Potential Effects of Agroforestry Practices on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies: A Review

Reviewing on the potential effect of agroforestry practices on climate change mitigation and adaptation through sequestrating carbon and modifying soil profile to have higher organic matter (OM) is critical. The sections of this review covers different agroforestry research findings relating to the effect of agroforestry practice in reducing climate change impacts in different area of the world. Agroforestry practice is a promising practice to sequester carbon while providing enormous environmental, economical, and social benefits. This shows significant carbon accumulation in living biomass carbon, as well as soil carbon, demonstrating the potential to offer the environmental service of carbon sequestration. Agroforestry is an appealing option for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands because it can sequester significant amounts of carbon while leaving the unpackaged of land in agricultural production. Integrating disciplines in order to enhance holistic approach and reduce some of the constraints that may inhibit positive effect of agroforestry practices for carbon sequestration is very important. Agroforestry showed a great potential in sequester carbon and contribute to mitigating CO2 than treeless systems. Therefore, intensive exertion should be made by different stakeholder in supporting agroforestry to mitigate the climate change impacts. Keywords: Agroforestry, Carbon sequestration, Climate change, Mitigatio

Woody species diversity and carbon stock under different land use types at Gergera watershed in eastern Tigray, Ethiopia

Woody diversity and carbon stock estimation of land use types have critical role for the successful implementation of climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. This study investigated relationships between woody species diversity and carbon stock in different land use types. Three land use types (area exclosure, homestead agroforestry and woodlot) were selected in the Gergera watershed, Tigray, Ethiopia. A total of 45 sample plots were established using stratified random sampling, 15 plots in each land use types. Vegetation parameters such as diameter at breast height, diameter at stump height, tree height and species type were recorded. Woody species diversity and carbon stocks significantly varied among the land use types. Woody species diversity, species richness and species density were significantly higher in exclosure compared to the other land use types. Mean above-ground woody species carbon stock in woodlot (8.79 ± 7.72) was significantly higher than both in exclosure (2.29 ± 2.73) (p = 0.002) and homestead agroforestry (4.17 ± 4.18) (p = 0.022) and similarly had higher below ground woody species carbon stock than the other two systems. However, there were no significant difference among exclosure and homestead agroforestry in total carbon stock. There were a significant relationship between woody species diversity and carbon stock (R2 = − 0.349, p = 0.019) in each land use types. Land-use change can lead to changes in species diversity and significantly contribute to carbon sequestration. Although, more carbon stock was found in woodlot dominated by Eucalyptus, this would result in water competition and other fast growing trees may be preferable