Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agroforestry Systems

Agroforestry, an ecologically and environmentally sustainable land use, offers great promise to sequester carbon (C). The implementation of agroforestry systems (AFS) could reduce C release to the atmosphere. Furthermore the tree component in AFS will add C into the soil through litterfall and root decomposition, which takes place at deeper soil layers than under agricultural crops. Tree management practices such as regulating tree density and planting arrangement will influence the C sequestered in the system. This paper reviews the role of agroforestry systems in carbon sequestration. Agroforestry provides a unique opportunity to combine the twin objectives of climate change adaptation and mitigation. It has the ability to enhance the resilience of the system for coping with the adverse impacts of climate change. Agroforestry systems offer important opportunities for creating synergies between both adaptation and mitigation actions. Various authors have carried out studies to estimate carbon stocks in different agroforestry systems in India. Agroforestry systems have the potential to provide significant mitigation options but they require proper management that influences the amount of carbon sequestered.