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Piliostigma reticulatum (DC.) Hochst., an indigenous shrub, forms an important vegetative component of parkland cropping systems in the Sahel; however, its biophysical interactions with soil and crops are not well understood. Therefore, the objectives were to determine the impact of P. reticulatum, under varying fertilizer rates, on crop yield response and soil nutrient dynamics. The experiment had a split‐plot factorial design, where the main plot was shrub (presence or absence) and the subplot was fertilizer rate (0, 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 times the recommended N–P–K fertilizer rate) applied to a peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.)–pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] rotation. In 3 of the 4 yr, P. reticulatum improved or had no effect on crop yields when averaged across fertilizer rates. Overall, millet and peanut biomass and N and P uptake by millet increased in the presence of shrubs and with increasing fertilizer rate. Contrary to P, inorganic N in the soils changed very rapidly, reaching very low levels by the end of the growing season. The N content of soil leachates below the rooting zone was generally lower beneath than outside the shrub canopy, suggesting that the shrub conserves N that is otherwise lost through leaching. Piliostigma reticulatum increased particulate organic matter, indicating that this shrub improved soil quality. These results suggest that P. reticulatum, under nonthermal management and a higher density than typically found in farmers’ fields, has ecological benefits with improved soils and reduced loss of N, which has implications throughout the Sahel.

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A major opportunity exists in the transition from the disciplinary Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) to the more interdisciplinary Sustainable Development Goals (SDG's) to transform the dialogue around the environment from its current conceptualization as a constraining factor towards its utilization an enabling force for sustainable development.Agricultural ecosystems are the ecosystems closest to human well-being providing 31% of global employment, and the sustenance for the entirety of the global population. Despite this central contribution, agricultural systems or agroecosystems are responsible for driving significant environmental pressures while failing to provide sustainable diets for a world that is increasing either under-or malnourished. Agriculture's dual change is often presented as a trade-off between conservation and development objectives. However, an increasing body of research demonstrates that agricultural systems are both wholly dependent on, and potentially net providers of ecosystem services beyond food production. Recognizing this dual role allows for greater convergence between conservation and development objectives and leverages environmental management of agricultural system as a means to achieving global sustainability goals. We propose a simple framework for ecosystem services and resilience in agricultural landscapes to better capture and operationalize interactions between ecosystem services provided to agriculture, and those provided from agriculture. We discuss how such a perspective influences definitions of production ecosystem services and emphasize the need for greater focus on resilience and regulating services. We argue for better applications of resilience-based approaches and call for refocusing ecosystem service research on human well-being outcomes articulated in the social targets of the SDGs, in addition to the more traditional biophysical and conservation based outcomes.

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