Agroforestry as a strategy for soil conservation in Colombia

Abstract

In the tropical region of Colombia, land use and the expansion of the agricultural frontier are rapidly increasing, leading to declines in soil quality and health. Agroforestry has recently been proposed as a sustainable agricultural system that provides ecosystem services such as ecosystem restoration and soil conservation. In this context, a synthesis of the ecosystem services of agroforestry was carried out, focusing on the contributions of tree diversification and its relationship with soil conditions. The findings indicate that agroforestry systems directly provide organic matter through leaf litter, which contributes to macrofaunal richness and increases the availability of N, K, P, Mg, and Ca. Moreover, soils in agroforestry systems (SAF) represent important carbon sinks. Accordingly, the present study aims to analyze the contribution of SAF to soil conservation, as well as its role in promoting increases in arthropod and vertebrate populations and in regulating water and nutrient cycles.