The role of temperate agroforestry in mitigating climate change: A review

Climate change is one of the greatest threats to civilization and makes it necessary to intensify efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their concentration in the air. In this situation, the role of agriculture as a source of greenhouse gas emissions and the potential for carbon sequestration in the soil is particularly important. Conventional agriculture cannot contribute to climate change mitigation and is a significant source of emissions of all major greenhouse gases. However, these unfavorable trends could be changed by implementing large-scale agroforestry, i.e., the inclusion of trees and shrubs in the agricultural landscape. Agroforestry has gained recognition as a comprehensive use of agricultural land in which natural values are preserved. Here we review crops grown in agroforestry systems compared to traditional methods, with regard to their impact on climate change and ecosystem services. Agroforestry problems were observed in the temperate climate zone due to the relatively lower interest of farmers and the small number of publications compared to that in other zones. Uncertainties about the benefits of agroforestry implementation and the risk of reduced yields and increased costs were discussed. A synthesis of meta-analyses confirming the increase in ecosystem services such SOC and biodiversity, but also the reduction of yields compared to conventional agriculture, was presented.