Agroforestry Systems最新文献

{"title":"Seasonal dynamics of the nutritive value of temperate forage trees differ among species","authors":"Geoffrey Mesbahi,&nbsp;Philippe Barre,&nbsp;Rémy Delagarde,&nbsp;Cécile Ginane,&nbsp;Sandra Novak","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01258-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01258-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>There is growing interest in using temperate forage trees to alleviate the effects of summer drought and heatwaves on herbaceous forage. However, forage trees remain understudied in temperate climates. We studied the seasonal variation of the nutritive value of 16 tree species commonly found in Western Europe. We collected 285 samples of tree leaves between spring and autumn (June, August and October) over three years at 14 sites across France. We measured seven nutritive characteristics: in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and the contents of crude protein (CP), dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), and ash. We used linear mixed models to analyse their seasonal variation and then clustered the species based on CP and IVDMD. CP content and IVDMD generally decreased from spring to autumn (by 26% and 6 percentage points), while DM and ash contents increased (by 42 and 32%). <i>Corylus avellana</i>, <i>Morus alba</i>, and <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> had the greatest CP content (from 138 to 250 g.kg⁻¹), and <i>M. alba</i> had the greatest IVDMD (84.7% on average). We observed a trade-off between CP and IVDMD among clusters. The order of clusters based on their nutritive value remained consistent across seasons. Our findings highlight the importance of carefully planning tree use, as their nutritive value varies substantially among species and across seasons. Results provide new opportunities for farmers to compensate for the lack of herbaceous forage in summer, even though yield and palatability aspects remain to be studied.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-025-01258-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142712","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":"Food, monetary, energy, and socio-environmental features of a post-cacao agroforestry system in the Ecuadorian Amazonia: the case of Rukullakta","authors":"María-José Viejó-Bautista,&nbsp;Angie Higuchi,&nbsp;Daniel Coq-Huelva","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01243-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01243-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Indigenous agroforestry systems are far from being fully understood. This article aims to contribute to a better understanding of the social and environmental functions performed by the Amazonian Indigenous (specifically, Kichwa) agroforestry systems (called <i>chacras</i>) by applying a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research methodology. The qualitative component is concerned with understanding the <i>chacra’s</i> systems of management, its market and self-consumption focus, the organisation of labour, the sources of monetary income, and the prevailing eating habits of the families. The quantitative element translates into a set of objective scientific indicators of its most salient elements, which allows for an integrated assessment of the <i>chacra’s</i> nutritional, agronomic, economic, and environmental issues. The results show that <i>chacras</i> are complex agrarian systems with several crops (cacao, guayusa, coffee, plantains, cassava, etc.) that have both a market and self-consumption orientation. From a market perspective, <i>chacras</i> are associated with monetary poverty, with an average annual income for families of less than US$2,000 per year. However, 32.1% of production is directed toward self-consumption, and while this is in the lower limit for the satisfaction of the basic food needs of farmers’ families, the <i>chacras</i> play an important role in the families’ food security. Moreover, <i>chacras</i> are particularly resilient to changes in their socio-environmental and market conditions, and they stand out because of their capacity to respond to potential increases in food demand without a large increase in cropped area. Finally, far from their slash-and-burn origins, progressively they have been spatially stabilised.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-025-01243-3.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142644","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":"Goat supplementation in dry tropical agroforestry: assessment of methodologies for estimation of nutrient intake","authors":"Valdi de Lima Júnior,&nbsp;Divan Soares da Silva,&nbsp;Carlo Aldrovandi Torreão Marques,&nbsp;Jacira Neves da Costa Torreão,&nbsp;Antonio Leandro Chaves Gurgel,&nbsp;Tairon Pannunzio Dias-Silva,&nbsp;Ângela Maria Vieira Batista,&nbsp;Ariosvaldo Nunes de Medeiros","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01269-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01269-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Forage intake by grazing ruminants cannot be measured directly, which requires specific methodologies for its estimation, that generally involve the use of markers. The purpose of this study was to test methodologies for estimating dry matter intake (DMI) in supplemented grazing goats in dry tropical agroforestry (Caatinga). It was used eight esophagus-fistulated animals grazing in the semi-arid region, and receiving concentrate-based supplementation (0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% based on body weight, BW). The methods used to estimate intake were: ingestive behavior (IB), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and