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Forests
Special Issues
Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action
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Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (23 April 2023) | Viewed by 11574

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Syed Ajijur Rahman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
2. Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogor 16115, Indonesia
Interests: agroforestry; landscape approach; environmental conservation; livelihoods; forest management; ecosystem services valuation
Prof. Dr. Joao C. Azevedo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Escola Superior Agrária/Centro de Investigação de Montanha (CIMO), Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Braganca, Portugal
Interests: forest landscape ecology; forest landscape sustainability; ecosystem services; sustainable forest bioenergy; mountain sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Peilei Fan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Planning, Design and Construction, and Center for Global Change & Earth Observations, East Lansing, MI 48823, USA
Interests: urban landscape ecology; sustainability; urbanization environment and planning
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As an interdisciplinary subject, agroforestry has gained international prominence largely as a development imperative in the tropics. It is a widespread subject, simultaneously representing traditional and contemporary ways of sustainably managing natural resources. Agroforestry systems are multifunctional systems that can meet economic, social and environmental objectives by diversifying farm products and services. By producing some important forest products, e.g., timber and firewood, agroforestry may relieve pressure on local forests. Due to their intrinsic horizontal and vertical complexity, agroforestry systems offer habitats for many plant, animal and fungal species, and provide connectivity to landscapes, enabling species with large distributions. By producing non-timber forest products, e.g, nuts, fruits, mushrooms, and medicinal plants, these systems diversify sources of income and assure regular production throughout the year. In addition to supporting ecosystem services, agroforestry systems improve the supply of regulatory and cultural ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, biodegradation of excess nutrients and pesticides, microclimate moderation, scenery, traditional knowledge and  tourism, among many others. While the delivery of some ecosystem services of agroforestry per land area is less than that of forests, the overall supply of all these services can surpass that of forests. The importance of agroforestry systems will only increase as global forest resources continue to shrink and human populations expand. Agroforestry systems also play an important role in climate action, given their role in carbon sequestration and water regulation, and enable farmers to better adapt to climate change, as the fruit, nut and berry trees of such systems are often more tolerant than seasonal crops and so can increase the diversity and resilience of food production.

This Special Issue is aimed at exploring  the contribution of agroforestry systems to the supply of ecosystem services (provisional, regulatory, cultural) and to deal with climate change, both in terms of mitigation and adaptation, in particular from wide and integrated economic, social and ecosystem perspectives at multiple scales and in diverse regions of the world.

Dr. Syed Ajijur Rahman
Prof. Dr. Joao C. Azevedo
Prof. Dr. Peilei Fan
Guest Editors

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 submissions that pass pre-check are 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. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • farm production
  • biodiversity
  • ecosystem
  • landscape
  • restoration
  • multifunctionality

