Search Results (30)

Freshwater ecosystems—home to roughly 10% of known species—are losing biodiversity to river-morphology alteration, hydraulic infrastructure, and pollution, yet most ecological network (EN) studies focus on terrestrial systems and overlook hydrological connectivity under human disturbance. To address this, we devised and tested a dual EN framework in the Yangtze River Delta’s Ecological Green Integration Demonstration Zone, constructing freshwater and terrestrial networks independently before merging them. Using InVEST Habitat Quality, MSPA, the MCR model, and Linkage Mapper, we delineated sources and corridors: freshwater sources combined NDWI-InVEST indicators with a modified, sluice-weighted resistance surface, producing 78 patches (mean 348.7 ha) clustered around major lakes and 456.4 km of corridors (42.50% primary). Terrestrial sources used NDVI-InVEST with a conventional resistance surface, yielding 100 smaller patches (mean 121.6 ha) dispersed across woodlands and agricultural belts and 658.8 km of corridors (36.45% primary). Unified models typically favor large sources from dominant ecosystems while overlooking small, high-value patches in non-dominant systems, generating corridors that span both freshwater and terrestrial habitats and mismatch species migration patterns. Our dual framework better reflects species migration characteristics, accurately captures dispersal paths, and successfully integrates key agroforestry-complex patches that unified models miss, providing a practical tool for biodiversity protection in disturbed freshwater–terrestrial landscapes. Full article

Given the climate crisis, the search for sustainable production with potential to reduce excess of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere has been the subject of global agreements. Soils are fundamental carbon storage systems, with a relevant role in CO₂ mitigation emissions. Considering coffee as an important commodity for several countries and agroforestry systems (AFSs) as important allies for mitigating greenhouse gases emitted by the agricultural sector, this study aimed to investigate the ability of coffee plantations in AFSs to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, through soil carbon sequestration. For this purpose, we performed a meta-analysis of 45 AFSs, including simple and diversified ones, from a detailed literature search of scientific research investigating soil organic carbon in AFSs including coffee cultivation. Overall, no effect of AFSs on carbon stock change rates was found, but an increment of soil carbon storage was observed when comparing AFSs with conventional coffee cultivation. Generally, climatic variables and soil texture positively affect soil carbon stock. When comparing diversified and simple AFSs, the first had a positive effect on carbon stock change rates. Agroforestry coffee showed capacity to mitigate climate effects through carbon storage in the soil, especially when the system is diversified. This is a climate-smart strategy and should be implemented in preference to conventional coffee cultivation. Full article

Low-intensity, diversified agricultural land use is needed to counteract the current decline in agrobiodiversity. Landscape ecology tools can support agrobiodiversity assessment efforts by investigating biodiversity-related ecological functions (pattern–process paradigm). In this study, we test a toolkit of landscape ecology analyses to compare different farm management models: polyculture agroforestry (POLY) vs. conventional monoculture crop management (CV). Farm-scale analyses are applied on temperate alluvial sites (Po Plain, Northern Italy), as part of a broader multi-scale analytical approach. We analyze the landscape ecological quality through landscape matrix composition, patch shape complexity, diversity, metastability, and connectivity indices. We assess farm differences through multivariate analyses and t-tests and test a farm classification tool, namely, a scoring system based on the relative contributions of POLY farms, considering their deviation from a local CV baseline. The results showed a separate ecological behavior of the two models. The POLY model showed better performance, with significant positive contributions to the forest and semi-natural component equipment and diversity; agricultural component diversity, metastability; total farm diversity, metastability, connectivity, and circuitry. A reference matrix for the ecological interpretation of the results is provided. Farm classification provides a quick synthesis of such contributions, facilitating farm comparisons. The methodology has a low cost and quickly provides information on ongoing ecological processes resulting from specific farm management practices; it is intended to complement field-scale assessments and could help to meet the need for a partially outcome-based assessment of good farm practice. Full article

This review paper synthesizes the current understanding of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from field cropping systems. It examines the key factors influencing GHG emissions, including crop type, management practices, and soil conditions. The review highlights the variability in GHG emissions across different cropping systems. Conventional tillage systems generally emit higher levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) than no-till or reduced tillage systems. Crop rotation, cover cropping, and residue management can significantly reduce GHG emissions by improving soil carbon sequestration and reducing nitrogen fertilizer requirements. The paper also discusses the challenges and opportunities for mitigating GHG emissions in field cropping systems. Precision agriculture techniques, such as variable rate application of fertilizers and water, can optimize crop production while minimizing environmental impacts. Agroforestry systems, which integrate trees and crops, offer the potential for carbon sequestration and reducing N₂O emissions. This review provides insights into the latest research on GHG emissions from field cropping systems and identifies areas for further study. It emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable management practices to reduce GHG emissions and enhance the environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. Full article