indigestible acid detergent fiber (iADF). The data was subjected to joint analysis of variance, analysis of variance and regression (regression analysis only for the effect of supplementation). The average DMI values obtained using the estimation methods were subjected to mean comparison tests. The estimates of total DMI in relation to BW using IB, IVDMD and iADF methods were 1.47, 3.21 and 2.96% of BW, respectively. Forage intake obtained through IB and IVDMD methods was not affected by the increase in supplementation levels, showing average values of 143.5 and 513.6 g DM/day, respectively. Method IB underestimated DMI in comparison to IVDMD. in vitro dry matter digestibility and indigestible acid detergent fiber methods are suitable for estimating DM intake of goats in dry tropical agroforestry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145141859","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":"Wild spices and their ecosystem service contributions in smallholder agroforestry systems of Aceh, Indonesia","authors":"Muhammad Jamil,&nbsp;Adnan Adnan,&nbsp;Heri Irawan,&nbsp;Zidni Ilman Navia,&nbsp;Adi Bejo Suwardi","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01273-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01273-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Smallholder homegarden agroforestry systems are critical components of tropical landscapes, supporting agrobiodiversity and delivering multiple ecosystem services. Among their constituents, wild spices represent an underexplored plant group with high functional and cultural value. This study examines the species diversity, plant part utilization, functional roles, ecosystem service contributions, and conservation risks of wild spice species cultivated across elevation gradients in Aceh Province, Indonesia. A stratified sampling approach was applied across 120 home gardens distributed in lowland (0–300 m), mid-elevation (301–800 m), and upland (&gt; 800 m) zones. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and botanical identification, followed by statistical analyses including ANOVA, chi-square tests, and Spearman correlations. A total of 24 wild spice species from seven botanical families were documented, with Zingiberaceae comprising 41.7% of species richness. Species richness significantly declined with elevation (lowland: 16.2; mid-elevation: 11.4; upland: 9.5; F = 100.90, p &lt; 0.001). The most commonly utilized plant parts were rhizomes (31.0%), leaves (27.6%), fruits (24.1%), and barks (10.3%). Culinary use dominated functional roles (74.3%), followed by medicinal (18.9%), aromatherapy (5.2%), and ritual (1.5%) applications (χ² = 245.86, p &lt; 0.001). Trade-off analysis revealed a moderate negative correlation between provisioning and regulating services (ρ = –0.493, p = 0.014). Conservation risks were highest in mid- and upland gardens due to ecological marginality and socio-economic transitions. These findings highlight the ecological and socio-cultural multifunctionality of wild spices and their critical role in sustaining food systems and ecosystem resilience. Integrating wild spice conservation into smallholder development and agroecological landscape planning is essential to enhance biodiversity conservation and livelihood sustainability in tropical agroforestry systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145141858","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":"Harvest time in willow and poplar affects the yield, quality, nutrient removal and regrowth when harvesting green biomass for feed","authors":"Søren Ugilt Larsen,&nbsp;Helle Hestbjerg,&nbsp;Uffe Jørgensen,&nbsp;Anne Grete Kongsted","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01261-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01261-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Trees grown in outdoor animal farming systems may provide green biomass as a potential feed source, remove nutrients through uptake in biomass and, hence, reduce the risk of nutrient loss. We investigated the effects of harvest time during the growing season in three field experiments with willow and one with poplar, harvested either during the previous winter or one year earlier. Green biomass including shoots and leaves was either harvested 24th June or 24th September 2021. Regrowth in the subsequent growing season was measured in November 2022 in two of the willow experiments. Biomass yield and removal of N and P with harvested biomass was measured.</p><p>The nutrient concentration in the biomass decreased significantly from June to September whereas the yield of dry matter (DM), N and P increased. For example, for the willow clone Tordis harvested the previous winter, the N concentration in DM decreased from 2.86% to 1.27% (corresponding to 17.9 and 7,9% crude protein in DM), whereas the DM yield increased from 0.9 to 8.5 Mg ha⁻¹, and removal of nutrients increased from 32 to 114 kg N ha⁻¹ and from 3.8 to 16.5 kg P ha⁻¹. Regrowth of willow was negatively affected by harvest during the growing season; total DM yield over a full harvest rotation was reduced 46–48% and 34–40% when harvesting in June or September compared to no harvest during the growing season. Optimal harvest strategy in willow and poplar may differ whether the purpose is feed production, nutrient removal or maximum DM production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-025-01261-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142248","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":"Diverse land use systems differentially affect soil quality index in reclaimed sodic soils of Western Indo-Gangetic plains of India","authors":"Renu Kumari,&nbsp;Ram Kishor Fagodiya,&nbsp;Gargi Sharma,&nbsp;Kamlesh Verma,&nbsp;Raj Kumar,&nbsp;Kailash Prajapat,&nbsp;Indu Shekhar Thakur,&nbsp;Arvind Kumar Rai,&nbsp;Rajender Kumar Yadav","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01268-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01268-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The study evaluated five land use systems: (1) conventional agricultural system (LU-CA; puddled transplanted rice succeeded by conventional tilled wheat), (2) partial conservation agriculture system (LU-PCA; zero-tillage direct-seeded rice succeeded by zero-till wheat with 1/3rd crop residue retention), (3) horticultural system (LU-LHS; Litchi plantation), (4) agroforestry system (LU-MAS; Melia trees + wheat intercrop), and (5) plantation system (LU-EPS; eucalyptus plantation) for their impact on soil health in reclaimed sodic soils. Soil samples from four depths (0–15, 15–30, 30–45 and 45–60 cm) were analysed for physico-chemical, and biological properties to develop a soil quality index (SQI). Soil bulk density (BD) was highest in the Melia-based agroforestry system, while soil penetration resistance (SPR) was highest under the conventional system. In comparison, the partial conservation agriculture system exhibited the lowest values for both BD and SPR, indicating improved soil physical conditions under this management practice. The eucalyptus-based system exhibited the highest soil organic carbon (SOC), SOC stock, macronutrients (N, P, K), and biological properties (microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, and alkaline phosphatase). Relative to LU-CA, LU-PCA increased SOC stock by 22.9%. The highest SQI (0.81) was in eucalyptus plantation, followed by lichi-based horticulture (0.58), while conventional system had the lowest (0.17). Higher SQI in EPS and LHS resulted from greater SOC, microbial biomass, and lower pH, BD and SPR, enhancing soil health. Overall, the findings highlight that perennial systems such as eucalyptus plantations and litchi orchards enhance soil health, quality and organic carbon, offering a sustainable land management strategy for reclaimed sodic soils.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145141949","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":"High and dry: Barley (Hordeum vulgare) yield benefits from tree presence in a temperate alley cropping system during a drought year","authors":"Marie Majaura,&nbsp;Rahel Sutterlütti,&nbsp;Christian Böhm,&nbsp;Dirk Freese","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01267-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01267-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Alley cropping systems (ACS) are promoted as sustainable, resilient and multifunctional land-use systems. However, concerns about yield reductions persist and whether these are driven by microclimate alterations or below-ground competition for water remains unclear. In this study, we measured wind speed, air temperature, and global radiation at seven positions within a 48 m wide crop alley of a short rotation ACS in Germany with summer barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>) and poplar (<i>Populus nigra</i> × <i>P. maximowiczii</i> and <i>P. trichocarpa Torrey &amp; A. Gray</i>) and on a treeless reference field (OF) during a particularly dry and warm year. Additionally, gravimetric soil water content and crop yield were assessed with high spatial resolution. Our results show that tree strips influenced all measured parameters. Global radiation and air temperature patterns varied dynamically with shading, while night-time air temperatures were unexpectedly highest on the OF. Wind speeds were reduced by up to 98% near tree strips and 81% further away. Soil water content displayed a U-shaped pattern, with higher values near tree strips, a rare observation in ACS. Crop yields in the ACS were twice as high as in the OF, despite being lower near tree strips. Yields were strongly correlated with global radiation but not with air temperature, wind speed, or soil water content. These findings provide preliminary evidence that tree presence in ACS can, under certain conditions, contribute to increased crop yields. The results suggest that ACS provide potential benefits for sustainable land-use, but further multi-year and multi-site studies are needed to validate the observed yield patterns across different environments and years, particularly under varying climatic conditions. Further research should also explore the indirect effects of microclimate modifications on soil water dynamics, including evapotranspiration.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-025-01267-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145142160","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":"The influence of previous land-use on stand structure and economic yield in tropical agroforests of Bangladesh","authors":"Md. Tanbheer Rana,&nbsp;S. M. Kamran Ashraf,&nbsp;Kazi Kamrul Islam","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01274-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01274-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agroforestry offers opportunities to combine nature conservation and agricultural economic yield. In the tropics, agroforestry is often implemented in lands derived from the conversion of forest or the utilization of barren land. We assessed the influence of previous land-use practices on stand structures and income generated from different agroforests in Bangladesh’s Sal (<i>Shorea robusta</i>) forest region. The ecological data were collected from the selected plots with various measuring instruments (measuring tape, relascopes, etc.), and the economic data were generated from surveys among the farmers, group discussions, and previous research