Agroforestry for ecosystem services: An introduction

Abstract

Research over the past two decades has provided solid evidence for many of the ecosystem services (ES) of agroforestry (AF). The main objective of this book is to synthesize the relevant literature from around the globe. The book not only covers the ES related to soil, air, water, food security, biodiversity conservation, and pollination, but also discusses allied topics such as agroforestry design, cultural values, and economic valuation of ES services. In addition, we also have included two country-specific case studies. These include carbon sequestration potential in India and ES services of AF in Australia. Major findings and suggestions from each chapter will also be presented in this introduction chapter to explain how AF can mitigate and lessen impacts on critical global issues. These chapters have confirmed that adoption of AF can help reduce soil and land degradation, water pollution, flooding, food insecurity, and biodiversity decline. These chapters have described how AF improves provisional, regulating, supporting, and cultural ES. Chapters on soil services indicated that soil carbon addition of AF was the main factor for increasing resiliency of ecosystems to climate change threats. The perennial components of AF help improve water quality due to its direct influence on nutrient cycling and also its indirect influence through the modification of soil properties. Chapters on silvopasture clearly demonstrate that properly managed silvopastoral systems improve the environment, not only animal welfare, but land productivity and resource-use efficiency as well while providing better economic returns. Another review showed that pollination can be enhanced by agroforestry by creating new and enhancing existing habitat. Agroforestry can reduce flooding and improve air quality due to the presence of trees. Chapters on cultural services, designing AF, and economics showed the importance of these concepts to improve AF adoption although the literature is still limited on these topics. Although AF is not the sole solution for every current issue like climate change, food insecurity, biodiversity decline, and environmental degradation, its broader adoption as part of a multifunctional working landscape can definitely offer much-needed help.