Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Carbon Sequestration in Agroforestry: Enhancement of Both Soil Organic and Inorganic Carbon

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Agroforestry to Combat Global Challenges

Part of the book series: Sustainable Development and Biodiversity ((SDEB,volume 36))

  • 104 Accesses

Abstract

In India owing to its gradation in climatic conditions from temperate to humid tropics, the agroforestry systems (AFS) and practices are highly diverse within the country. The agroforestry practices followed in India range from intensified simple monoculture systems of planting, such as block and boundary plantations, to more specific, diversified, and complex systems, such as home gardens. In the era of changing climate, the role of trees, and other vegetation, its abatement is of paramount significance. Agroforestry as a sustainable land management system has a major role in carbon conservation and sequestration. Agroforestry practices sequester carbon both above ground as well as belowground. The above ground carbon sequestration by vegetation which sequester atmospheric carbon undergoing various physiological process and conserve it as biomass. The sole terrestrial pool where carbon (C) may be intentionally increased by agroforestry practices is the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool, which has been able to store some carbon for millennia. Agroforestry systems sequester about 2233 g carbon both above and below ground during the period of 50 years, but estimates of the amount of land they occupy globally are highly uncertain.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Chavan SB, Dhillon RS, Ajit, Rizvi RH, Sirohi C, Handa AK, Bharadwaj KK, Johar V, Kumar T, Singh P (2022) Estimating biomass production and carbon sequestration of poplar-based agroforestry systems in India. Environ Dev Sustain 24:13493–13521

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Stefano A, Jacobson MG (2018) Soil carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems: a meta-analysis. Agrofor Syst 92(2):285–299

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon RK (1995) Agroforestry systems: sources of sinks of greenhouse gases? Agrofor Syst 31(2):99–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • FSI (2021) India State Forest Report 2021. Forest Survey of India: Dehradun, India

    Google Scholar 

  • Guo LB, Gifford RM (2002) Soil carbon stocks and land use change: a meta analysis. Glob Chang Biol 8(4):345–360

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IPCC (2007) Climate change 2007: synthesis report. In: Core Writing Team, Pachauri RK, Reisinger A (eds) Contribution of working groups I, II and III to the fourth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. IPCC, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

  • Jha B, Mohanty B, Tripathi A (2009) Drivers of agricultural diversification in India, Haryana and the greenbelt farms of India. Inst. of Economic Growth, Unvi. of Delhi Enclave, Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Udawatta RP, Anderson SH (2010) Root length density and carbon content of agroforestry and grass buffers under grazed pasture systems in a Hapludalf. Agrofor Syst 80(1):85–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenz K, Lal R (2014) Soil organic carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 34:443–454

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maikhuri RK, Nautiyal S, Rao KS, Saxena KG (2001) Conservation policy–people conflicts: a case study from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a world heritage site), India. For Policy Econ 2(3–4):355–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moraes JL, Cerri CC, Melillo JM, Kicklighter D, Neill C, Skole DL, Steudler PA (1995) Soil carbon stocks of the Brazilian Amazon basin. Soil Sci Soc Am J 59(1):244–247

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murthy IK, Gupta M, Tomar S, Munsi M, Tiwari R, Hegde GT, Ravindranath NH (2013) Carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems in India. J Earth Sci Climate Change 4(1):1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PKR, Nair VD, Kumar BM, Haile SG, Dilly O, Pannell D (2009d) Soil carbon sequestration in tropical agroforestry systems: a feasibility appraisal. Environ Sci Policy 12:1099–1111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PR, Kumar BM, Nair VD (2009a) Agroforestry as a strategy for carbon sequestration. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 172(1):10–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PR, Nair VD, Kumar BM, Haile SG (2009b) Soil carbon sequestration in tropical agroforestry systems: a feasibility appraisal. Environ Sci Pol 12(8):1099–1111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PR, Nair VD, Kumar BM, Showalter JM (2010) Carbon sequestration in agroforestry systems. Adv Agron 108:237–307

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nair PKR, Nair VD, Kumar BM, Haile SG, Dilly O, Pannell D (2009c) Soil carbon sequestration in tropical agroforestry systems: A feasibility appraisal. Environ Sci Pol 12:1099–1111

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pandya IY, Salvi H, Chahar O, Vaghela N (2013) Quantitative analysis on carbon storage of 25 valuable tree species of Gujarat, Incredible India. Indian Journal ofScientific Research, 4(1):137–141.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panwar P, Mahalingappa DG, Kaushal R, Bhardwaj DR, Chakravarty S, Shukla G, Gurung T (2022) Biomass production and carbon sequestration potential of different agroforestry systems in India: a critical review. Forests 13(8):1274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Samra JS, Singh SC (2000) Silvopasture systems for soil, water and nutrient conservation on degraded land of Shiwalik foothills (sub-tropical northern India). Indian J Soil Conserv 28(1):35–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulp CJ, Nabuurs GJ, Verburg PH, de Waal RW (2008) Effect of tree species on carbon stocks in forest floor and mineral soil and implications for soil carbon inventories. For Ecol Manag 256(3):482–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi L, Feng W, Xu J, Kuzyakov Y (2018) Agroforestry systems: Meta-analysis of soil carbon stocks, sequestration processes, and future potentials. Land Degrad Dev 29(11):3886–3897

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh K, Chauhan HS, Rajput DK, Singh DV (1989) Report of a 60 month study on fitter production, changes in soil chemical properties and productivity under Poplar (P.deltoides) and Eucalyptus (E. hybrid) interplanted with aromatic grasses. Agrofor Syst 9:37–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh R, Shelar K, Duraisami M, Anderson W, Gautam RS (2021) Equitable and inclusive landscape restoration planning: learning from a restoration opportunity assessment in India. Ecological Restoration, 39(1–2):108–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SSSA (2001). Carbon Sequestration: Position of the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). Available from: www.soils.org/pdf/pos_paper_carb_seq.pdf (last accessed February 2010)

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Energy (2008) Carbon cycling and bio sequestration: integrating biology and climate through systems science, report from the March 2008 Workshop, DOE/SC-108. U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Silviculture and NRM, Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam, India

    K. S. Anjali, A. Balasubramanian, Ghazanfer Abbas, C. N. Hari Prasath, S. Navaneetha Krishnan & G. Swathiga

  2. J K K Munarajah College of Agricultural Sciences, Erode, India

    V. Manimaran

Authors
  1. K. S. Anjali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Balasubramanian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ghazanfer Abbas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. N. Hari Prasath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. Navaneetha Krishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. G. Swathiga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. V. Manimaran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Balasubramanian .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar, Rajasthan, India

    Hanuman Singh Jatav

  2. Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

    Vishnu D. Rajput

  3. Academy of Biology and Biotechnology, Department of Soil Science, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia

    Tatiana Minkina

  4. Institut de physique du globe de Paris, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Eric D. Van Hullebusch

  5. ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, India

    Asik Dutta

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Anjali, K.S. et al. (2024). Carbon Sequestration in Agroforestry: Enhancement of Both Soil Organic and Inorganic Carbon. In: Jatav, H.S., Rajput, V.D., Minkina, T., Van Hullebusch, E.D., Dutta, A. (eds) Agroforestry to Combat Global Challenges. Sustainable Development and Biodiversity, vol 36. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-7282-1_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation