Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-018-0223-9

Agroforestry for soil health

Received: 20 March 2018 / Accepted: 20 March 2018 / Published online: 23 March 2018
Ó Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature 2018

Abstract Healthy soil is one of the most critical increased attention in our policy discussion for the
resources for the health and sustainability of ecosys- future of soil and soil health.
tems, including agroecosystems. Although the agro-
forestry community has long been convinced of the Keywords Biodiversity
Climate change
Soil
soil health benefits of agroforestry practices, many of biota
Soil fertility
Soil organic carbon
Soil quality
such practices remain to be fully accepted by the
mainstream agriculture community. Agroforestry, as a
sustainable land management practice, has shown
solid evidence of its role in improving soil quality and Introduction
health based on at least four decades of data gathered
from the world over. This thematic issue presents 28 Agroforestry’s potential to improve soil quality has
papers that add further to the body of knowledge to been widely recognized as a major benefit since its
reaffirm that agroforestry can improve the major inception as a scientifically recognized discipline and
measurable soil metrics that define soil health. practice (Young 1989; Nair 2011). In recent years,
Collectively, these papers show that agroforestry has there has been a renewed interest in examining soil
the ability to (1) enrich soil organic carbon better than quality and soil health as indicators of agricultural
monocropping systems, (2) improve soil nutrient sustainability. Agroforestry practices have been pro-
availability and soil fertility due to the presence of moted for decades both in the tropics and temperate
trees in the system, and (3) enhance soil microbial regions of the world for their perceived benefits of not
dynamics, which would positively influence soil only improving soil quality, but also providing other
health. It is imperative that agroforestry, as part of a ecosystem services (Jose 2009). Many of the environ-
multifunctional land-use strategy, should receive mental benefits and ecosystem services expected from
agroforestry would not be materialized unless these
practices improved the capacity of soils to be produc-
J. Dollinger (&)
tive and healthy over the long term.
UMR ECOSYS INRA-AgroParisTech, Campus de
Grignon, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France Healthy soil is arguably one of the most critical
e-mail: jeanne.dollinger@inra.fr resources for the health of natural and agro ecosystems
so that they can sustain food production as well as
S. Jose
provision of ecosystem services. Although the term
The School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri,
103 Anheuser Busch Natural Resources Bldg., Columbia, ‘soil health’ has been used synonymously with soil
MO 65211, USA quality, Doran et al. (1996) defined soil health as ‘‘the

123
214 Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219

continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living palm ? cacao than in an oil palm ? herbaceous
system, within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, to system. The above-ground C pool was heteroge-
sustain biological productivity, maintain the quality of neously distributed in the landscape. They also
air and water environments, and promote plant, observed that SOC constituted the greatest pool of C
animal, and human health.’’ According to the USDA, in these systems and that this C pool did not vary with
soil health is ‘‘the continued capacity of the soil to the system’s design. Noumi et al. (2018) compared the
function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains global C storage of Eucalyptus afforested plots with
plants, animals and humans’’ (USDA-NRCS 2018). traditional Savannah in Cameroon. They observed that
Soil quality has been defined by the Soil Science Eucalyptus stands stored more C than traditional
Society of America Ad Hoc Committee on soil quality Savannahs especially the oldest Eucalyptus stands.
as ‘‘the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, Osei et al. (2018) compared the soil C storage between
within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to woodlots, a maize-grazing rotation farmland and two
sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or traditional silvopastoral systems in Tanzania. SOC
enhance water and air quality, and support human content did not differ significantly between these land
health and habitation’’ (Karlen et al. 1997). While soil uses though SOC in woodlots was composed of more
quality is used in the context of both natural and recalcitrant C. They explained the SOC content
managed ecosystems, soil health is primarily used in similarities by the relatively young age of the systems
the context of managed ecosystems, primarily agroe- and the slow OM accumulation under semi-arid
cosystems (Lal and Stewart 2011). climate.
The terms soil quality and soil health are used Hoosbeek et al. (2018) investigated how C, N and P
synonymously for the purpose of this thematic issue, stock as well as microbial respiration varied with
which is a collection of papers related to some of the distance from trees in silvopastoral systems composed
indicators used to assess soil health. It illustrates the of grazed open prairies with isolated trees, in
role of agroforestry as a sustainable land management Nicaragua. They measured higher C and N stocks
strategy that can improve a number of common under the canopy and area receiving litterfall than in
indicators that define soil health. We have grouped the open prairie. However, OM was found to be more
the papers under three topics, the first set of papers labile under the canopy, indicating that leaf litter
discussing agroforestry’s role in enhancing soil deposition improves soil fertility, but most likely not
organic carbon (SOC), the second set dealing with the long-term SOC storage in those systems. Tree
soil nutrient enrichment, and the third set on soil biota. species’ effect was also evidenced. Dhaliwal et al.
(2018) investigated the role of both water-
Agroforestry enhances soil organic carbon stable (WSA) and dry-stable aggregates (DSA) in
SOC storage. They compared WSA and DSA distri-
The SOC is a function of the rate of decomposition and bution as well as SOC content between two agro-
replacement of the organic matter (OM) in the soil. forestry systems and a maize-wheat rotation in a semi-
Incorporation of trees in agroforestry enhances the soil arid area in India. They found that the SOC levels in
OM by adding litter both above and belowground. Soil both aggregate types were greater under the poplar-
OM is the energy source of soil organisms and based and guava-based agroforestry systems than
influences both soil biodiversity and associated soil under the sole crop. These papers illustrate that land
biological functions. As a result, SOC is one of the use type as well as agroforestry system design
important indicators used in assessing soil health. The influence SOC storage efficiency.
first set of papers addresses the potential role of With the aim of deriving general trends of SOC
agroforestry in enhancing carbon storage and thereby storage changes between agroforestry systems, agri-
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In their paper, cultural systems and forests, Stefano and Jacobson
Ramos et al. (2018) quantified the above- and below- (2018) performed a meta-analysis on the currently
ground C stock and their distribution at the landscape available literature. They found that, in general,
scale in two oil palm- and cacao-based agroforestry shifting from systems without trees (un-cultivated,
systems in Brazil. They estimated greater above- sole crop, pasture) to agroforestry systems resulted in
ground C (litter and living biomass) in an oil an improved SOC storage. However, when shifting

