CARBON CYCLE AND AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

In recent decades, there has been an increase in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), due in particular to the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and agricultural activities, which has altered the balance of ecosystems at an accelerated rate and caused global climate change. Agroforestry systems (AFS) are an excellent alternative for sustainable cultivation, and the advantages offered by their use are numerous, such as the potential for carbon (C) sequestration both in their biomass and in the soil. This literature review aims to verify whether there have been any advances in AFS research in the last decade, so that the potential of this system for C sequestration can be scientifically demonstrated, thus helping to reduce CO2 input into the atmosphere. In general, AFS have shown a high capacity to fix C, similar to native forests and greater than pastures and conventional systems, with more complex, older AFS planted from native forests obtaining better results. Research into AFS over the last ten years has focused not only on sequestering CO2 but also on nitrous oxide (N2O), another gas linked to agriculture and also an important cause of the greenhouse effect. Managing the system through pruning has proved to be essential for adding C and N to the soil. The same results were obtained for N as for C. with levels in the SAF soils studied at least remaining the same, and most of the time increasing.