Carbon Stock Assessment in Silvopastoral Systems along an Elevational Gradient: A Study from Cattle Producers in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

Silvopastoral system (SPS) has been considered as a sustainable management system contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction, among other benefits compared with open pasture. However, little research has been conducted on the soil and tree biomass carbon stored in traditional pasture with dispersed trees (PWT) compared with pasture in monoculture (PM). The present study was conducted in the Ecuadorian Amazon Region (EAR), along an elevational gradient from 400 to 2000 masl., within the buffer and transition zone of the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve (SBR), using 71 temporary circular plots of 2826 m2, where 26 plots were stablished in PWT and 45 plots in PM. The main results in PWT show significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) between aboveground carbon biomass (AGCtrees) from 41.1 (lowlands), 26.5 (Middle hills) and 16.7 (high mountains) Mg ha−1 respectively, with an average of 31.0 Mg ha−1 in the whole study area. The total carbon pool along the altitudinal gradient in five components: (AGCtrees), belowground carbon (BGCtrees), pasture carbon (AGClitter+pasture) and carbon in soil components (0–10 and 10–30 cm) for PWT ranged from 112.80 (lowlands) to 91.34 (high mountains) Mg ha−1; while for the PM systems assessing three components (AGClitter+pasture) and carbon in soil components (0–10 and 10–30 cm) ranged from 52.5 (lowlands) to 77.8 (middle zone) Mg ha−1. Finally, the paper shows the main dominant tree species in pasture systems that contribute to carbon storage along elevational gradient and concludes with recommendations for decision-making aimed at improving cattle ranching systems through a silvopastoral approach to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Biodiversity and Carbon Sequestration in Chakra-Type Agroforestry Systems and Humid Tropical Forests of the Ecuadorian Amazon

“…The TAGC in CMC (Table 6) is higher than that reported in cocoa monocultures in Nicaragua [9]. But it is still very low compared to what was found in FAFS and TAFS, which allows us to infer that the storage of AGC in any type of AFS depends on the management, crop age, diversity, and density of tree species [2,20,34], unlike a monoculture that is limited to certain species. This means that the greater the diversity of species, the greater the carbon store [9,52].…”

“…This means that the greater the diversity of species, the greater the carbon store [9,52]. Furthermore, several studies affirm that the transition from monocultures to AFSs has a great potential to store carbon, which improves with the age and density of tree species [34,52], such as silvopastoral systems (SPSs) in the arid region of Colombia with 7.15 Mg C ha −1 [1] and other studies in Colombian territory (31 Mg C ha −1 ) [56]. In this context, it is confirmed that SPSs and AFSs are important management and improvement alternatives to counteract the expansion of the agricultural frontier and therefore minimize GHG emissions that lead to global warming.…”

“…The BIV (Table 5) indicator of potential species in carbon storage and structure in tropical forests shows species that represent great commercial value for wood and firewood (Cordia alliodora), are a source of food (Inga edulis), provide shade, incorporate nutrients, and store carbon in the soil [32,34,52]. In addition, it establishes with scientific bases the species with the greatest ecological value and capacity to store carbon [12,15,22,36].…”

Global Evolution of Research on Silvopastoral Systems through Bibliometric Analysis: Insights from Ecuador

“…However, in relation to the current year (2022), we observed a total of three articles. Among these articles, the most recent paper was published by Torres et al [105]; in this study, the researchers evaluated carbon stocks in silvopastoral systems in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Among the main findings reported in this study, the authors indicated the high potential of traditional grazing systems with dispersed trees for carbon sequestration in the Ecuadorian Amazon.…”

Tree Diversity and Its Ecological Importance Value in Silvopastoral Systems: A Study along Elevational Gradients in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, Ecuadorian Amazon

“…Tree diversity is a key element in ecological resilience and the provision of multiple ecosystem services in traditional silvopastoral systems [1][2][3]. These systems, which integrate dispersed trees in pastures, are being recognized for their environmental [4][5][6] and economic benefits [7][8][9], highlighting the importance of tree diversity, which motivates an intense analysis along the Andean-Amazonian altitudinal gradient [7,10].…”