natural resources.

Prof. Elena Brunori
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • greening practices
  • organic farming
  • precision farming
  • agro-ecology
  • landscape ecology
  • sustainability

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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Article
Family Farming Plays an Essential Role in Preserving Soil Functionality: A Study on Active Managed and Abandoned Traditional Tree Crop-Based Systems
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3967; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073967 - 02 Apr 2021
Viewed by 427
Abstract
In traditional agricultural areas, where traditional crops (TCs) are cultivated, small farms are still highly represented. Located prevalently in marginal and sensitive areas, agricultural areas have undergone deep transformation. Smallholders have maintained the traditional asset of cultivation (extensive and low input requirement management) [...] Read more.
In traditional agricultural areas, where traditional crops (TCs) are cultivated, small farms are still highly represented. Located prevalently in marginal and sensitive areas, agricultural areas have undergone deep transformation. Smallholders have maintained the traditional asset of cultivation (extensive and low input requirement management) only to some extent. In some cases they have adapted traditional orchards into more intensive planting systems. Frequently, they have abandoned agriculture. The land use and management influence soil functions, i.e., the capability of a specific soil to provide key functions in terrestrial ecosystems. In order to assess whether small farms are environmentally sustainable, we used a set of soil quality indicators in three traditional tree crops in the Latium region (central Italy), like hazelnut, grapevine, and Citrus. The soil parameters, chemical, biological, and biochemical, were quantified under three different management models: extensive cultivation, intensive cultivation, and abandonment. The selected set of indicators proved to be able to discriminate adequately between the management models and to be suitable for the soil health assessment. Results proved that hazelnut orchards stored more organic C, independently from farming management, while vineyard showed the lower total organic carbon (TOC). The microbial carbon vs. organic carbon ratio (Cmic-to Corg ratio) was higher for vineyards and Citrus groves, denoting a more active degradation of soil organic matter. Soil enzymes (ESs) involved in C cycle were variable along the different treatments and mainly influenced by the C inputs to soil and soil cover, whereas those involved in N, P, and S cycles were higher in abandoned and extensive TCs. Overall, extensive cultivation performed better in terms of soil quality than intensive or abandonment. This study suggests that a transition to an agriculture based on agroecological principles and toward extensification would provide significant soil-based environmental benefits in marginal sensitive areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits Enclosed in Agroforestry-Based Systems)
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Review

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Review
Agroforestry: An Appropriate and Sustainable Response to a Changing Climate in Southern Africa?
Sustainability 2020, 12(17), 6796; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12176796 - 21 Aug 2020
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1869
Abstract
Agroforestry is often discussed as a strategy that can be used both for the adaptation to and the mitigation of climate change effects. The climate of southern Africa is predicted to be severely affected by such changes. With agriculture noted as the continent’s [...] Read more.
Agroforestry is often discussed as a strategy that can be used both for the adaptation to and the mitigation of climate change effects. The climate of southern Africa is predicted to be severely affected by such changes. With agriculture noted as the continent’s largest economic sector, issues such as food security and land degradation are in the forefront. In the light of such concerns we review the current literature to investigate if agroforestry systems (AFS) are a suitable response to the challenges besetting traditional agricultural caused by a changing climate. The benefits bestowed by AFS are multiple, offering ecosystem services, influence over crop production and positive impacts on rural livelihoods through provisioning and income generation. Nevertheless, knowledge gaps remain. We identify outstanding questions requiring further investigation such as the interplay between trees and crops and their combination, with a discussion of potential benefits. Furthermore, we identify deficiencies in the institutional and policy frameworks that underlie the adoption and stimulus of AFS in the southern African region. We uphold the concept that AFS remains an appropriate and sustainable response for an increased resilience against a changing climate in southern Africa for the benefit of livelihoods and multiple environmental values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Benefits Enclosed in Agroforestry-Based Systems)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Planned Papers 1:

Tentative Title: Is soil functionality affected by familiar farming? Testing active managed and abandoned traditional tree-crop based systems 

