Biodiversity Function and Resilience in Tropical Agroforestry Systems Including Shifting Cultivation

Abstract

Agroforestry systems potentially deliver win-win solutions to production and biodiversity conservation in the tropics, but they need to be adapted to farmers' needs. We reviewed the literature on functional roles of biodiversity and resilience in tropical agroforestry systems, and we evaluated the evidence base for the beneficial role of biodiversity on yield, and effects of farmer management practices. Most studies investigated the biodiversity of taxa assumed to have positive functions for farmers. Shaded commodities and shifting cultivation were the systems most frequently assessed. Half of studies investigated plants, while Hymenoptera and birds were other major groups. Many agroforests had lower diversity than forest, while less than half had higher diversity than agriculture. The effects of management within systems were rarely addressed, with shade level the most frequent factor. Papers on resilience, mainly from shifting cultivation systems, showed the positive influence of adjacent old-growth forest to biodiversity, and the negative effects of tillage. Better reporting of results for meta-analyses, and long-term experiments on key questions are needed to evaluate the potential of agroforestry more thoroughly.

APLICAÇÃO DE BIOINOCULANTES DE SOLO COMPOSTADO PARA PROMOÇÃO DO CRESCIMENTO DE RÚCULA (Eruca sativa), CENOURA (Daucus carota sativus) e RABANETE (Raphanus sativus)

“…Estudos que buscam introduzir práticas agrícolas dentro de um sistema autorregulado e eficiente como agroflorestas também vêm ganhando espaço dentro do meio científico, por apresentar vantagens no manejo e na manutenção da área de cultivo (LAUDARES et al, 2017;NORGROVE et al, 2016;ROSENSTOCK et al, 2019;VILLA et al, 2020). A utilização de sistemas de plantio direto de hortaliças também reduz os danos ocasionados pelo uso exacerbado do solo.…”

Differences in the insect fauna associated to a monocultural pasture and a silvopasture in Southeastern Brazil

“…The NMDS results for Hymenoptera showed that in the monoculture it had a more heterogeneous and disperse composition compared to the silvopasture. This is probably due to its greater sensitivity to climatic and seasonal variations in the monoculture and, therefore, lower resilience 60 , causing greater temporal oscillations, which could potentially threaten system stability 60 – 62 . The increase in richness within these groups of beneficial organisms can have an important effect beyond the silvopastoral system, since it has the potential to improve biological control and crop pollination at a larger scale 56 , 63 .…”

What evidence exists on the relationship between agricultural production and biodiversity in tropical rainforest areas? A systematic map protocol

“…Managing tropical landscapes sustainably remains a substantial challenge [8]. On the one hand, conserving tropical biodiversity is undoubtedly important as tropical regions are prioritized global areas for conservation and restoration [9][10][11][12].…”

“…On the one hand, conserving tropical biodiversity is undoubtedly important as tropical regions are prioritized global areas for conservation and restoration [9][10][11][12]. On the other hand, the agricultural landscape is important because it supplies foods to sustain rural livelihoods and nourish the human population [8]. As such, the demand for agricultural production to provide food and generate income is rapidly increasing in conjunction with human population growth.…”