Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia
Agroforestry systems help to mitigate climate change by storing carbon in biomass, soils and products. The potential of various homegarden agroforestry (HGAF) practices as a carbon sink in reference to HGAF and household characters has not been adequately studied. Therefore, this study empirically a...
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2025-01-01
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| author | Boja Tilinti Mesele Negash Zebene Asfaw Teshale Woldeamanuel |
| author_facet | Boja Tilinti Mesele Negash Zebene Asfaw Teshale Woldeamanuel |
| author_sort | Boja Tilinti |
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| description | Agroforestry systems help to mitigate climate change by storing carbon in biomass, soils and products. The potential of various homegarden agroforestry (HGAF) practices as a carbon sink in reference to HGAF and household characters has not been adequately studied. Therefore, this study empirically assessed the effects of HGAF practices, HGAF size, HGAF age, and household wealth status on carbon stock accumulation in southeastern Ethiopia. Perennial plant inventory data, litter and soil samples were collected from 96 HGAF farms (48 traditional and 48 improved), consisting of 200 sample plots with a plot size of 20 m × 20 m. A total of 288 soil samples were collected from depths of 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm to analyze the spatial and vertical distribution of carbon. The results indicated that biomass carbon in improved HGAF practice was about 11.8 % higher than in traditional ones. Old age HGAF had 8.7 % and 49.4 % significantly higher biomass carbon than medium and young age HGAF, respectively. Soil organic carbon varied significantly based on HGAF practices, HGAF size, HGAF age and household wealth status (p < 0.05). The mean ecosystem carbon stock of traditional HGAF was by 17.2 % higher than that of improved practices. Our results revealed that the potential carbon stocks of the HGAF ecosystem depend on the types of HGAF, household wealth and soil depth. Thus, HGAF should be managed as a viable land use option to help mitigate climate change, while also offering food and income opportunities for smallholder farmers in the studied region and beyond. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-afc221b19c1443028bc66b1cd5c2547b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
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| spelling | doaj-art-afc221b19c1443028bc66b1cd5c2547b2025-02-02T05:29:00ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-01-01112e42127Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern EthiopiaBoja Tilinti0Mesele Negash1Zebene Asfaw2Teshale Woldeamanuel3Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia; College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Madda Walabu University, P.O. Box 247, Bale Robe, Ethiopia; Corresponding author. Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia.Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia; European Forest Institute, Rome, c/o CREA-IT, Via Manziana 30, 00189, Rome, ItalyWondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, EthiopiaWondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hawassa University, P.O. Box 128, Shashemene, EthiopiaAgroforestry systems help to mitigate climate change by storing carbon in biomass, soils and products. The potential of various homegarden agroforestry (HGAF) practices as a carbon sink in reference to HGAF and household characters has not been adequately studied. Therefore, this study empirically assessed the effects of HGAF practices, HGAF size, HGAF age, and household wealth status on carbon stock accumulation in southeastern Ethiopia. Perennial plant inventory data, litter and soil samples were collected from 96 HGAF farms (48 traditional and 48 improved), consisting of 200 sample plots with a plot size of 20 m × 20 m. A total of 288 soil samples were collected from depths of 0–30 cm and 30–60 cm to analyze the spatial and vertical distribution of carbon. The results indicated that biomass carbon in improved HGAF practice was about 11.8 % higher than in traditional ones. Old age HGAF had 8.7 % and 49.4 % significantly higher biomass carbon than medium and young age HGAF, respectively. Soil organic carbon varied significantly based on HGAF practices, HGAF size, HGAF age and household wealth status (p < 0.05). The mean ecosystem carbon stock of traditional HGAF was by 17.2 % higher than that of improved practices. Our results revealed that the potential carbon stocks of the HGAF ecosystem depend on the types of HGAF, household wealth and soil depth. Thus, HGAF should be managed as a viable land use option to help mitigate climate change, while also offering food and income opportunities for smallholder farmers in the studied region and beyond.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025005079Biomass carbonImproved homegarden agroforestryClimate change mitigationSoil organic carbonTraditional homegarden agroforestry |
| spellingShingle | Boja Tilinti Mesele Negash Zebene Asfaw Teshale Woldeamanuel Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia Heliyon Biomass carbon Improved homegarden agroforestry Climate change mitigation Soil organic carbon Traditional homegarden agroforestry |
| title | Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia |
| title_full | Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia |
| title_short | Variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households’ characteristics in Southeastern Ethiopia |
| title_sort | variations in carbon stocks across traditional and improved agroforestry in reference to agroforestry and households characteristics in southeastern ethiopia |
| topic | Biomass carbon Improved homegarden agroforestry Climate change mitigation Soil organic carbon Traditional homegarden agroforestry |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025005079 |
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