123
Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219 215

from forest to agroforestry systems, SOC storage agroforestry systems (Jose et al. 2004). However, the
decreased. The magnitude of the SOC storage differ- facilitative role of trees in agroforestry systems
ence when shifting from one system type to another through efficient cycling of nutrients is well under-
differed with the soil profile depth considered. SOC stood, particularly in the tropics. Availability of these
storage potential in agroforestry systems is also likely essential elements is an indication of soil health and
to vary with maintenance practices like tillage, as the soil’s capacity for sustaining production and
evidenced by Borges et al. (2018) in chestnut orchards services. The second set of papers describes how land
in Portugal. Indeed, they measured higher total OC, use and agroforestry system design can modify
active, hot-water-extractable and particulate organic availability of these essential nutrients in soil. Yengwe
carbon in the surface horizon on the non-tilled orchard et al. (2018) evaluated the nutritive potential of
than that of the tilled orchard, both having equivalent Faidherbia albida intercropped with maize in Zambia.
design. They estimated that litter inputs from F. albida could
Carbon storage is not only an important indicator of supply more than 18 kg N ha-1 year-1 and increase
soil health, but also a mechanism for climate change the microbial diversity and abundance. Pérez-Flores
mitigation. It can, however, be counterbalanced by et al. (2018) measured the litter production and
high emissions of NO2 or CH4 from soil under certain nutrient imports from litter in two shaded cacao
management practices and environmental conditions. systems in Mexico, one being 35 years old and the
Priano et al. (2018) compared SOC storage and CH4 other one 55 years old. They concluded that the
fluxes among prairies, woodlots and silvopastoral younger system produced 23% more litter, which was
systems in Argentina. They found that SOC was due to a greater contribution of litter from younger
greater under systems containing trees than under cacao. Indeed, cacao litter decreased with age of cacao
pasture. They also observed that all of these systems trees while that of the shade trees remained constant
could be a sink of CH4. In particular, silvopastoral and abundant. They did not observe any effect of
systems and pine woodlots produced less CH4 than cacao tree age on N, K, Zn or S supply by litter, but an
prairies and eucalyptus woodlots. When comparing effect on P, Ca, Mg, Fe and Cu. Partey et al. (2018)
CO2, NO2 and CH4 in irrigated versus rainfed compared the N-supply potential of tree leaves from
shelterbelts in Canada, Amadi et al. (2018) showed Acacia auriculiformis, Baphia nitida, Albizia zygia,
that greenhouse gas emission was greatly influenced Azadirachta indica, Senna siamea, Senna spectabilis,
by the water regimes. Overall, greater emission was Tithonia diversifolia, Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena
measured in irrigated vs. rainfed systems. Moreover, leucocephala for maize fertilization in Ghana. They
shelterbelts with Caragana tree, an N fixing species, estimated that tree leaves could supply up to 93 mg N
released more NO2 than pine tree-based shelterbelts kg-1. The nutritive contents and mineralization rates
because of higher N availability in the soil. Moore of the leaves differed between the tree species, with T.
et al. (2018) measured greenhouse gas emission diversifolia and G. sepium improving maize yield the
differences according to soil water content and N best.
fertilizer inputs between an agroforestry orchard, a The process of litter decomposition and mineral-
row-crop plot and a riparian forest. They found that N ization supplies abundant nutrient stock in agro-
fertilization increased NO2 emission, but reduced CO2 forestry systems and consequently improves crop
emissions. Soil saturation also played a role in yields. Litter decomposition, although being the major
reducing CO2 emissions, but it increased CH4 emis- nutrient supply pathway, can be complemented by
sion. Overall, the riparian forest emitted more green- nutrient leaching from leaves and nutrient-enriched
house gases than the other land-uses (Amadi et al. rainfall. Limon et al. (2018) compared nutrient
2018). leaching from leaves between three tree species,
Emblica officinalis, Sesbiana grandiflora and Moringa
Agroforestry enhances soil nutrient availability oleifera. They measured higher leaching of NH4, K
and PO4 from S. grandiflora and M. oleifera than from
The occurrence of both competition and facilitation E. officinalis. Dawoe et al. (2018) calculated the
involving essential elements can be expected when nutrient content and annual fluxes in incident rain,
different functional groups of plants are mixed in throughfall and stemflow in shaded cacao systems and