Panax notoginseng (Sanqi) is a precious traditional Chinese medicine that is commonly cultivated using conventional management methods in agricultural systems in Yunnan, China, where it faces the challenge of continuous cropping obstacles (CCOs). However, the existence of Sanqi CCOs in Sanqi–pine agroforestry systems remains unclear. Here, we applied three types of exogenous organic acids (phthalic acid, palmitic acid, and phthalic + palmitic mixed organic acids) mainly derived from the root exudates of Sanqi to simulate the CCOs; then, we compared the effects on plant growth, soil physicochemical properties, soil microbes, and soil metabolites. We found that organic acid concentrations of >250 mg/kg reduced the fresh weight of Sanqi and the levels of total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, soil water content, total phosphorus, and pH value; these concentrations also increased the soil bacterial and fungal α-diversity. The type of organic acid, as opposed to the concentration and duration of treatment, had a vital impact on the structure of the bacterial and fungal community in Sanqi soils. Moreover, the organic acid concentrations of >250 mg/kg also decreased the complexity and stability of the bacterial and fungal network. In addition, the metabolic pathways in the soils under different organic acids included 17 differential metabolites (DMs), which were involved in steroid hormone biosynthesis. The structural equation models (SEMs) revealed that plant growth, soil edaphic factors, and soil metabolites had direct or indirect influences on soil microbial communities under different organic acid conditions. Our results suggest that any phthalic or palmitic acid concentrations at concentrations >250 mg/kg are detrimental to multiple aspects of Sanqi cultivation, confirming the presence of Sanqi CCOs in Sanqi–pine agroforestry systems. Full article

Indigenous peoples and local communities are key actors in the preservation of important biodiversity resources around the world. However, the ever-encroaching agricultural frontier and expansion of conventional agricultural practices threaten these communities, their autonomy over the land, and the traditional knowledge and practices associated with biodiverse ecosystems. Agroecology emerges as an important solution to support the continuation of agrobiodiversity, food security, and environmental conservation, but top-down solutions often do not resonate with the lived realities of traditional, Indigenous, and small-scale farming communities. This paper examines a collaborative research and narrative network developed over the past several years around traditional erva-mate agroforestry production in Southern Paraná, Brazil. It offers an example of how oral environmental history and public history can support conservation practices through agroecology. The key outcomes of this interdisciplinary, multi-dimensional research and engagement were the development of a candidacy for the system to be recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS) from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the implementation of a Dynamic Conservation Action Plan to address the threats and challenges farmers and communities are facing. The discussion explores two concepts that were integral to these processes, the creation of narrative networks and a focus on plurivocity. Both approaches ensured that the actions, knowledge, and narratives developed through the GIAHS candidacy were not imposed but agreed upon and generative through narrative and dialogue, remaining true to the realities and lived experiences of community members. Full article

Despite the socioeconomic importance of erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis) traditional agroforestry production for family agriculture in Southern Brazil, there has been no systematization of forest management best practices aiming at long-term sustainability. Here, I present an analysis of relevant forest characteristics that are combined with restoration and management best practices to maintain not only sustainable traditional erva-mate production but also a healthy forest environment. Additionally, I developed a framework that offers an easy tool to apply a focused analysis of general forest attributes to help determine best practices for forest restoration, species diversification, and overall sustainability and health of agroforestry systems. This study also demonstrates that the integration of knowledge and practices that small-scale farmers and traditional communities have been developing for generations should be leveraged for more inclusive research and extension, especially considering the threats family farming is facing due to the dominant paradigm of conventional, one-size-fits-all agriculture. Full article

As a land use management system, agroforestry has environmental, economic and societal benefits over conventional agriculture or forestry. Important benefits of combining tree growth with agricultural crops and/or forage production systems include higher biodiversity through more diverse habitats, the control of runoff and soil erosion, the augmentation of soil water availability, the creation of microclimates, carbon sequestration and provision of a more diverse farm economy. As the climate changes, north eastern Germany is likely to be particularly prone to severe effects from droughts and wind erosion in the future. However, the area of land under agroforestry makes up less than 2% of the total agricultural area in Germany. Through qualitative interviews with key actors, this study analyzed the benefits of, potentials for and barriers to implementing agroforestry systems in the federal state of Brandenburg. Results showed that agroforestry systems have significant potential in relation to several benefits, particularly the mitigation of soil erosion and stabilization of microclimate regimes. Additionally, agroforestry has the potential to provide wood for energy production or material uses. Although a small but highly innovative and interlinked community exists, administrative barriers and high start-up costs currently hamper the transition from conventional agriculture to agroforestry systems. Full article

Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as a solution to these issues that focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are to keep the soil covered, minimise soil disturbance, preserve living roots in the soil year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, and limit or eliminate the use of synthetic compounds (such as herbicides and fertilisers). The overall objectives are to rejuvenate the soil and land and provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the wider community. Despite the purported benefits of RA, a vast majority of growers are reluctant to adopt these practices due to a lack of empirical evidence on the claimed benefits and profitability. We examined the reported benefits and mechanisms associated with RA against available scientific data. The literature suggests that agricultural practices such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and cover cropping can improve soil carbon, crop yield, and soil health in certain climatic zones and soil types. Excessive use of synthetic chemicals can lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Combining livestock with cropping and agroforestry in the same landscape can increase soil carbon and provide several co-benefits. However, the benefits of RA practices can vary among different agroecosystems and may not necessarily be applicable across multiple agroecological regions. Our recommendation is to implement rigorous long-term farming system trials to compare conventional and RA practices in order to build knowledge on the benefits and mechanisms associated with RA on regional scales. This will provide growers and policy-makers with an evidence base from which to make informed decisions about adopting RA practices to realise their social and economic benefits and achieve resilience against climate change. Full article

Agroforestry, the use of trees at the interface between agricultural and forestry systems, is a key component of the multifunctional European landscape, where it provides a whole range of ecosystem services. Its main potential lies in the provision of services including increasing economic yield in agriculture and providing anti-erosion measures. The main objective of this research is to assess the perception of the providing ecosystem services of woody plants growing in agroforestry by farmers as key land users in the Czech Republic. Different aspects influencing farmers’ subjective perceptions were identified, especially depending on conventional versus organic farming methods. Respondents’ views were mapped using a structured questionnaire, which allowed for independently assessing the importance of windbreaks. Respondents considered regulatory ecosystem services the most important ones, in particular reducing soil erosion and flood risk, or increasing the resilience of the landscape to drought. Respondents perceived the physical obstruction of trees during mechanical tillage and the tenancy relationship with the land as the most significant problem with the introduction of agroforestry systems. The aim of this study is to promote innovative approaches in the national agricultural strategy in agroforestry as one of the tools for climate change adaptation towards sustainable agricultural production. Full article

The establishment of planted trees and the natural regeneration of trees in agroecosystems is challenging. This study evaluated the establishment and natural regeneration of the following six native tree species in two agricultural systems in the Atlantic Forest in Paraguay: Cedrela fissilis Vell., Cordia trichotoma (Vell) Arráb. ex Steud., Handroanthus albus (Cham.) Mattos, Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos, Peltophorum dubium (Sprengel) Taubert, and Cordia americana (L.) Gottschling and J.S.Mill. At the study site in Caaguazú, 18 plots of 100 m² each were established in 2 agronomic systems (conventional or agroecological) featuring 3 plantation types (pathsides, agricultural field edges, and islets). Trees were planted at this site in spring 2010 at a density of 1800 individuals ha⁻¹, and the site was monitored for six years. At the study site in Itapúa, 30 plots of 50 m² each were established in three agronomic systems (conventional, traditional, or agroecological). Trees were planted at this site in spring 2012 at a density of 1600 individuals ha⁻¹, and the site was monitored for four years. Survival and relative growth rates of the planted species and natural regeneration were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models that considered species, agronomic system, and plantation type as fixed factors, and time and plot as random factors. At both sites, survival varied among species. Here, C. fissilis showed lower survival and C. trichotoma higher growth than the other species. Naturally regenerated species were C. trichotoma, H. albus, and P. dubium. The agronomic system and species affected growth and natural regeneration at both locations. Plantation type affected survival and growth in Caaguazú only. We conclude that species contributes more than agronomic system or plantation type to determining the survival, relative growth rate, and natural regeneration in agroforestry systems in the Paraguayan Atlantic Forest. Full article

Agroforestry systems allow conservation of natural resources and promotion of sustainable agriculture in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Nevertheless, the benefit of the associated species that are part of these production systems needs to be demonstrated. The aim of this study was to find out the influence on the crop yield, carbon sequestration, presence of earthworms, and the nutritional contribution of legume species associated with the naranjilla (Solanum quitoense) crop in an agroforestry system. The research was carried out in the Palora Experimental Farm of INIAP, using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were made up of cultivation systems (agroforestry systems with or without 50% fertilization) and monoculture as a control, with two levels of conventional fertilization (50 and 100%). In the agroforestry arrangements, Gliricidia sepium and Flemingia macrophylla were used to supply biomass. The results showed that during the three evaluation cycles, the yield of naranjilla was influenced by the quality of the biomass added to the soil and not by the amount of synthetic chemical fertilizer that was supplied. The biomass of G. sepium and F. macrophylla provided a greater amount of Mg, Mn, Zn, B, and Fe; elements that contributed to crop yield and the presence of earthworms. The results suggest that the use of legume species in agroforestry systems positively influenced naranjillla productivity, favoring sustainable agriculture in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Full article

