Agroforestry Systems最新文献

{"title":"Soil carbon and nitrogen storage and biomass carbon reserves in silvopastoral systems of the subhumid tropics of Mexico","authors":"Ana I. Gutiérrez-López,&nbsp;Fernando Casanova-Lugo,&nbsp;Gilberto Villanueva-López,&nbsp;Laura Macario-González,&nbsp;Luis A. Lara-Pérez,&nbsp;Deb R. Aryal,&nbsp;Dixan Pozo-Leyva","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01675-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01675-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The conversion of natural vegetation, such as forests, to full-sun pasture diminishes soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks. Silvopastoral systems (SPS) are considered a viable alternative, as they contribute to carbon sequestration and nitrogen retention in soils and biomass. This study aimed to evaluate soil C and N stocks, along with C in tree biomass, in SPS with scattered trees in pastures (STP), monoculture pasture (PM), and dry forest (DF) in the sub-humid tropics of Mexico. Tree biomass (for trees with a diameter ≥10 cm) was estimated using an allometric model to determine the biomass C content. Soil C and N stocks were determined for five depth classes (0–10, 10–20, 20–30, 30–40, and 40–50 cm). Correlations between soil physicochemical properties and C and N stocks were analyzed. Furthermore, total C stocks (tree biomass and soil) were estimated for the three systems. The results indicated that DF exhibited a greater proportion of woody species with diameters of 10–30 cm and heights of 5–15 m than STP, storing the highest biomass C stock (72.6 Mg ha^–1). The DF and STP systems had higher C and N stocks than PM. The highest C and N stocks were found in the surface stratum (0–10 cm) compared with the other strata in all systems. However, soil C and N stocks (0–50 cm) in STP (113.3 Mg C ha^–1 and 16.1 Mg N ha^–1) were similar to DF (119.1 Mg C ha^–1 and 15.5 Mg N ha^–1). In contrast, total C stocks was highest in DF (191.7 Mg C ha^–1), followed by STP (122.9 C ha^–1) and the lowest in PM (81.7 Mg C ha^–1). Soil physicochemical properties showed distinct correlations with C and N stocks, depending on the land-use system. We conclude that the conservation of DF and the implementation of SPS, such as STP, are key strategies for preserving soil C and N stocks in areas with high pressure of land conversion for livestock production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149133202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research trends and stakeholder representation in montado and dehesa agrosilvopastoral systems: a bibliometric analysis","authors":"Miguel Filipe M. Advinha,&nbsp;Maria Raquel Lucas,&nbsp;Ana Marta-Costa","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01678-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01678-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Portuguese <i>montado</i> and the Spanish <i>dehesa</i> are multifunctional Mediterranean agrosilvopastoral systems of high ecological, cultural, and socio-economic value. Despite their significance, these landscapes face mounting challenges from climate change, land-use intensification, mismanagement, and rural abandonment. This study combines a systematic literature search, bibliometric mapping, and qualitative literature synthesis of 55 scientific publications indexed in the Scopus database to characterize the thematic structure of the literature and examine patterns of stakeholder representation. The bibliometric analysis identified four interconnected thematic clusters: (1) cultural heritage and tourism in the <i>dehesa</i>, (2) biodiversity and sustainability in the <i>montado</i>, (3) governance and ecosystem services, and (4) livestock and grazing practices. The analysis also revealed that stakeholder representation varies across thematic areas, with landowners, farmers, and governance-related actors being the most consistently represented stakeholder groups, while consumers, NGOs, rural workers, and businesses remain comparatively less frequently represented. Together, the thematic clusters indicate an increasing integration of ecological, governance, productive, and socio-cultural perspectives within the reviewed literature, although important gaps remain in the representation of downstream stakeholders and value-chain perspectives. These findings provide a structured overview of the current thematic organisation of research on <i>montado</i> and <i>dehesa</i> systems and identify opportunities for future interdisciplinary research integrating ecological, governance, stakeholder, and socio-economic dimensions of Mediterranean agroforestry systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Aboveground carbon dynamics following plantation thinning to establish a silvopastoral system in subtropical Australia","authors":"Tien Chinh Nguyen,&nbsp;David J. Lee,&nbsp;Helen F. Nahrung,&nbsp;Teresa J. Eyre,&nbsp;Nahuel A. Pachas","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01679-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01679-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding the impact of plantation thinning for silvopastoral systems (SPS) on carbon storage is crucial for the development of grazing systems to integrate production and carbon goals. This study compared aboveground carbon (AGC) among a SPS established through thinning the Corymbia hybrid plantation in 2021, an open pasture (OP), a timber plantation (TP), and an unthinned plantation (UP) in subtropical Australia. Thinning had a positive effect on tree diameter and AGC. Over 3.2 years following thinning, SPS had the highest diameter (26.5 ± 0.9 cm), which was 21.0% higher than TP and 29.3% larger than UP. Correspondingly, SPS increased annual diameter increment by 87% and 216% compared to TP and UP, respectively. By 2025, SPS had 77% higher tree-level AGC than UP, although its stand-level AGC (24.63 Mg C ha⁻¹) remained 56% lower than UP (55.66 Mg C ha⁻¹). Annual tree-level AGC increment in SPS was 138% higher than in TP and 280% higher than in UP, whereas annual stand-level AGC increment did not differ significantly among these treatments. SPS exhibited the highest ground vegetation carbon (1.22–1.61 Mg C ha⁻¹) but the lowest tree litter carbon (1.37–1.45 Mg C ha⁻¹) among tree-based treatments, while supporting a ground vegetation carbon level comparable to OP. These findings indicate that SPS can enhance AGC relative to OP, while promoting tree growth and increasing tree-level AGC and ground vegetation carbon compared to TP and UP. Thinning plantations for SPS therefore might provide a promising strategy to enhance AGC storage in subtropical Australia.