123
216 Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219

a forest. They concluded that K supply through rainfall carbon content in soil from homegarden compared to
was the main supply pathway, accounting for 50–65% soil from secondary and primary forests, but greater P,
of total K supply. But, for P, Ca, Mg and N, the rainfall Mg and Ca as well as lower pH. Overall, homegardens
contribution was low (5–21%). Throughfall was presented greater soil fertility than the forests despite
highly enriched in nutrients compared to the other the lower OM accumulation, because of greater
fluxes and contributed significantly to the nutrient nutrient availability.
inputs received via rainfall. Soil health can also be impacted by pollutants and
Not all the nutrient forms can be directly assimi- toxic elements. Agroforestry, in certain circumstances
lated by plants. Nutrient speciation in soil is therefore and with certain plant species, can be used for
a key factor of crop yield improvement. Nutrient phytoremediation of contaminated sites. Kaur et al.
availability in soil is directly affected by microbial (2018) gives an insight into how agroforestry trees
activity and can vary with system design. Lana et al. helped remediate contaminated farmlands in India.
(2018) compared OM accumulation and nutrient The authors measured the tolerance to cadmium (Cd)
availability between two silvopastoral systems, one and Cd accumulation potential of four tree species,
with Eucalyptus grandis and the other with Zeyheria Eucalyptus tereticornis, L. leucocephala, Melia aze-
tuberculosa in Brazil. They observed that the contents darach and Dalbergia sisso. They found that all tree
of essential macro- and micronutrients were greater in species were relatively tolerant to Cd contamination,
areas planted with Eucalyptus than in areas planted with the greatest tolerance shown for M. azedarach.
with Zeyherias. The same trend was observed for OM The trees decreased Cd contamination by 41–52%,
accumulation. They partly explained this difference by with M. azedarach and L. leucocephala being the most
the presence of allelochemicals in Eucalyptus litter. de efficient for phytoremediation in this context.
Souza et al. (2018) compared nutrient availability in
soil solution between a preserved forest and a cacao- Agroforestry improves soil biota
cabruca agroforestry system. Of the nitrogen species
analyzed, NO3 was the most abundant in the forest The biota are considered critical to soil health and
while dissolved organic nitrogen was the most abun- ecosystem sustainability because of their role in
dant in the agroforestry system. The mineralization decomposition of soil OM, nutrient cycling, and
rate was found to be lower in the agroforestry system, thereby influencing soil chemical and physical prop-
which generated increased OM storage, but reduced erties, which will ultimately determine soil fertility
nutrient availability. Prakash et al. (2018) compared P and long-term sustainability. In recent years, a number
availability and speciation between a poplar-based of papers have examined soil biota within the context
agroforestry system and rice–wheat, maize-wheat and of agroforestry and the trend continues. Hailemariam
cotton-wheat rotation farmlands in India. They dis- et al. (2018) investigated the role of arbuscular
covered contrasted P speciation with greater organic P mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation and water stress
and lower inorganic P as well as higher SOC content on F. aldiba seedling survival in Ethiopia. They found
under agroforestry compared to other conventional that AMF inoculation increased seedling growth
land uses. Intercropping seemed to lower P nutrition regardless of inoculum origin and water status. AMF
due to lower P availability. Paul et al. (2018) compared diversity can be affected by agroforestry system
SOC, P fractions and P cycling enzymes over 5 design, as evidenced by Shukla et al. (2018), which
different land-uses including an uncultivated land, an showed the influence of shade on the efficiency of bio-
apple orchard, an oak forest, wheat–maize rotation innocculants composed of rhizobacteria, phosphate-
farmland and organic farming system in India. They solubilizing bacteria and AMF. They found that the
showed that enzyme activities were very sensitive to yields of all the studied plants were lower in the shade
land-use change. Soil under oak forest was the best in than in the full light, but the efficiency of the bio-
terms of enzyme activities, MO and P availability, innocculants was comparable in full sun and under
followed by regularly manured apple orchard and shade for Glycine max, Phaseolus mungo, and Cicer
organic farming. Salim et al. (2018) compared the soil arietinul and more beneficial for Vigna radiata and
fertility of homegardens and secondary forests with Pisum sativum. However, they observed less success-
that of primary forest. They measured less organic ful nodulation under shade than in full sun.

