1. Agroforestry creates carbon sinks whilst enhancing the environment in agricultural landscapes in europe
- Author
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Victor Rolo, Adolfo Rosati, Michael den Herder, Anil Graves, João H.N. Palma, Daniyar Memedemin, Sonja Kay, Maria Luisa Paracchini, Norbert Lamersdorf, José V. Roces-Díaz, Erich Szerencsits, Anna Varga, Michail Giannitsopoulos, Robert Borek, Gerardo Moreno, Anastasia Pantera, Jo Smith, P. Paris, Mareike Jäger, Felix Herzog, Dirk Freese, Rafal Wawer, Valérie Viaud, Mignon Sandor, Carlo Rega, Rosa Mosquera-Losada, Josep Crous-Duran, Paul J. Burgess, Department of Agroecology and Environment, Aarhus University [Aarhus], European Commission - Joint Research Centre [Ispra] (JRC), INDEHESA, Forestry School, University of Extremadura, European Forest Institute (EFI), MV Agroecology Research Centre, Forest Research Centre, School of Agriculture, Universidade de Lisboa (ULISBOA), Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation (IUNG), Brandenburg University of Technology, Cranfield University, Association Suisse pour le Développement de l'Agriculture et de l'Espace Rural (AGRIDEA), Büsgen-Institute, Georg August Universität, Ovidius University of Constanta, University of Santiago de Compostela, Agricultural University of Athens, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems [CNR, Italy] (IRET), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Department of Geography, Université Catholique de Louvain = Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), Citrus and Tree Fruit, CREA, Research Centre for Olive, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Organic Research Centre (ORC), MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Sol Agro et hydrosystème Spatialisation (SAS), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AGROCAMPUS OUEST, Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), Government of Asturias, FP7-Marie Curie-COFUND program of the European Commission (Grant 'Clarin') [ACA17-02], European Project: 613520,EC:FP7:KBBE,FP7-KBBE-2013-7-single-stage,AGFORWARD(2014), University of Lisbon, Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), CNR, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), AGROCAMPUS OUEST-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela. Departamento de Produción Vexetal e Proxectos de Enxeñaría, Universidad de Extremadura - University of Extremadura (UEX), Universidade de Lisboa = University of Lisbon (ULISBOA), Brandenburgische Technische Universität = Brandenburg Technical University (BTU), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela [Spain] (USC ), and National Research Council of Italy | Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)
- Subjects
Soil biodiversity ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,Geography, Planning and Development ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,02 engineering and technology ,farmland ,010501 environmental sciences ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Carbon sequestration ,01 natural sciences ,12. Responsible consumption ,Ecosystem services ,climate change mitigation ,resource protection ,Climate change mitigation ,spatial deficit analysis ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Nature and Landscape Conservation ,2. Zero hunger ,Spatial deficit analysis ,Agroforestry ,Carbon storage Climate change mitigation Ecosystem services Farmland Resource protection Spatial deficit analysis ,Soil organic matter ,Resource protection ,021107 urban & regional planning ,Forestry ,Soil carbon ,15. Life on land ,carbon storage ,Soil quality ,6. Clean water ,Farmland ,Carbon storage ,13. Climate action ,Greenhouse gas ,Environmental science ,ecosystem services - Abstract
Agroforestry, relative to conventional agriculture, contributes significantly to carbon sequestration, increases a range of regulating ecosystem services, and enhances biodiversity. Using a transdisciplinary approach, we combined scientific and technical knowledge to evaluate nine environmental pressures in terms of ecosystem services in European farmland and assessed the carbon storage potential of suitable agroforestry systems, proposed by regional experts. First, regions with potential environmental pressures were identified with respect to soil health (soil erosion by water and wind, low soil organic carbon), water quality (water pollution by nitrates, salinization by irrigation), areas affected by climate change (rising temperature), and by underprovision in biodiversity (pollination and pest control pressures, loss of soil biodiversity). The maps were overlaid to identify areas where several pressures accumulate. In total, 94.4% of farmlands suffer from at least one environmental pressure, pastures being less affected than arable lands. Regional hotspots were located in north-western France, Denmark, Central Spain, north and south-western Italy, Greece, and eastern Romania. The 10% of the area with the highest number of accumulated pressures were defined as Priority Areas, where the implementation of agroforestry could be particularly effective. In a second step, European agroforestry experts were asked to propose agroforestry practices suitable for the Priority Areas they were familiar with, and identified 64 different systems covering a wide range of practices. These ranged from hedgerows on field boundaries to fast growing coppices or scattered single tree systems. Third, for each proposed system, the carbon storage potential was assessed based on data from the literature and the results were scaled-up to the Priority Areas. As expected, given the wide range of agroforestry practices identified, the carbon sequestration potentials ranged between 0.09 and 7.29 t C ha−1 a−1. Implementing agroforestry on the Priority Areas could lead to a sequestration of 2.1 to 63.9 million t C a−1 (7.78 and 234.85 million t CO2eq a−1) depending on the type of agroforestry. This corresponds to between 1.4 and 43.4% of European agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Moreover, promoting agroforestry in the Priority Areas would contribute to mitigate the environmental pressures identified there. We conclude that the strategic and spatially targeted establishment of agroforestry systems could provide an effective means of meeting EU policy objectives on GHG emissions whilst providing a range of other important benefits. We acknowledge funding through Grant 613520 from the European Commission (Project AGFORWARD, 7th Framework Program). JVRD was supported by the Government of Asturias and the FP7-Marie Curie- COFUND program of the European Commission (Grant ‘Clarín’ ACA17- 02) SI
- Published
- 2019
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