Authors: Rita Biasi 1, Elena  Brunori 1,* and Roberta Farina 2  

Affiliations: 

1. Department for Innovation in Biological Agrofood and Forest systems, Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, Italy; [email protected]  
2. Department for Innovation in Biological Agrofood and Forest systems, Tuscia University, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
3. CREA-AA;  [email protected] 

Correspondence: [email protected] 

Abstract: In traditional agricultural areas, where traditional crops are cultivated,  small farms are still highly represented. Located prevalently in marginal and sensitive areas, agricultural surfaces have undergone  deep transformation. Smallholders have only to a little extend maintained the traditional asset of cultivation (extensive and low input requirement management). In some cases the have adapted traditional orchards into more intensive planting systems or, frequently, they have abandoned agriculture.  The soil management practices are highly influencing soil functionality. In order to asses whether small farms are environmentally sustainable we tested a set of soil quality indicators in three traditional tree crops in the Latium region (central Italy), like hazelnut, grapevine and Citrus. The soil parameter were quantified under three different management models: extensive cultivation, intensive cultivation and abandonment.  Statistics proved that soil carbon balance was particularly positive in hazelnut orchards, independently from farming management, while vineyard showed the lower TOC. In general, extensive cultivation performed better in terms of soil quality than intensive or abandonment. This study suggests that a transition to an agriculture based on agroecological principles and in particular toward extensification would provide in marginal sensitive areas significant soil-based environmental benefits.

Keywords: abandoned land; traditional agricultural landscape; agro-forestry; Citrus x sinensis; Corylus avellana; intensification; extensification; Vitis vinifera  

Planned Paper 2:

Tentative Title: Urban and Peri-urban Agrosilviculture in Mexico

Authors: Ana Isabel Moreno Calles, Ek del Val, Karla Guzmán, Vianey Rangel, Aldair Valencia, Katia Moreno, Tzitzi Delgado and Abelardo Peréz-Monroy

Tentative Abstract: The Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture and Agroforestry (AFUP) refer to the relationships of urban and peri-urban inhabitants (agroforestry) with the agricultural and forest diversity (wild and domesticated of animals, plants, and fungi) in the cities and their surroundings. The AFUP is consistent with the objectives, motivations, feelings, and actions of the human groups that develop it (peasants, rural migrants, native peoples, new agroforestry farmers) due to its integration and resistance to the urban and peri-urban fabric and its possibility of interaction with the rest of urban functions. This work articulates information from print and digital media, as well as fieldwork. These practices in large and intermediate cities (Mexico City and Morelia) favor the maintenance of ecological relationships, the satisfaction of food, health and recreation needs, and access to economic income, and the incorporation of ecotechnologies into urban life.

Planned Papers 3:

Title: The challenge of a sustainable crop and weed management in the era of Green Deal of EU

Authors: Dr. Ilias Travlos

Affiliation: Faculty of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 118 55 Athens, Greece

Abstract: Overreliance on pesticides has transformed agriculture in many cases into a vulnerable system that is degraded by the negative effects of climate change. Herbicides pose a major commodity in crop protection and are highly needed in the context of sustainable agricultural production. Recently, EU citizens’ ambitions and needs for safer, healthier, and more ecologically friendly products and practices shift modern agriculture towards a more resilient type of production and consumption. Several strategic plans and directives have been released in global scale to meet the demands for less chemical reliant agriculture. EU Green Deal aims to reduce by 50% the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030. The introduction of non-chemical alternatives for weed management refers to the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), including novel cultivation techniques (such as stale seedbed, conservation tillage, or sowing densities and dates adjustments), crop rotation, biological agents and natural substances, cover crops, and new technologies and precision agriculture tools (such as Decision Support Systems). This review aims to provide a holistic framework for a sustainable weed management to reduce gas emissions and ensure plant protection by enhancing the biodiversity and securing farmer income in the era of Green Deal of EU.

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