Elevation and socioeconomic factors predict biomass carbon stock through species diversity and stand structures in the homegarden agroforestry systems of the central highlands of Ethiopia

IF 2.2 3区 农林科学 Q2 AGRONOMY
Gadisa Demie, Tsehay Tufa
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Abstract

Addressing climate change and biodiversity loss under the same management program is more significant than tackling these issues separately. Agroforestry, particularly homegardens, offers a viable land-use strategy to combat both challenges. However, the direct effects of elevation, farm size, and wealth level on carbon stock in these systems, as well as their indirect effects mediated by species diversity and stand structures, remain poorly understood. In this study, we hypothesized that: (1) perennial plant species diversity and stand structures (such as basal area and stem density) directly contribute to biomass C stock in the homegarden AF systems of the central highlands of Ethiopia; (2) elevation, farm size, and wealth levels primarily affect biomass C stock indirectly, with weaker direct effects; and (3) stand structures have a more significant role than perennial plant species diversity in mediating the response of biomass C stock to these factors. We collected vegetation data from 252 sample farms, randomly selected from three purposively chosen kebeles. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the direct and indirect relationships among elevation, socioeconomic factors, species diversity, stand structure, and aboveground biomass C stock. The results indicated that basal area and stem density have the strongest direct positive effects on biomass C stock, highlighting the critical role of stand structure in determining biomass C stock. Elevation influenced biomass C stock directly, but this effect was largely mediated through stand structures (stem density and basal area), supporting our hypothesis that elevation affects biomass C stock indirectly. Farm size also had a significant direct effect on biomass C stock, with indirect effects through stem density and basal area; however, it did not impact biomass C stock via perennial plant species diversity. Wealth levels influenced biomass C stock both directly and indirectly, with indirect effects mediated by perennial plant species diversity, stem density, and basal area. These findings highlight that stand structural attributes, particularly basal area and tree density, are the most influential determinants of biomass C stock in Ethiopian homegarden AF systems. Elevation and socioeconomic variables mainly affect biomass C stock indirectly, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stand structures and enhancing species diversity to optimize carbon sequestration and ecosystem services in agroforestry landscapes.

海拔和社会经济因素通过物种多样性和林分结构预测埃塞俄比亚中部高地家庭园林式农林系统的生物量碳储量
在同一管理方案下解决气候变化和生物多样性丧失问题比单独解决这些问题更为重要。农林业,特别是家庭菜园,为应对这两项挑战提供了可行的土地利用战略。然而,海拔高度、农场规模和财富水平对这些系统中碳储量的直接影响,以及它们由物种多样性和林分结构介导的间接影响,仍然知之甚少。本研究提出以下假设:(1)埃塞俄比亚中部高原家庭园地AF系统的多年生植物物种多样性和林分结构(如基面积和茎密度)直接影响生物量C储量;(2)海拔高度、农场规模和财富水平主要间接影响生物量C储量,直接影响较弱;(3)林分结构比多年生植物物种多样性更能调节生物量C储量对这些因子的响应。我们收集了252个样本农场的植被数据,这些样本农场是从三个有目的地选择的kebeles中随机选择的。利用结构方程模型(SEM)分析了海拔、社会经济因子、物种多样性、林分结构与地上生物量C储量之间的直接和间接关系。结果表明,基材面积和茎密度对生物量C储量的直接正向影响最大,突出了林分结构对生物量C储量的决定作用。海拔高度直接影响生物量C储量,但这种影响主要通过林分结构(茎密度和基底面积)介导,支持了海拔高度间接影响生物量C储量的假设。农场规模对生物量C储量也有显著的直接影响,通过茎密度和基面积产生间接影响;然而,它没有通过多年生植物物种多样性影响生物量C储量。财富水平对生物量C储量有直接和间接影响,间接影响由多年生植物物种多样性、茎密度和基底面积介导。这些发现突出表明,林分结构属性,特别是基底面积和树密度,是埃塞俄比亚家庭园林AF系统中生物量C储量的最重要决定因素。海拔和社会经济变量主要间接影响生物量C储量,强调了维持林分结构和增强物种多样性对优化农林业景观中碳固存和生态系统服务的重要性。
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来源期刊
Agroforestry Systems
Agroforestry Systems 农林科学-林学
CiteScore
5.30
自引率
9.10%
发文量
78
审稿时长
4.5 months
期刊介绍: Agroforestry Systems is an international scientific journal that publishes results of novel, high impact original research, critical reviews and short communications on any aspect of agroforestry. The journal particularly encourages contributions that demonstrate the role of agroforestry in providing commodity as well non-commodity benefits such as ecosystem services. Papers dealing with both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects are welcome. These include results of investigations of a fundamental or applied nature dealing with integrated systems involving trees and crops and/or livestock. Manuscripts that are purely descriptive in nature or confirmatory in nature of well-established findings, and with limited international scope are discouraged. To be acceptable for publication, the information presented must be relevant to a context wider than the specific location where the study was undertaken, and provide new insight or make a significant contribution to the agroforestry knowledge base
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