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-026-01679-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of soil health and economic performance under apricot and pear based agroforestry systems in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, India","authors":"Purnima Thakur,&nbsp;C. L. Thakur,&nbsp;D. R. Bhardwaj,&nbsp;Kartik Thakur","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01681-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01681-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The study evaluates three wheat varieties under different agroforestry systems and nutrient management treatments. In this context, 3 main treatments of system (S_A-Apricot based agroforestry system, S_P- Pear based agroforestry system, S_O-Open system) and 3 varieties of wheat viz. HD-3086, MP-sharbati and local selection under different fertilizer combinations i.e. F₁ (Recommended dose of chemical fertilizer i.e. N = 80 kg ha⁻¹, P = 60 kg ha⁻¹, K = 30 kg ha⁻¹ + FYM @ 15t ha⁻¹), F₂ (Recommended dose of jeevamrut i.e. 500 L ha⁻¹), F₃ (FYM @ 15t ha⁻¹) and 3 replications. Soil physico-chemical properties and economic performance were evaluated during the years 2021 and 2022. Among varieties, maximum grain yield (2.682 t ha⁻¹) was incurred in local selection. The interaction effect showed that grain yield (2.881 t ha⁻¹) was maximum under open system with local selection (S_OV₃). The maximum soil available nitrogen (318.53 kg ha⁻¹), soil pH (7.05), soil moisture (8.80%), was found in apricot based system. The highest (2.44) B:C ratio was found when HD-3086 grown in apricot based system coupled with application of F₂. Total Biomass accumulation and carbon stock during 2021 (10.876 t ha⁻¹, 5.112 t C ha⁻¹) and 2022 (13.373 t ha⁻¹, 6.286 t C ha⁻¹) were higher under apricot based system as compared to pear and open system. Multivariate analysis of soil variables using correlation, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of different treatment combinations was carried out. PCA showed that PC1 and PC2 explained 30.69% and 20.54% of the total variance, respectively accounting for 51.23% cumulatively. In HCA, the apricot treatments (blue) constituted the largest cluster and showed several internal subgroups, reflecting variation among individual treatment combinations. The findings suggested that cultivation of wheat in combination under different fruit trees may be recommended for better economic returns. Hence, fruit based agroforestry system can be preferred over open systems by farmers for maintenance of soil health and improved economic returns, however, further investigations are required before large scale adoption.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132592","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Computational remote sensing approaches in agroforestry: an integrative mixed-methods review of advanced multisensor analytics and carbon estimation frameworks","authors":"Ramasubramanian Sabarivasan,&nbsp;Edwin Luikham,&nbsp;Kholu Mary,&nbsp;Osi Siram,&nbsp;Ps Mariam Anal","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01683-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01683-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agroforestry systems are usually complex, with heterogeneous tree crop covers that defy traditional field-based evaluation, necessitating remote sensing approaches as increasingly indispensable tools for their monitoring and evaluation. To capture how this field has evolved, this mixed-method review integrates a bibliometric analysis of 551 Scopus-indexed publications with a qualitative synthesis of remote sensing applications in agroforestry. The bibliometric results show a marked acceleration in research output after 2015, driven largely by advances in Sentinel missions and machine-learning workflows, and reveal four major thematic clusters centred on land-use mapping, biomass and carbon assessment, GIS based resource management, and ecological monitoring. Strategic structural features, such as high keyword centrality and well-developed thematic clusters, reflect the presence of an established, but thematically disproportionate, research area, with little development of new ones. The qualitative evidence confirms that multispectral, SAR, LiDAR, and UAV platforms provide complementary strengths for delineating tree canopy mosaics, estimating aboveground biomass, and quantifying ecosystem functions such as soil conservation, microclimate buffering, and biodiversity support. However, regardless of these improvements, there are still major weak areas in terms of validation standards, uncertainty reporting, long-term monitoring, and remote sensing of carbon dependent ecosystem services. By synthesizing the technological gains alongside methodological and thematic gaps, this review offers a consistent framework in the development of more standardized, multi-sensory, and functioning monitoring frameworks that can allow the effective carbon accounting, climate-sensitive agroforestry planning, and evidence based land use policy.