123
Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219 217

In addition to the effect of land use, management fungi between a native oak-pine forest and a Cupres-
practices such as pesticide application can also greatly sus lusitanica (non-ectomycorrhizal species) planta-
affect microbial communities and thereby nutrient tion intermingled with ectomycorrhizal trees. They
turnover and speciation in agroforestry systems as observed greater edible mushroom biomass in the
revealed by Afolabi and Muoghalu (2018). These native forest than in the plantation and the production
authors measured the influence of fungicide use on had twice the market value. Although not as high in
litter decomposition and associated microorganisms in fungal diversity or mushroom production, the pres-
cacao plantations in Nigeria. Although no significant ence of ectomycorrhizal hosts in the plantation
microbial diversity shift was detected, they measured provided edible mushrooms which could be an
an enhanced abundance of heterotrophic bacteria and important source of income while waiting for the
fungi in the untreated litter. This resulted in lower timber trees to mature. They also concluded that
decomposition rate in the fungicide-treated litter than interplanting with ectomycorrhizal trees could poten-
in the untreated litter. Agroforestry can also sustain a tially improve ecosystem processes such as nutrient
rich microbial diversity that is essential to soil health cycling, soil forming, and decomposition of litter in
and productivity. Dobo et al. (2018) compared the non-ectomycorrhizal plantations.
AMF diversity and spore density between nine
agroforestry systems based on either Cordia, Millettia
or Erythrina associated with coffee or Ensete. They Conclusion
found a slight effect of the system design on both
density and diversity of AMF, with tree-Ensete having Healthy soil is arguably one of the most critical
greater AMF diversity and density than tree-coffee resources for healthy ecosystems, including agroe-
and multiple species cropping systems. Zhang et al. cosystems, to provide goods and services. Globally,
(2018) investigated, by means of molecular tech- health of soil has been threatened for the past several
niques, how plant-tree associations in agroforestry decades and there has been a renewed interest in
systems shape the fungal community. In three systems, protecting and enhancing this most important resource
one with barley only and the two others with barley for future generations. Agroforestry, as a sustainable
and Populus euramevicana or Taxodium distichum, land management practice, has shown solid evidence
they found greater fungal diversity in the rhizosphere of its role in improving soil quality based on at least
compared to bulk soil, but no difference in the fungal four decades of data gathered from the world over.
diversity between the different systems. However, This thematic issue adds further to the body of
they measured a higher abundance of certain rhizo- information to reaffirm that agroforestry can play a
spheric fungi in P. euramevicana-based systems than major role in improving many of the metrics used in
in T. distichum-based systems. Finally, Posada et al. measuring soil health. The 28 papers included in the
(2018) evaluated the impact of management opera- thematic issue illustrate that agroforestry would enrich
tions on AMF in coffee plantations of Mexico and SOC better than monocropping systems, it could
Colombia characterized by contrasted management improve soil nutrient availability and soil fertility due
schemes from organic to the high use of fertilizers and to the presence of trees in the system and enhance soil
pesticides. They found a great diversity of AMF in the microbial dynamics which would positively influence
different plantations, with limited influence of man- soil health. By gathering studies from the world over
agement intensity in Colombian plantations with and presenting a wide diversity of systems and species
richer soils and slightly improved diversity in Mexican combinations and quantifying their effects on specific
plantations with poor acidic soils associated with light processes, this thematic issue also provides some
fertilizer usage. insights into better agroforestry design planning.
Microbial community dynamics are also exploited Agroforestry is a practice that offers great promise to
for commercial products in certain agroforestry prac- improve soil and soil health for current and future
tices like forest farming. Edible mushroom production generations. It is imperative that the broader agricul-
has become a profitable forest farming operation in ture community and policymakers pay increased
many parts of the world. Torres-Gómez et al. (2018) attention to agroforestry as a viable strategy to restore
compared the diversity and production of wild edible and sustain soil health.

