The Role of Agroforest Carbon Dynamics in Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change

Abstract

Soil organic carbon (SOC) constitutes the largest active terrestrial carbon reservoir, and its strategic management has become central to both global climate change mitigation and the long-term sustainability of agricultural landscapes. Agroforestry systems, which integrate trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock on the same land unit, offer considerable promise for enhancing SOC stocks relative to conventional monoculture agriculture, whilst simultaneously delivering a suite of adaptation co-benefits. This review synthesises current knowledge on the mechanisms governing SOC dynamics in agroforestry systems, examines how ongoing and projected climate change alters these processes, and evaluates the potential for agroforestry to contribute meaningfully to global mitigation objectives. Evidence from field studies and meta-analyses consistently indicates that agroforestry enhances SOC stocks — predominantly in the upper soil horizon but increasingly documented at depth — through increased litter inputs, fine root turnover, enhanced aggregate stability, and the promotion of organo-mineral associations. However, the magnitude of carbon accumulation varies markedly across system type, climate zone, soil texture, tree species composition, and management history. Climate change is projected to perturb soil carbon dynamics through temperature-driven acceleration of decomposition, altered precipitation regimes affecting microbial activity, and complex elevated CO2–priming interactions that may partially offset sequestration gains. The review identifies critical knowledge gaps pertaining to deep soil carbon dynamics, the long-term permanence of sequestered carbon, and the response of soil microbial communities to warming in agroforestry contexts. Policy frameworks including REDD+, voluntary carbon markets, and the '4 per mille' initiative are assessed for their capacity to incentivise agroforestry adoption at scale. The article concludes that whilst agroforestry represents a genuinely viable nature-based solution for soil carbon sequestration, realisable gains depend critically upon context-specific management, rigorous monitoring frameworks, and supportive policy environments.