Agroforestry and Soil Carbon Sequestration: A Nexus for System Sustainability

As the population of the world is increasing at an alarming rate, there is a decrease in productivity due to land degradation caused by the adoption of intensive agricultural systems. As a result, there is an increasing food deficit, and adverse effects on soil and biodiversity have adversely affected climate, food security, and the environment. In addition to being able to adapt to and mitigate climate change, agroforestry can contribute to human well-being and livelihood. It generates assets and income from carbon and wood, improves soil fertility status, provides ecosystem services, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. As agroforestry systems are capable of capturing and utilizing more light, nutrients, and water than single-crop systems, they have a great potential to sequester carbon in the soil. According to researchers from various parts of the world, agroforestry systems in diverse ecological conditions sequester more carbon in deeper soil layers located near the tree than those located away from it. The amount and rate at which carbon is sequestered depend mainly on system management and climatic conditions. Resource-poor farmers that adopt agroforestry systems can generate income by trading off the sequestered carbon. However, more research is required to understand and create awareness regarding carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems.