The comparison of aboveground C-stock between cacao-based agroforestry system and cacao monoculture practice in West Sumatra, Indonesia

Abstract

Santhyami, Basukriadi A, Patria MP, Abdulhadi R. 2018. The comparison of aboveground C-stock between cacao-based agroforestry system and cacao monoculture practice in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 19: 472-479. One of the main cause of climate change is deforestation for agricultural purposes. Therefore, Agroforestry System-AFS is regarded as a benign approach to reduce pressure on natural forest while still meeting the needs of local communities. In West Sumatra, Indonesia, small-scale AFS with cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) is the most commonly developed agroforestry system. At present, there is a tendency to intensify cacaobased AFS by reducing the shade trees leading to monoculture practice. Although many studies had demonstrated the benefits of agroforestry over monoculture, not many studies have been looking at the comparison of carbon stock (C-Stock) of cacao-based AFS with different types of shade trees, particularly in West Sumatra. This study aimed to compare the aboveground C-Stock of three types of cacao-based AFS developed in West Sumatra; (i) Cacao-Rubber (CR), (ii) Cacao Multi-strata (CM), (iii) Cacao-Coconut (CC) with monoculture practice. Using replicated nested plot design, data were collected in April-June 2017 in Pasaman District for CR and CM and Padang Pariaman District for CC and monoculture. Biomass of cacao and shade trees and saplings were determined using allometric equations. The highest total aboveground biomass and C-Stock was found in CC AFS system (an average of 206.84 Mg ha-1 containing 103.42 MgC ha-1, respectively). The lowest total aboveground biomass and C-Stock was found in monoculture system (an average of 20 Mg ha-1 containing 10 MgC ha-1, respectively). Cacao-based AFS in West Sumatra has the potential to contribute to carbon storage by increasing the stocking density of shade tress through carbon-friendly intensification. An additional incentives should be considered such as including the farmers in environmental service reward schemes for maintaining high C stocks in their farms.

Diversity, biomass, and carbon stock of understorey plants in the rubber agroforestry and rubber monoculture systems in Central Tapanuli District, North Sumatra, Indonesia

“…Our results are different from those of Santhyami et al (2018), where total aboveground C-stock in biomass was six to ten times higher in the cacao-based agroforestry than in monoculture cacao. This difference is due to differences in undergrowth species in monoculture and agroforestry systems.…”

Biodiversity of the Cocoa Agroforests of the Bengamisa-Yangambi Forest Landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

“…This has a direct impact on stored biomass. Many studies in the tropics have shown similar results, such as in Cameroon [59] and Indonesia [60].…”

State and outlook of agroforestry in ASEAN

“…In Mindanao, the Philippines, Tolentino et al (2010) found that complex agroforestry systems had a carbon stock of 192 t C ha -1 , which is three times more than the carbon stock of tree plantations (59 t C ha -1) . Multi-strata cacao-agroforestry systems in Indonesia and the Philippines have been shown to hold stock above 100 t C ha -1 for aboveground carbon (Lasco et al 2001, Santhyami et al 2018. If agroforestry systems in Viet Nam were expanded to their potential of an additional 10 million ha, at least 260 Mt C could be sequestered annually (Mulia et al 2018(Mulia et al , 2020.…”