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2275 KiB  
Article
Ecosystem Services in the Context of Agroforestry—Results of a Survey among Agricultural Land Users in the Czech Republic
by Tereza Červená, Vilém Jarský, Luboš Červený, Petra Palátová and Roman Sloup
Forests 2023, 14(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14010030 - 23 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1848
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action)
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16 pages, 3847 KiB  
Article
Impact of Field-Protective Forest Belts on the Microclimate of Agroforest Landscape in the Zone of Chestnut Soils of the Volgograd Region
by Yustina Nikolaevna Potashkina and Alexander Valentinovich Koshelev
Forests 2022, 13(11), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13111892 - 10 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1489
Abstract
Protective afforestation at the regional level is aimed at ensuring optimal agroecological conditions on agricultural land, including the regulation of microclimate on agricultural land. However, the issue of seasonal variability of microclimatic indicators in the zone of the forest shelterbelt and in different [...] Read more.
Protective afforestation at the regional level is aimed at ensuring optimal agroecological conditions on agricultural land, including the regulation of microclimate on agricultural land. However, the issue of seasonal variability of microclimatic indicators in the zone of the forest shelterbelt and in different soil and climatic conditions is insufficiently studied. The research purpose is to determine the seasonal influence of aerodynamic parameters of the forest belt on the complex of microclimatic factors in the zone of chestnut soils of southern Russia. The research object is represented with agroforest landscapes of the Kachalinskoe experimental farm of the Ilovlinsky district of the Volgograd region. The study area is typical for this region in terms of soil cover and structure of protective forest plantations. The paper presents the results of study of the microclimate in the openwork-structure forest belt of a 30-year old. The ameliorative influence of the forest belt is determined by its height and construction. We have studied the microclimate indicators, such as wind speed, soil temperature and moisture, air temperature and humidity. We have carried out their instrumental measurements in the forest belt and in the adjacent territory at distances of 3H, 5H, 8H, 10H, 15H, 20H, 25H, 30H (H is the height of the stand in the forest belt) from the forest belt. The measurements were made once a season (summer, autumn, winter) in three-time intervals during the day. The research has shown that positive influence of forest belt on soil temperature in spring and autumn periods is traced up to 10–15H, in winter period there is no influence. The most distinct influence was noted in summer observations, so the average difference of temperatures in summer at 15H in the in the forest belt was 28%; in autumn, the same difference was 15%. The positive influence on soil moisture in the autumn period is most clearly traced, so the average difference in soil moisture indicators near the forest belt and agrolandscape is 18% and 2% in the summer period. The average temperature difference near the forest belt and 20H is only 4%, and 1% in the summer period. Effective reduction of wind speed occurs at 25–30H in the summer season, 15H in the autumn, and 15H in the winter periods. The difference in wind speed near the forest belt and average temperature in the agrolandscape is 52% in summer, 40% in fall, and 30% in winter. The results obtained are an attempt to assess the ameliorative impact of the forest belt on microclimatic indicators under conditions of regional climate change, and to make adjustments in the applied agricultural technologies for cultivation of crops in the inter-belt space. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action)
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15 pages, 7458 KiB  
Article
Agroforestry-Enhancing Typification of Agricultural Territories as a Basic Condition for Increasing the Efficiency of Protective Afforestation
by Alexey A. Tubalov
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1529; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101529 - 20 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1216
Abstract
Upgrading the scale of agricultural production and the effectiveness of protective afforestation is based on the strategy of identifying similar crop production conditions. The given research identifies the territories that require different approaches to forest reclamation. The research is based on the use [...] Read more.
Upgrading the scale of agricultural production and the effectiveness of protective afforestation is based on the strategy of identifying similar crop production conditions. The given research identifies the territories that require different approaches to forest reclamation. The research is based on the use of remote data as well as geoinformation research methods. The area for investigation is the territory of the right bank of the Khoper River in the Volgograd region. This territory is characterized by the distribution of the most fertile soils in the world, southern chernozems and typical chernozems. The study area is a long-standing historical center of agricultural production, and the task of protecting and increasing the fertility of cultivated soils is very urgent for this territory. The investigation of the catchment areas for identifying spatial patterns is an important methodological aspect of the present research. The studies were carried out within the network of catchments in ravines and gullies. The parameters of the areas of each catchment were used to calculate the specific indicators characterizing the territory. Mapping the territory of the research area made it possible to identify the range of parameters which characterize the erosion process as well as the parameters that cause its development. The studies of the interdependence of land structure and relief parameters made it possible to identify the processes for evaluating the agroecological state of the territories and their typification. These parameters include: erosive dissection, km/km2; the density of ravine tops, units/km2; the area of arable land in the catchment located on slopes with a steepness of more than 3°, %; and the nonforested area of slopes with a steepness of more than 8°. The values of indicators estimated on the basis of statistical scoring procedures became the basis for the allocation of four groups of conditional agroecological states of territories: normal, risk, crisis, and disaster. These groups differ in the set of reclamation measures used and their focus and scope. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action)
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Review

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13 pages, 1197 KiB  
Review
Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp Applications for Enhancing Soil Fertility and Crop Nutritional Qualities: A Review
by Emmanuel Oladeji Alamu, Michael Adesokan, Segun Fawole, Busie Maziya-Dixon, Tesfai Mehreteab and David Chikoye
Forests 2023, 14(3), 635; https://doi.org/10.3390/f14030635 - 21 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 6017
Abstract
Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp is a well-known agroforestry leguminous tree that provides multiple benefits in different agroecological zones. Its apparent versatility is seen in improving animal feed, cleaning environmental wastes, and healing inflammations. It was also found to have significant benefits [...] Read more.
Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp is a well-known agroforestry leguminous tree that provides multiple benefits in different agroecological zones. Its apparent versatility is seen in improving animal feed, cleaning environmental wastes, and healing inflammations. It was also found to have significant benefits in agroforestry due to its ability to enhance soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and green manure. However, this article reviews the use of Gliricidia sepium to improve soil fertility and crop agronomic and nutritional properties. Google Scholar, PubMed, and Science Direct were the databases consulted for the relevant articles used in this review. Trees and leaves of G. sepium, either used as mulch, biochar, or intercropped, have enhanced soil fertility indicators, such as total soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, available phosphorus, pH, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter in different farming systems. Its immense positive performance in improving the yield of crops led to an economic advantage for low-income farmers. G. sepium can also lower the use of mineral fertilizer as its adoption grows, leading to a greener environment in the agricultural sector. The review concluded that there is a plethora of research on the effect of Gliricidia on maize yield enhancement; hence further investigations should be conducted on using Gliricidia sepium as a green fertilizer to improve yields and the nutritional properties of other crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contributions of Agroforestry to Ecosystem Services and Climate Action)
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