The multiple environmental issues of loss of forest cover due to cattle farming combined with pasture degradation leading to low levels of production, consequent extensification and therefore to more deforestation, are serious concerns in Costa Rica. To test the feasibility of countering these by combining a more productive pasture system with indigenous tree species, a silvopastoral experiment was established on a farm in the seasonally dry lowlands of Cañas, Guanacaste Province. A rapidly growing pasture species (Brachiaria brizantha) was tested against a traditional pasture dominated by Hyparrhenia rufa. Three indigenous tree species were established: Pithecellobium saman, Diphysa robinioides and Dalbergia retusa. Plots were grazed by cattle for 4 or 5 days with one to 2 month intervals between grazing episodes. After 51 months, D. robinioides was the fastest growing species, and P. saman the slowest, while B. brizantha produced three times the above ground and twice the below ground biomass as H. rufa, and trees had no effect upon grass yield. Contrary to competition theory, there was no effect of pasture species upon the two faster growing tree species. The carbon in above and below ground phytomass varied between 3.5 and 12.5 Mg C ha −1 in treeless pasture controls and silvopastoral systems, respectively, and total soil organic carbon (TSOC) in the upper 0.6 m averaged 110 Mg ha −1 . B. brizantha appeared to stimulate tree root production, which in turn was highly correlated with TSOC, resulting in annual increments in TSOC of up to 9.9 Mg ha −1 year −1 . These early results indicate the promising potential of this silvopastoral system for combining cattle production, and increasing tree cover and carbon sequestration.
Agroforestry covers between 200 and 357 million hectares in Latin America, including 14-26 million hectares in Central America and 88-315 million hectares in South America. Commercial silvopastoral systems and shaded tree-crop systems (involving crops such as of coffee, Coffea spp., and cacao, Theobroma cacao L.) are the most prominent agroforestry examples in the region. Agroforestry has permeated into multiple sectors of modern Latin American societies and is now included in the agendas of the international community; in national laws, institutions, and policies; in a growing body of science and technology; and in the practice by farmers, ranchers, and other land users. In this chapter, we explored the status and trends of Latin American agroforestry in fi ve sectors: (1) rural development, (2)
RESUMENLos sistemas de uso del suelo con leñosas perennes, como cacaotales, mitigan el cambio climático, al capturar CO2 atmosférico. El objetivo del estudio fue estimar la fijación de carbono en biomasa total en los sistemas de producción de cacao, dominantes del Tolima, Colombia. El estudio, se realizó en Rovira y Falan, empleando un diseño experimental, completamente al azar, con seis sistemas de producción de cacao: monocultivo, sistema agroforestal (SAF) con maderables, SAF con aguacate, SAF con cítricos, SAF con frutales, y SAF con maderables y frutales y tres repeticiones. Se establecieron dos parcelas de muestreo rectangulares, de 1.000m 2 por unidad de muestreo, donde se identificaron y midieron los árboles con dap ≥ 10cm (diámetro del tronco a la altura del pecho -dap-y altura total -ht). Se establecieron dos sub-parcelas de 256m 2 , por parcela principal, para medir arbustos de cacao: ht y diámetro del tronco, a 30 cm de altura (D30). Se emplearon modelos alométricos, para estimar la biomasa. El SAF con maderables y frutales y SAF con frutales presentaron la mayor biomasa total (122,0 y 72,5t/ ha). En el SAF con maderables y frutales, se evidenció el mayor almacenamiento de carbono, con 61,0t C/ha, mientras que la mayor tasa de fijación de carbono fue de 17,7t/ha/ año, para el SAF con cítricos. Los resultados sugieren que la producción de cacao, que incluyen otras especies vegetales, diversifica la producción e incrementa la seguridad alimentaria y la generación de servicios ambientales, tal como la captura de carbono atmosférico.Palabras clave: Altura total, modelos alométricos, dap, gases de efecto invernadero, sistemas agroforestales. SUMMARYThe land use systems with woody perennials species, such as cacao plantations, mitigate climate change by capturing atmospheric CO2. The aim of the study was to estimate the fixation of atmospheric carbon in total biomass in the most dominant cocoa production systems in Tolima, Colombia.The study was carried out in Rovira and Falan using a completely randomized experimental design with six cocoa production systems: monoculture, agroforestry system (SAF) with timber trees, SAF with avocado, SAF with citrus species, SAF with fruit trees and SAF with timber and fruit species with three replications. Two rectangular sampling plots 1000m 2 were established by sampling unit where trees with diameter of trunk at breast height (dbh) ≥ 10cm were identified and measured (dbh and total height -th). Two subplots of 256 m 2 by main plot, for measuring cocoa bushes were established: ht and trunk diameter at 30cm height (D30). Allometric models to estimate biomass were used. The AFS with timber and fruit species and AFS with fruit species had the greatest biomass (122.0 and 72.5t/ha). In the AFS with timber and fruit species presented the highest carbon storage in biomass with 61.0t C/ha; whereas the greatest carbon fixation rate was 17.7 t/ha/year in AFS with citrus species. The results suggest that cocoa plantations that include other plant species diversify the production a...
Introducción: Los cultivos de café, cacao y pasturas para la ganadería son actividades agropecuarias de interés económico en Colombia. Cuando estas actividades se desarrollan bajo sistemas agroforestales (SAF) promueven la conservación e incrementan la fijación de carbono y, por ende, la mitigación del cambio climático. Objetivo: El estudio estimó el almacenamiento de carbono en la biomasa aérea, necromasa y carbono orgánico del suelo bajo SAF con cacao (SAF cacao), SAF con café (café SAF), sistemas silvopastoriles (SSP) y bosque en el municipio de Mesetas, Meta (Colombia). Métodos: Se establecieron 44 parcelas de muestreo, en donde se tomaron medidas dasométricas a individuos con un diámetro del tronco a la altura del pecho (dap) ≥ 2.5 cm (latizales, fustales y fustales grandes), cuyos valores fueron transformados a carbono con modelos de biomasa y una fracción de carbono default. En los tres sistemas agropecuarios, se contó el número de árboles de cacao, café, plantas asociadas y se identificó el tipo de uso (maderable, alimento, combustión). Resultados: El almacenamiento de carbono presentó diferencias significativas (P < 0.0001) entre usos del suelo. La mayor acumulación se encontró en bosque, con 216.6 t C ha-1, superando en 59, 72 y 73 % a SAF cacao, SSP y SAF café, respectivamente. Fabaceae, Lauraceae y Primulaceae presentaron el mayor almacenamiento de carbono. En SAF cacao, la mayor acumulación de carbono fue encontrada en especies para alimento humano; en SAF café y SSP, el mayor almacenamiento fue presentado en las especies maderables. Conclusión: Estos resultados resaltan el potencial de almacenamiento de carbono en los sistemas productivos de mayor importancia en el departamento del Meta, lo cual es importante para el diseño de estrategias que permitan integrar acciones de mitigación de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y promover la economía campesina local.
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