Global sustainability challenges associated with increasing resource demands from a growing population call for resource-efficient land-use strategies that address multiple sustainability issues. Multifunctional agroforestry-based phytoremediation (MAP) is one such strategy that can simultaneously capture carbon, decontaminate soils, and provide diverse incomes for local farmers. Chinandega, Nicaragua, is a densely populated agricultural region with heavily polluted soils. Four different MAP systems scenarios relevant to Chinandega were created and carbon sequestration potentials were calculated using CO2FIX. All scenarios showed the potential to store significantly more carbon than conventional farming practices, ranging from 2.5 to 8.0 Mg CO₂eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Overall, carbon sequestration in crops is relatively small, but results in increased soil organic carbon (SOC), especially in perennials, and the combination of crops and trees provide higher carbon sequestration rates than monoculture. Changes in SOC are crucial for long-term carbon sequestration, here ranging between 0.4 and 0.9 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, with the most given in scenario 4, an alley cropping system with pollarded trees with prunings used as green mulch. The adoption rate of multifunctional strategies providing both commodity and non-commodity outputs, such as carbon sequestration, would likely increase if phytoremediation is included. Well-designed MAP systems could help reduce land-use conflicts, provide healthier soil, act as climate change mitigation, and have positive impacts on local health and economies. Full article

Declining soil fertility and climatic extremes are among major problems for agricultural production in most dryland agro-ecologies of sub-Saharan Africa. In response, the agroforestry technology intercropping of Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.)) and Maize (Zea mays L.) was developed to complement conventional soil fertility management technologies. However, diversified information on the profitability of Gliricidia-Maize intercropping system in dryland areas is scanty. Using data from the Gliricidia and maize models of the Next Generation version of the Agriculture Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM), this study estimates the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system relative to an unfertilized sole maize system. Results show significant heterogeneity in profitability indicators both in absolute and relative economic terms. Aggregated over a 20-year cycle, Gliricidia-Maize intercropping exhibited a higher Net Present Value (NPV = Tsh 19,238,798.43) and Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR = 4.27) than the unfertilized sole maize system. The NPV and BCR of the latter were Tsh 10,934,669.90 and 3.59, respectively. Moreover, the returns to labour per person day in the Gliricidia-Maize system was 1.5 times those of the unfertilized sole maize system. Sensitivity analysis revealed that the profitability of the Gliricidia-Maize system is more negatively affected by the decrease in output prices than the increase in input prices. A 30% decrease in the former leads to a decrease in NPV and BCR by 38% and 30%, respectively. Despite the higher initial costs of the agroforestry establishment, the 30% increase in input prices affects more disproportionally unfertilized sole maize than the Gliricidia-Maize system in absolute economic terms, i.e., 11.1% versus 8.8% decrease in NPV. In relative economic terms, an equal magnitude of change in input prices exerts the same effect on the unfertilized sole maize and the Gliricidia-maize systems. This result implies that the monetary benefits accrued after the first year of agroforestry establishment offset the initial investment costs. The Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology therefore is profitable with time, and it can contribute to increased household income and food security. Helping farmers to overcome initial investment costs and manage agroforestry technologies well to generate additional benefits is critical for the successful scaling of the Gliricidia-Maize intercropping technology in dryland areas of Dodoma, Tanzania. Full article

This study aims to assess the carbon stock in a pasture area and fragment of forest in natural regeneration, given the importance of agroforestry systems in mitigating gas emissions which contribute to the greenhouse effect, as well as promoting the maintenance of agricultural productivity. Our other goal was to predict the carbon stock, according to different land use systems, from physical and chemical soil variables using the Random Forest algorithm. We carried out our study at an Entisols Quartzipsamments area with a completely randomized experimental design: four treatments and six replites. The treatments consisted of the following: (i) an agroforestry system developed for livestock, (ii) an agroforestry system developed for fruit culture, (iii) a conventional pasture, and (iv) a forest fragment. Deformed and undeformed soil samples were collected in order to analyze their physical and chemical properties across two consecutive agricultural years. The response variable, carbon stock, was subjected to a boxplot analysis and all the databases were used for a predictive modeling which in turn used the Random Forest algorithm. Results led to the conclusion that the agroforestry systems developed both for fruit culture and livestock, are more efficient at stocking carbon in the soil than the pasture area and forest fragment undergoing natural regeneration. Nitrogen stock and land use systems are the most important variables to estimate carbon stock from the physical and chemical variables of soil using the Random Forest algorithm. The predictive models generated from the physical and chemical variables of soil, as well as the Random Forest algorithm, presented a high potential for predicting soil carbon stock and are sensitive to different land use systems. Full article