Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.

In the Colombian Amazon region, agricultural and livestock activities lead to changes in land use, transforming complex and heterogeneous natural landscapes into landscapes characterized by a matrix of pastures and forest fragments with low connectivity. These agroforestry landscapes play a crucial...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-Cháux, Alexander Velasquez-Valencia, Fernando Casanoves
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2025-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325477
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1839650516005552128
author Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-Cháux
Alexander Velasquez-Valencia
Fernando Casanoves
author_facet Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-Cháux
Alexander Velasquez-Valencia
Fernando Casanoves
author_sort Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-Cháux
collection DOAJ
description In the Colombian Amazon region, agricultural and livestock activities lead to changes in land use, transforming complex and heterogeneous natural landscapes into landscapes characterized by a matrix of pastures and forest fragments with low connectivity. These agroforestry landscapes play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation and the carbon cycle. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of landscape structure and spatial configuration in cacao-based agroforestry systems (SAFc) and silvopastoral systems (SSP) on carbon storage in the Colombian Amazon. The study was conducted across eight mosaics of rural production landscapes in the Amazon region, each consisting of a 1 km² grid where vegetation covers were classified, and landscape metrics were quantified. A total of 78 plots of 0.1 ha were established in 44 cover patches within the SAFc and SSP mosaics, and dasometric variables were measured to inventory carbon deposits in aboveground biomass, root biomass, litter, and herbaceous vegetation. It was estimated that, in the Colombian Amazon, the studied SAFc and SSP systems store an average of 15.20 Mg C ha- 1 in their biomass. Carbon storage was positively correlated with landscape aggregation metrics and spatial configuration within the system mosaics. Mosaics with patches of symmetrical shapes and lower irregularity, exhibiting greater contiguity, showed higher biomass and carbon storage. Therefore, productive landscapes with complex and connected mosaics enhance the provision of regulatory ecosystem services through carbon storage. Restoration efforts in fragmented areas should be managed at the landscape level by expanding the area of planting patches, establishing patches with regular geometric configurations, and improving connectivity among patches of the same type.
format Article
id doaj-art-aec851ac5df34e9da437a89ff4d8c42c
institution Matheson Library
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-aec851ac5df34e9da437a89ff4d8c42c2025-06-27T05:31:50ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01206e032547710.1371/journal.pone.0325477Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-CháuxAlexander Velasquez-ValenciaFernando CasanovesIn the Colombian Amazon region, agricultural and livestock activities lead to changes in land use, transforming complex and heterogeneous natural landscapes into landscapes characterized by a matrix of pastures and forest fragments with low connectivity. These agroforestry landscapes play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation and the carbon cycle. The objective of this research was to determine the influence of landscape structure and spatial configuration in cacao-based agroforestry systems (SAFc) and silvopastoral systems (SSP) on carbon storage in the Colombian Amazon. The study was conducted across eight mosaics of rural production landscapes in the Amazon region, each consisting of a 1 km² grid where vegetation covers were classified, and landscape metrics were quantified. A total of 78 plots of 0.1 ha were established in 44 cover patches within the SAFc and SSP mosaics, and dasometric variables were measured to inventory carbon deposits in aboveground biomass, root biomass, litter, and herbaceous vegetation. It was estimated that, in the Colombian Amazon, the studied SAFc and SSP systems store an average of 15.20 Mg C ha- 1 in their biomass. Carbon storage was positively correlated with landscape aggregation metrics and spatial configuration within the system mosaics. Mosaics with patches of symmetrical shapes and lower irregularity, exhibiting greater contiguity, showed higher biomass and carbon storage. Therefore, productive landscapes with complex and connected mosaics enhance the provision of regulatory ecosystem services through carbon storage. Restoration efforts in fragmented areas should be managed at the landscape level by expanding the area of planting patches, establishing patches with regular geometric configurations, and improving connectivity among patches of the same type.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325477
spellingShingle Jenniffer Tatiana Díaz-Cháux
Alexander Velasquez-Valencia
Fernando Casanoves
Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
PLoS ONE
title Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
title_full Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
title_fullStr Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
title_full_unstemmed Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
title_short Influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the Colombian Amazon.
title_sort influence of landscape structure on carbon storage in agroforestry systems with cacao and silvopastoral systems in the colombian amazon
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325477
work_keys_str_mv AT jenniffertatianadiazchaux influenceoflandscapestructureoncarbonstorageinagroforestrysystemswithcacaoandsilvopastoralsystemsinthecolombianamazon
AT alexandervelasquezvalencia influenceoflandscapestructureoncarbonstorageinagroforestrysystemswithcacaoandsilvopastoralsystemsinthecolombianamazon
AT fernandocasanoves influenceoflandscapestructureoncarbonstorageinagroforestrysystemswithcacaoandsilvopastoralsystemsinthecolombianamazon