Shade tree functional traits drive critical ecosystem services in cocoa agroforestry systems
2024
Addo-Danso, Shalom, D | Asare, Richard | Tettey, Abigail | Schmidt, Jennifer, E | Sauvadet, Marie | Coulis, Mathieu | Belliard, Nelly | Isaac, Marney, E | Council for Scientific and Industrial Research [Ghana] (CSIR) | University of Toronto at Scarborough | International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA-Ghana) ; International Institute of Tropical Agriculture [Nigeria] (IITA) ; Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR] (CGIAR)-Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research [CGIAR] (CGIAR) | Mars-Wrigley ; Partenaires INRAE | Ecologie fonctionnelle et biogéochimie des sols et des agro-écosystèmes (UMR Eco&Sols) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Institut Agro Montpellier ; Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro) | Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Fonctionnement écologique et gestion durable des agrosystèmes bananiers et ananas (UR GECO) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad) | Canada Research Chairs Program. | CocoaSoils program, funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), Grant number RAF-17/0009-Cocoasoils
International audience
Show more [+] Less [-]English. The inclusion of shade trees into cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) systems can generate livelihood opportunities for smallholder farmers. Yet, there is the need to examine the ecological context within which shade trees, and their functional traits, have a positive impact on ecosystem services in cocoa systems. Here, we used a network of farms of similar aged hybrid cocoa, in a nested design consisting of agroforestry or monoculture management, on three initial soil quality levels (poor, moderate or good) in two agroecological zones (humid or sub-humid) to investigate whether shade tree functional traits are linked with soil-based and cocoa-based ecosystem services. Initial soil quality level was the main driver of differences in soil organic matter, soil N, soil C:N, soil total C, soil permanganate-oxidizable C, while agroecological zone largely explained differences in cocoa yield and aboveground C. The inclusion of shade trees increased soil macrofauna abundance and mass but decreased cocoa aboveground C compared to cocoa monoculture plots. Importantly, within agroforestry systems, shade tree leaf traits expressed as community weighted means of SLA, leaf N, and leaf dry matter content explained differences in soil-based and cocoa-based ecosystem services. These results show that agroforestry systems have the potential to enhance soil-based ecosystem services without notably decreasing cocoa yield. And a trait-based approach to describe shade tree diversity can advance our understanding and management of shade tree-ecosystem service relationships in cocoa agroforestry systems.
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