Policies to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation largely depend on accurate estimates of tropical forest carbon stocks. Here we present the first field-based carbon stock data for the Central Congo Basin in Yangambi, Democratic Republic of Congo. We find an average aboveground carbon stock of 162±20 Mg C ha À 1 for intact old-growth forest, which is significantly lower than stocks recorded in the outer regions of the Congo Basin. The best available tree height-diameter relationships derived for Central Africa do not render accurate canopy height estimates for our study area. Aboveground carbon stocks would be overestimated by 24% if these inaccurate relationships were used. The studied forests have a lower stature compared with forests in the outer regions of the basin, which confirms remotely sensed patterns. Additionally, we find an average soil carbon stock of 111 ± 24 Mg C ha À 1 , slightly influenced by the current land-use change.

Ethiopia is now the second most populated country in Africa with more than 100 million people and an annual population growth rate of 3%. Here, we assess how the on-going expansion of arable land and urban areas is affecting the availability of common resources, such as forest and grazing land, and the availability of biomass for food, feed, and energy. Taking the Hawassa area in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia as a study case, this study aims at analysing the drivers of change of farming systems, assessing farmers' responses to these drivers and appreciating the consequences for the agricultural landscapes' composition. We found that (i) national-level policies, climate and soil fertility changes, population increase, and urban expansion were major drivers of farming systems change in the Hawassa area, (ii) forests and grasslands have been progressively replaced by cropland and urban areas, and (iii) these changes resulted in fragmentation and diversification of local agricultural landscapes with potential consequences for ecosystem service provision. Farmers responded with the following three main livelihood strategies: consolidation, diversification and specialization. These changes led to more diverse and fragmented agricultural landscapes. This research contributes to the ongoing debate about the viability of small farms.

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This chapter reviews evidence of the impacts of agroecological farming practices on climate adaptation and mitigation. Farm diversification has the strongest evidence for its impacts on climate change adaptation. The evidence for agroecology’s impact on mitigation in LMICs is modest and emphasises carbon sequestration in soil and biomass. Agroforestry has the strongest body of evidence for impacts on mitigation. Locally relevant solutions produced through participatory processes and the co-creation of knowledge with farmers has improved climate change adaptation and mitigation. Knowledge gaps were found in regard to agricultural climate change mitigation, resilience to extreme weather, and agroecology approaches involving livestock, landscape redesign and multi-scalar analysis. There is a need to assess the performance of agricultural development using an outcome-based approach based on agroecological principles and climate change adaptation and mitigation indicators in order to guide donor and national investment. Moreover, direct investment and the scaling of practices for which the current evidence is strongest are needed. These include: (1) agricultural diversification, agroforestry and local adaptation; (2) increase action around resilience to extreme weather and climate change mitigation outcomes in LMICs and build the capacity of policymakers, scientists and institutions from the global South to work on these issues; and (3) compare the cost-effectiveness and outcomes of agroecology approaches with other agricultural development interventions at multiple scales, including the valuation of environmental and social benefits to better evaluate alternative approaches to sustainable agriculture.

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