Early-stage successional agroforestry improves soil health in Mediterranean climates

Le résumé fourni par la source

Successional agroforestry (SAF) is an agroecological approach that seeks to mimic forest structure and dynamics through ecological succession and vertical stratification. These systems have shown potential for restoring degraded land in tropical areas, however, their performance under Mediterranean conditions remains poorly documented. This study assessed whether early successional stage SAF can improve soil health-related properties in a Mediterranean climate, and how management decisions influence soil outcomes. We assessed 19 physical, chemical, and biological soil indicators in two five-year-old SAF systems in Central Portugal, and compared them with a maize monocropping (MM) system and a natural forest (NF) reference. Additionally, we examined within-field variability by comparing perennial tree rows (SAF-R) and inter-rows (SAF-IR), which differ in pruning residue accumulation. Despite their early developmental stage, SAF showed marked improvements in soil properties relative to MM, including higher soil organic matter (SOM), enhanced nutrient availability, improved water-holding capacity, reduced compaction, and increased microbial and macrofaunal abundance. Selected topsoil indicators (0–20 cm), particularly SOM and total nitrogen, approached values observed in the NF reference site. Within SAF, pruning residue placement between SAF-R and SAF-IR influenced soil properties, generating contrasts in water-holding capacity, nutrient status, and physical structure over short spatial distances. Overall, the results demonstrate that SAF can initiate soil improvements in Mediterranean environments, even during early establishment, highlighting its potential as a climate-adaptive strategy for improving soil health indicators. However, long-term monitoring is needed to evaluate how these early soil health gains evolve through succession and how management decisions shape their persistence as systems mature.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.