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Carbon stocks, tree diversity, and the role of organic certification in different cocoa production systems in Alto Beni, Bolivia

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Abstract

This study compares aboveground and belowground carbon stocks and tree diversity in different cocoa cultivation systems in Bolivia: monoculture, simple agroforestry, and successional agroforestry, as well as fallow as a control. Since diversified, agroforestry-based cultivation systems are often considered important for sustainable development, we also evaluated the links between carbon stocks and tree diversity, as well as the role of organic certification in transitioning from monoculture to agroforestry. Biomass, tree diversity, and soil physiochemical parameters were sampled in 15 plots measuring 48 × 48 m. Semi-structured interviews with 52 cocoa farmers were used to evaluate the role of organic certification and farmers’ organizations (e.g., cocoa cooperatives) in promoting tree diversity. Total carbon stocks in simple agroforestry systems (128.4 ± 20 Mg ha−1) were similar to those on fallow plots (125.2 ± 10 Mg ha−1). Successional agroforestry systems had the highest carbon stocks (143.7 ± 5.3 Mg ha−1). Monocultures stored significantly less carbon than all other systems (86.3 ± 4.0 Mg ha−1, posterior probability P(Diff > 0) of 0.000–0.006). Among shade tree species, Schizolobium amazonicum, Centrolobium ochroxylum, and Anadenanthera sp. accumulated the most biomass. High-value timber species (S. amazonicum, C. ochroxylum, Amburana cearensis, and Swietenia macrophylla) accounted for 22.0 % of shade tree biomass. The Shannon index and tree species richness were highest in successional agroforestry systems. Cocoa plots on certified organic farms displayed significantly higher tree species richness than plots on non-certified farms. Thus, expanding the coverage of organic farmers’ organizations may be an effective strategy for fostering transitions from monoculture to agroforestry systems.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank DITSL for financing a pre-study, the NCCR North–South program (Research Project 13) for supervision, AVINA Foundation for initial funding, KFPE Bern for financing an Echange Universitaire project with students from Bolivia, FiBL (Andreas Gattinger and Franco Weibel), the Planet Action program, DigitalGlobe, the Centre for Development and Environment (Anne Zimmermann, Anu Lannen), ECOTOP (Joachim Milz), the Facultad de Agronomía (Fanny Suxo) and Instituto de Ecología UMSA La Paz (Renate Seidel and Miguel Limachi), the foundation PIAF-El Ceibo (Vladimiro Mendieta and Ernesto Huanca), and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 10, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Johanna Jacobi & Stephan Rist

  2. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Ackerstrasse 21, 5070, Frick, Switzerland

    Christian Andres & Monika Schneider

  3. Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA), Héroes del Acre N° 1850, La Paz, Bolivia

    Maria Pillco

  4. Fundación PIAF - El Ceibo, Sapecho, Alto Beni, La Paz, Bolivia

    Patricia Calizaya

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  1. Johanna Jacobi
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Correspondence to Johanna Jacobi.

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Jacobi, J., Andres, C., Schneider, M. et al. Carbon stocks, tree diversity, and the role of organic certification in different cocoa production systems in Alto Beni, Bolivia. Agroforest Syst 88, 1117–1132 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-013-9643-8

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