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149132537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coffee, microbial diversity and agroecology: a path towards sustainable production","authors":"Mauricio Ferreira Moreira,&nbsp;Isabelle Gonçalves de Oliveira Prado,&nbsp;José Maria Rodrigues da Luz,&nbsp;Tomás Gomes Reis Veloso,&nbsp;Karen Mirella Souza Menezes,&nbsp;Aldemar Polonini Moreli,&nbsp;Willian dos Santos Gomes,&nbsp;Lucas Louzada Pereira,&nbsp;Marliane de Cássia Soares da Silva","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01671-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01671-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Crop management practices impact soil and coffee fruit microbial communities. The objective of this study was to compare the profile of bacterial and fungal communities from soil and fruits of <i>Coffea arabica</i> L. cultivated under conventional and agroforestry management systems in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil, using three biological replicates per system. Soil chemical properties were measured by routine chemical analyses, whereas microbial communities were determined by high-throughput sequencing from soil and fruit samples. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were also evaluated by means of spore counts and root colonization. Canonical correlation analysis indicated that the pH, calcium (Ca), organic matter, magnesium (Mg), and available phosphorus had higher influence on bacteria and fungus diversity in the agroforestry management than conventional system. Beta diversity of bacterial and fungal communities in soil and coffee fruits showed significant variations among the different management systems analyzed. However, there were no significant differences in the alpha diversity indices between them. Fifty-two Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) of AMFs were identified in the soil samples. Only a small proportion (8%) of ASVs were shared between the two management systems. However, agroforestry system also showed greater mycorrhizal colonization and a higher number of spores than conventional system. Our results highlight the importance of microbial biodiversity for the long-term sustainability of agroecosystems, but further studies are needed to investigate functional microbial activities and their effects on coffee quality.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-026-01671-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leaf functional traits and farmer knowledge predict decomposition of shade-tree leaves in Colombian cacao agroforestry","authors":"Mayra van der Vrande,&nbsp;Tobias Fremout,&nbsp;Madelon Lohbeck,&nbsp;Abel Campos-Melendez,&nbsp;Mirjam Pulleman,&nbsp;Evert Thomas","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01642-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01642-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Poor soil fertility is a major cause of low productivity in smallholder cacao (<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.) plantations. In cacao agroforestry, both cacao trees and associated shade trees can influence soil fertility via the decomposition of leaf litter or pruning residues. These organic inputs can increase soil organic matter content and nutrient availability, yet their contribution varies widely among tree species. This highlights the importance of selecting appropriate shade tree species, which can be informed by farmers’ knowledge. We measured leaf decomposition rates of shade trees commonly used in cacao agroforestry in Colombia to examine whether species functional traits can predict these rates and evaluated how these findings align with farmers’ perceptions. A common garden experiment was established to assess leaf decomposition of 15 shade tree species and cacao, with leaves collected from 46 cacao agroforestry systems across the country. For each species, we measured or compiled data on 12 functional traits, including leaf nitrogen-, phosphorus-, potassium-, carbon-, calcium-, and chlorophyll content, specific leaf area, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, along with maximum height, wood density, deciduousness, and nitrogen-fixing ability. Farmers were asked to free-list shade tree species based on their perceived leaf decomposition rate and contribution to soil fertility. Our results show that leaf nutrient contents predict leaf decomposition rates and that farmers’ knowledge closely reflects these experimental results. This study emphasizes the role of fast-growing, resource-acquisitive species in enhancing nutrient cycling and highlights the value of farmers’ ecological knowledge in guiding shade tree selection in cacao agroforestry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Annual and historical calendar of Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews as an engine of transformation in Papantla, Veracruz (Mexico)","authors":"L. Eduardo Calderón-Uraga,&nbsp;Alonso A. Ibarra,&nbsp;Stephane Couturier,&nbsp;Marcelo Rojas-Oropeza,&nbsp;Nathalie Cabirol","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01674-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01674-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Vanilla planifolia</i> Jacks. ex Andrews is one of the world's most prized spices for its flavor and aroma, historically linked to the Totonac culture of Veracruz. While the Totonac people shaped the transition from harvesting vanilla pods in the tropical forests of Papantla to cultivating cuttings in traditional agroforestry systems, both the culture and the vanilla crop currently face conservation challenges, primarily due to landscape modification and the inherent sociocultural changes this entails. Using participatory tools, this article sought to examine the traditional knowledge of local vanilla farmers about the changes this crop has undergone, both annually and historically. The study identified numerous adaptive strategies that producers have adopted in response to an unstable global market and climatic conditions disrupted by climate change, with water being a critical element for the crop's survival. These practices have not only been traditionally passed down through generations, but some have also emerged recently as a response to increasingly unpredictable rainfall and temperature patterns. Furthermore, four Commodity Boom-and-Bust Cycles were identified throughout the history of vanilla production in Papantla. Vanilla was then recognized not so much as an element of identity of the Totonac culture, but as an engine of transformation guided by market demands and climate change that shapes both the practices of local vanilla growers and their territory.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-026-01674-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149035157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determinants of integrated conservation agriculture-agroforestry adoption among smallholder farmers in East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia","authors":"Tena Abdissa Woldyes,&nbsp;Yimer Mohammed,&nbsp;Andualem Aklilu","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01676-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01676-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Conservation agriculture (CA) and agroforestry (AF) are widely promoted for sustainable land management among smallholder farmers. Yet, many adoption studies rely on binary measures that overlook how farmers combine these practices. This study examined socioeconomic, institutional, environmental, and gender factors associated with partial and integrated CA-AF adoption among 410 smallholder households in East Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Households were classified as conventional non-adopters (n = 118), partial adopters (n = 173), and integrated adopters (n = 119). Multinomial logistic regression was combined with average marginal effects (AMEs), gender interaction terms, and Two-Stage Residual Inclusion analysis. Qualitative evidence comprised 16 focus group discussions involving 80 participants and 64 key informant interviews, totaling 144 participants. Institutional factors showed the strongest estimated associations with integrated adoption: land tenure security (AME = 0.112, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01), training participation (AME = 0.098, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01), and extension contact (AME = 0.030, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Education, household size, landholding, livestock ownership, severe erosion, and steep slopes were also significant. Female-headed households had an estimated 9.2 percentage-point lower probability of integrated adoption, potentially reflecting differences in extension accessibility or delivery. Qualitative evidence complemented these findings by highlighting labor, residue-livestock, and tenure-related trade-offs. The findings support targeted extension and training, strengthened tenure security, and gender-responsive agricultural services, with attention to constraints across different levels of CA-AF adoption.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Driving mechanisms of understory herbaceous biomass and forest-grass restoration strategies in riparian silvopastoral systems of arid regions","authors":"Hao Guo,&nbsp;Chang Liang,&nbsp;Yunmei Cai,&nbsp;ShengTianzi Dong,&nbsp;Yongyu Chen,&nbsp;Zhifang Xue,&nbsp;Suhua Wang,&nbsp;Tiantian Qin,&nbsp;Hegan Dong,&nbsp;Hanyue Wang","doi":"10.1007/s10457-026-01624-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-026-01624-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Riparian forests in arid regions interact with human activities, resulting in unique silvopastoral systems. However, high-intensity grazing and environmental pressures have accelerated their degradation, posing threats to both pastoral livelihoods and ecological security. This study is based on field surveys conducted on 207 silvopastoral plots in arid hinterlands from 2022 to 2024. It employs explainable machine learning and causal inference to analyze the drivers of understory herbaceous biomass in both single-species (Sin-sil) and mixed-species (Mix-sil) riparian silvopastoral systems. The optimal model revealed that environmental conditions exert dominant influences on both systems (Sin-sil system: 42.077%; Mix-sil system: 60.251%), followed by stand structure (35.519%; 29.440%) and understory herbs (22.404%; 10.309%). Causal analysis further elucidates the mechanisms behind herbaceous biomass variation: the Sin-sil system exhibits relatively superior environmental conditions with competitive relationships between trees and herbaceous plants, while the Mix-sil system demonstrates poorer environmental conditions with mutual feedback between understory herbaceous vegetation and the local climate. Subsequently, a multi-objective optimization model was employed to synergistically enhance both herbaceous and tree biomass. The results demonstrate significant differences in restoration potential among various watersheds and types of silvopastoral systems. For the Sin-sil system, collaborative restoration strategies primarily include measures such as increasing herbaceous height, enhancing herbaceous density, and raising the proportion of <i>Bassia scoparia</i>. For the Mix-sil system, efforts should focus on improving the density of herbs. These findings indicate that implementing intensive management practices in silvopastoral systems is an effective strategy for promoting the synergistic restoration of forest and grass in arid regions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"100 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149034550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}