Agroforestry for biodiversity and ecosystem services

Agroforestry (farming systems with trees) has been practised for millennia across the world, but its significance as a relevant part of land use has not been formally recognized. As global food demand continues to increase, farmers are increasingly relying on intensive use of existing croplands and land clearing, resulting in environmental degradation. This degradation includes the loss of biodiversity and vital ecosystem services that support human well-being. However, recent discourses suggest that unlocking the potential of agroforestry could offer a solution to this pressing challenge. By harnessing agroforestry, we have the opportunity to support biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods, and provide numerous ecosystem services such as nutrient retention, erosion control, carbon sequestration, pollination, pest control and fire risk reduction. Agroforestry encompasses a wide spectrum of practices including natural vegetation remnants, Taungya, hedgerows, windbreaks, home gardens, forest farming, riparian buffers, fallow areas, silvopasture and alley cropping. By exploring these diverse agroforestry systems worldwide, we can better understand the comprehensive range of ecosystem services they offer.

One of the greatest challenges faced by humanity in the Anthropocene is to reconcile biodiversity conservation with the demands of economic development, which often involves converting forestland to other land uses. Globally, forest conversion and unsustainable management practices in agricultural landscapes are driving the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Recent research has advanced our understanding of the potential of agroforestry as a solution to environmental degradation, highlighting the need to unlock its potential to achieve both local and global sustainable development goals. However, scientific evidence on the impacts of agroforestry on biodiversity and ecosystem services is not yet universally available. To upscale agroforestry practices, it is crucial to gather field-based evidence that demonstrates the benefits of biodiversity conservation through agroforestry. This evidence will support informed decision-making by farmers, advisory services, and policy-making bodies. Therefore, this issue aims to present information and evidence from various regions of the world, shedding light on the diverse services provided by agroforestry and how these systems are being utilized in the current era of climate change and sustainable development.

The aim of this research topic is to collect papers dealing with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services in areas characterized by the presence of agroforestry systems. All research articles dealing with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services in agroforestry systems are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Contribution of agroforestry systems to ecosystem services: improving soil quality, increasing biodiversity, enhancing water management, reducing erosion
• Agroforestry practices for climate change adaptation and mitigation
• Role of agroforestry in reducing deforestation and forest degradation
• Role of local communities and indigenous people in agroforestry
• Sustainable management of forest resources through agroforestry
• Role of indigenous traditional knowledge in agroforestry
• Managing services and dis-services in agroforestry systems
• Advances in agroforestry research and development

Keywords: Agroforestry, biodiversity, ecosystem services, livelihoods, forests

Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.