Soil Classification and Carbon Storage in Cacao Agroforestry Farming Systems of Bahia, Brazil

Araújo, Quintino Reis de; Loureiro, Guilherme A. H. A.; Santana, S.O; Baligar, V. C.

doi:10.1080/10549811.2013.799037

Cited by 7 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Bahian cocoa production normally has two harvests per year: the main harvest is from April to August., there is a secondary harvest is from November to February. The soils in Barro Preto are classified as Latosols or Argisol Red-Yellow soils, they have a clayey-loam composition [ 37 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change could threaten cocoa production: Effects of 2015-16 El Niño-related drought on cocoa agroforests in Bahia, Brazil

et al. 2018

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Climate models predict a possible increase in the frequency of strong climate events such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which in parts of the tropics are the cause of exceptional droughts, these threaten global food production. Agroforestry systems are often suggested as promising diversification options to increase farmers' resilience to extreme climatic events. In the Northeastern state of Bahia, where most Brazilian cocoa is grown in wildlife-friendly agroforests, ENSOs cause severe droughts which negatively affect forest and agriculture. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is described as being sensitive to drought but there are no field-studies of the effect of ENSO-related drought on adult cocoa trees in the America's; there is one study of an experimentally-imposed drought in Indonesia which resulted in 10 to 46% yield loss. In our study, in randomly chosen farms in Bahia, Brazil, we measured the effect of the 2015–16 severe ENSO, which caused an unprecedented drought in cocoa agroforests. We show that drought caused high cocoa tree mortality (15%) and severely decreased cocoa yield (89%); the drought also increased infection rate of the chronic fungal disease witches' broom (Moniliophthora perniciosa). Ours findings showed that Brazilian cocoa agroforests are at risk and that increasing frequency of strong droughts are likely to cause decreased cocoa yields in the coming decades. Furthermore, because cocoa, like many crops, is grown somewhat beyond its climatic limits, it and other crops could be the 'canaries in the coalmine' warning of forthcoming major drought effects on semi-natural and natural vegetation.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change could threaten cocoa production: Effects of 2015-16 El Niño-related drought on cocoa agroforests in Bahia, Brazil

et al. 2018

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“…Globally, soil surface layers (0-30 cm) are estimated to contain 53% of the SOC stock down to one metre (Balesdent et al, 2018). If that ratio is applied to our data, some of the clayey sites might contain SOC stocks in the order of 200 Mg ha -1 at one metre depth, in line with other studies of Brazilian clayey Ferralsols under agroforestry, where SOC stocks of well above 200 Mg ha -1 have been reported (Araujo et al, 2013;Gama-Rodrigues et al, 2010). Clayey Ferralsols have a highly uniform and deep soil profile and developed during millions of years under the heavy influence of soil biota (Schaefer, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

On the complexity of agroforestry systems

Steinfeld

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Tropical soils are prone to rapid degradation if not managed well, and agroforestry systems have the potential to restore degraded soils and support agricultural production together with other ecosystem services. In Brazil, an increasing number of pioneering farmers are establishing agroforestry systems on previously cleared farmland. However, while there are a wide range of agroforestry systems, this diversity has hardly been quantified, and it is not clear how these systems differ in their capacity for nutrient cycling to reverse soil degradation. The objectives of the study were to assess innovative agroforestry systems in terms of taxonomic and functional diversity, spatial structure and management, and to assess how these systems differ in terms of structural complexity and their potential for nutrient cycling. We assessed a LiDAR-derived stand structural complexity index (SSCI), interrow spacing, stem density, tree species richness and diversity, community weighted means (CWM) of foliar nitrogen and wood density, livestock density, pruning and mowing regimes in 30 agroforestry systems in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We used N, P, K, Ca and Mg stocks in litter as a proxy for nutrient cycling. The agroforestry systems could be broadly categorized into silvopastures, multistrata and successional agroforestry systems. These types spanned a gradient of structural complexity, and this complexity was positively associated with tree species richness and planting density. Litter nutrient stocks were positively associated with pruning and mulching, and negatively associated with CWM of wood density, indicating the importance of pioneer trees. Overall, our results suggest that densely planted, pruned agroforestry systems that contain high species richness, including pioneer trees, contain relatively high amounts of N, P, K, Ca and Mg in their litter. These findings provide insight in the key characteristics of agroforestry systems to support nutrient cycling, and can inform the design of agroforestry systems for the regeneration of degraded agricultural land.

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“…Based on the observation, CA showed the highest C% and C: N ratio. In most cacao-growing regions of the globe, soil organic C and total N stocks are typically high in cacao agroforestry systems [27][28][29]. The analysis of soil N% revealed a range between 0.11-0.16 %, with the greatest percentage corresponding to cacao monoculture land cover.…”

Section: Analysis Of Organic C and N In Three Different Land Use In N...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacterial abundance of cacao agroforestry, cacao monoculture and secondary forest land uses in north Luwu, South Sulawesi

Nurhikmayani,

Jayadi,

Juita

et al. 2023

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Expanding the agricultural sector in North Luwu influences land use modification to enhance plantation output. Continuous land use and clearance can jeopardize the survival of native land vegetation, altering C and N cycles, community composition, population, and soil microbial activity. Microorganisms are essential for maintaining the health and quality of the soil. The abundance of soil microorganisms significantly impacts ecosystem function, so it can help boost agricultural output. This demonstrates that data on the abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms can be used to determine soil fertility. However, more information is needed about the diversity of soil microbes in North Luwu. This study seeks to determine the abundance of soil microorganisms, particularly for various land uses. Random soil samples were collected from cacao monoculture, cacao agroforestry, and secondary forest. The C: N ratio and the total number of microorganisms were then measured in the collected soil samples. Cacao agroforestry with the highest C: N ratio had 1.8 x 108 CFU/g of total soil bacterial, the highest bacterial abundance among the three land covers, followed by secondary forest and cacao monoculture with the lowest C: N ratio and lowest bacterial abundance 2 x 107 CFU/g. These results indicated that the soil C: N ratio influences the bacterial abundance of various land uses. The highest abundance of nitrate-fixing bacteria was found in secondary forests and the lowest in cacao agroforestry, even though the %N indicated by both was the same.

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Soil Classification and Carbon Storage in Cacao Agroforestry Farming Systems of Bahia, Brazil

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

Climate change could threaten cocoa production: Effects of 2015-16 El Niño-related drought on cocoa agroforests in Bahia, Brazil

Climate change could threaten cocoa production: Effects of 2015-16 El Niño-related drought on cocoa agroforests in Bahia, Brazil

On the complexity of agroforestry systems

Bacterial abundance of cacao agroforestry, cacao monoculture and secondary forest land uses in north Luwu, South Sulawesi

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