works in the study area. The tree basal area was high in forest (32.1 m²/ha) and in forest-derived agroforestry plots (25.7 m²/ha). In fallow land, basal area was 7.2 m²/ha and in fallow-derived agroforestry 17 m²/ha. Thus, in tree basal area and other stand structural variables such as canopy cover, a clear pattern with previous land-use was revealed. According to interviews with the farmers, the economic outcome obtained by cultivating pineapple, ginger, and other crops was around 3000 €/ha/year with no statistically significant difference between forest-derived and fallow-derived agroforestry. Our data suggest that tree canopy cover is income-neutral in these agroforestry systems. The findings suggest options for income generation in forests, which in terms of nature conservation would stand for degradation. It underscores the opportunities for agroforestry on former fallow land, which offers win–win solutions for improving human livelihoods and ecosystem restoration.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145145687","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":"Paradigm shift of agroforestry in Slovakia: from an unknown concept to a concrete policy support scheme in less than 5 years","authors":"Anna Mária Mitrová,&nbsp;Milada Šťastná,&nbsp;Ladislav Bakay","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01270-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01270-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Despite growing EU-level support, agroforestry remains poorly developed in many Central and Eastern European countries, including Slovakia. This study presents the first sociological assessment of agroforestry development in Slovakia, focusing on stakeholder perceptions, system preferences, and policy barriers. Using a qualitative, multi-actor case study approach, we conducted participatory fieldwork, focus groups, and open-ended surveys between 2022 and 2023. Findings reveal rapid growth in awareness and interest following targeted engagement activities. Stakeholders identified silvopastoral systems as particularly suitable for abandoned upland areas and silvoarable systems for intensively farmed lowlands. Environmental and cultural benefits—such as biodiversity enhancement, landscape aesthetics, and microclimate regulation—were key motivators, whereas economic incentives played a secondary role. However, structural barriers persist. Respondents cited legal ambiguity, limited advisory services, and restrictive implementation of the first agroforestry support measure under the CAP Strategic Plan (2023–2027) as major obstacles. Many viewed the policy as overly prescriptive and poorly aligned with on-the-ground realities. We conclude that participatory, context-specific approaches are essential to designing effective agroforestry policy. Slovakia’s experience offers broader lessons for post-socialist countries aiming to integrate agroforestry into multifunctional land-use systems under the European Green Deal and CAP reforms.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10457-025-01270-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145145692","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":"The role of litterfall production, decomposition and litter nutrient interplay under land use influences: implication to ecosystems health in Aleta Chuko, Ethiopia","authors":"Zenebe Shuite,&nbsp;Ambachew Demessie,&nbsp;Tesfaye Abebe","doi":"10.1007/s10457-025-01265-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10457-025-01265-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Investigating litterfall, its decomposition rate and nutrient content is important for predicting nutrient cycling in agroforestry. The study aimed to measure litterfall of seven woody species in Coffee-Enset agroforestry (CEA) and <i>eucalyptus camaldulensis</i> in woodlots, determine the decomposition rate, nutrient contents and nutrient returns of leaf litter. Samples were taken over three transect lines with three replicates for each species litterfall and decomposition experiments for one year using litter traps and nylon-mesh litter bags, respectively. Monthly litterfall ranged from 40.9 g m⁻² for <i>C. arabica</i> to 79.7 g m⁻² for <i>O. kenyensis</i> in CEA, and 54.8 g m⁻² for <i>E. camaldulensis</i>. Litterfall was significantly different among the studied species (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Decay constants significantly differed among the species (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). <i>C. arabica</i> was the fastest (2.4) while <i>E</i>. <i>camaldulensis</i> was the slowest (1.1). <i>C. africana</i> contributed significantly higher return of Phosphorus (1.05 g m⁻²) and Potassium (11.72 g m⁻²) (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). <i>M. ferruginea</i> (16.2 g m⁻²) and <i>O. kenyensis</i> (14.1 g m⁻²) showed significantly higher nitrogen returns (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), while <i>E. camaldulensis</i> showed higher Sodium (.41 g m⁻²) return which should be a concern to be addressed. There was a significant loss of initial litter Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium for all studied species during yearly decomposition (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Higher litterfall species (<i>O. kenyensis</i>, <i>C. africana</i>, and <i>P. americana)</i> are preferable for carbon returns. Fast decaying litters with higher content of N, P and K are useful for enhancing soil fertility and composting.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":7610,"journal":{"name":"Agroforestry Systems","volume":"99 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145145596","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}