The Ecophysiological Role of Trees in Dryland Agroecosystems: Implications for Natural Resource Conservation and Sustainable Food Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Agroforestry involves maintaining trees alongside crops and is widely recognised to provide multiple benefits, including improving food security, production efficiency, and soil quality and mitigating climate change. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, a predominantly dry landscape, various pressures ar...

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Vydáno v:Diversity (Basel) Ročník 17; číslo 9; s. 662
Hlavní autoři: Priyadarshini, K. V. R., Prins, Herbert H. T., de Bie, Steven
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:angličtina
Vydáno: Basel MDPI AG 01.09.2025
Témata:
Agricultural ecology
Agricultural ecosystems
Agricultural land
Agricultural production
Agroecology
Agroforestry
Arid zones
Carbon sequestration
Climate change
Climate change mitigation
Climatic changes
Conservation of natural resources
Crop yield
Crop yields
dryland agroecosystems
Ecophysiology
Ecosystem services
Ecosystems
Farms
Food production
Food security
Food supply
Germany
Grasses
Influence
Intensive farming
Kenya
Land degradation
Natural resources
Netherlands
nutrient redistribution
Nutrients
Plant resources
Protection and preservation
Rain
Resource conservation
Soil erosion
Soil quality
South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Surface water
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable food systems
Sustainable production
tree ecophysiology
Trees
United Kingdom
water redistribution
Water shortages
South Africa
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Kenya
Sub-Saharan Africa
Germany
ISSN:1424-2818, 1424-2818
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Shrnutí:Agroforestry involves maintaining trees alongside crops and is widely recognised to provide multiple benefits, including improving food security, production efficiency, and soil quality and mitigating climate change. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, a predominantly dry landscape, various pressures are leading to the removal of trees from farmlands. Evidence from natural dryland systems shows that trees play a central role in regulating the key ecological processes of nutrient and water redistribution, an aspect also invoked in dryland agroecology. In this paper, we synthesise the ecophysiological functioning of trees, focusing on two key processes: water and nutrient redistribution. Additionally, we synthesise the influence of these functions on soil biotic interactions, detailing their ecological significance. Based on available evidence from both natural and agroecosystems, we review the role of tree ecophysiology in sustainable food production in dryland agroecosystems of Sub-Saharan Africa. We provide caveats related to prevalent interpretations and the current understanding of plant resource use in agroecology. Trees in agroforestry systems of Sub-Saharan Africa play a potentially critical role in the ecological intensification of food production. However, there is a lack of data on the roles of tree functions in enhancing crop yields and conserving resources in this region. Although evidence from natural drylands and indirect evidence from dryland agroforests indicate that tree ecophysiological functions may be crucial for ecological intensification of food production in Sub-Saharan Africa, many claims related to agroecosystems are overstated, underscoring the urgent need for focused research. Importantly, large trees on farms need to be conserved. To effectively exploit ecosystem services provided by trees, a key feature of ecological intensification, research tailored to local farm conditions is needed, with a focus on maintaining soil quality, securing long-term productivity, and conserving resources. Balancing agricultural intensification with ecological sustainability remains a challenge, yet it is vital for addressing food security, land degradation, and climate change.
Bibliografie:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d17090662