123
218 Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219

References Lal R, Stewart BA (eds) (2011) World soil resources and food
security. CRC Press, Boca Raton
Afolabi OO, Muoghalu JI (2018) Effect of pesticides on Lana ÂMQ, Lana RMQ, Lemes EM, Reis GL, Moreira GHFA
microorganisms involved in litter decomposition in cacao (2018) Influence of native or exotic trees on soil fertility in
plantation in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/ decades of silvopastoral system at the Brazilian savannah
10.1007/s10457-016-0032-y biome. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-
Amadi CC, Farrell RE, Rees KCJV (2018) Dynamics of soil- 9998-8
derived greenhouse gas emissions from shelterbelts under Limon SH, Hossain M, Spiecker H (2018) Nutrients leaching
elevated soil moisture conditions in a semi-arid prairie from green leaves of three potential agroforestry tree spe-
environment. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/ cies. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-
s10457-017-0112-7 9996-x
Borges O, Raimundo F, Coutinho J, Gonçalves B, Oliveira I, Moore BD, Kaur G, Motavalli PP, Zurweller BA, Svoma BM
Martins A, Madeira M (2018) Carbon fractions as indica- (2018) Soil greenhouse gas emissions from agroforestry
tors of organic matter dynamics in chestnut orchards under and other land uses under different moisture regimes in
different soil management practices. Agrofor Syst. https:// lower Missouri River Floodplain soils: a laboratory
doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0088-3 approach. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-
Dawoe EK, Barnes VR, Oppong SK (2018) Spatio-temporal 017-0083-8
dynamics of gross rainfall partitioning and nutrient fluxes Nair PKR (2011) Agroforestry systems and environmental
in shaded-cocoa (Theobroma cocoa) systems in a tropical quality: introduction. J Environ Qual 40:784–790. https://
semi-deciduous forest. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10. doi.org/10.2134/jeq2011.0076
1007/s10457-017-0108-3 Noumi VN, Zapfack L, Hamadou MR, Djongmo VA, Witanou
de Souza JC, Pereira MA, da Costa END, da Silva DML (2018) N, Nyeck B, Ngossomo JD, Mbobda RBT, Mapongmetsem
Nitrogen dynamics in soil solution under different land PM (2018) Floristic diversity, carbon storage and ecolog-
uses: Atlantic forest and cacao–cabruca system. Agrofor ical services of eucalyptus agrosystems in Cameroon.
Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0077-6 Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0130-5
Dhaliwal J, Kukal SS, Sharma S (2018) Soil organic carbon Osei AK, Kimaro AA, Peak D, Gillespie AW, Rees KCJV
stock in relation to aggregate size and stability under tree- (2018) Soil carbon stocks in planted woodlots and Ngitili
based cropping systems in Typic Ustochrepts. Agrofor systems in Shinyanga, Tanzania. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.
Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0103-8 org/10.1007/s10457-016-0028-7
Dobo B, Asefa F, Asfaw Z (2018) Effect of tree-enset-coffee Partey ST, Thevathasan NV, Zougmoré RB, Preziosi RF (2018)
based agro-forestry practices on arbuscular mycorrhizal Improving maize production through nitrogen supply from
fungi (AMF) species diversity and spore density. Agrofor ten rarely-used organic resources in Ghana. Agrofor Syst.
Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0042-9 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0035-8
Doran JW, Sarrantonio M, Liebig MA (1996) Soil health and Paul R, Singh RD, Patra AK, Biswas DR, Bhattacharyya R,
sustainability. Adv Agron 56:2–54 Arunkumar K (2018) Phosphorus dynamics and solubiliz-
Hailemariam M, Birhane E, Gebresamuel G, Gebrekiros A, ing microorganisms in acid soils under different land uses
Desta Y, Alemayehu A, Muruts H, Araya T, Norgrove L of Lesser Himalayas of India. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/
(2018) Arbuscular mycorrhiza effects on Faidherbia 10.1007/s10457-017-0168-4
albida (Del.) A. Chev. growth under varying soil water and Pérez-Flores J, Pérez AA, Suárez YP, Bolaina VC, Quiroga AL
phosphorus levels in Northern Ethiopia. Agrofor Syst. (2018) Leaf litter and its nutrient contribution in the cacao
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0146-x agroforestry system. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/
Hoosbeek MR, Remme RP, Rusch GM (2018) Trees enhance s10457-017-0096-3
soil carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling in a sil- Posada RH, de Prager MS, Heredia-Abarca G, Sieverding E
vopastoral system in south-western Nicaragua. Agrofor (2018) Effects of soil physical and chemical parameters,
Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0049-2 and farm management practices on arbuscular mycorrhizal
Jose S (2009) Agroforestry for ecosystem services and envi- fungi communities and diversities in coffee plantations in
ronmental benefits: an overview. Agrofor Syst 76:1–10. Colombia and Mexico. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-009-9229-7 1007/s10457-016-0030-0
Jose S, Gillespie AR, Pallardy SG (2004) Interspecific interac- Prakash D, Benbi DK, Saroa GS (2018) Land-use effects on
tions in temperate agroforestry. Agrofor Syst 61–62:237– phosphorus fractions in Indo-Gangetic alluvial soils.
255. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:AGFO.0000029002.85273. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0061-6
9b Priano ME, Fusé VS, Mestelan S, Berkovic AM, Guzmán SA,
Karlen DL, Mausbach MJ, Doran JW, Cline RG, Harris RF, Gratton R, Juliarena MP (2018) Afforested sites in a tem-
Schuman GE (1997) Soil quality: a concept, definition, and perate grassland region: influence on soil properties and
framework for evaluation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 61(1):4. https:// methane uptake. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/
doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1997.03615995006100010001x s10457-017-0104-7
Kaur B, Singh B, Kaur N, Singh D (2018) Phytoremediation of Ramos HMN, Vasconcelos SS, Kato OR, Castellani DC (2018)
cadmium-contaminated soil through multipurpose tree Above- and belowground carbon stocks of two organic,
species. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017- agroforestry-based oil palm production systems in eastern
0141-2 Amazonia. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-
017-0131-4

123
Agroforest Syst (2018) 92:213–219 219

Salim MVC, Miller RP, Ticona-Benavente CA, van Leeuwen J, USDA NRCS (2018) Healthy soil for life. https://www.nrcs.
Alfaia SS (2018) Soil fertility management in indigenous usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/health/. Accessed 17
homegardens of Central Amazonia, Brazil. Agrofor Syst. March 2018
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0105-6 Yengwe J, Gebremikael MT, Buchan D, Lungu O, Neve SD
Shukla A, Kumar A, Chaturvedi OP, Nagori T, Kumar N, Gupta (2018) Effects of Faidherbia albida canopy and leaf litter
A (2018) Efficacy of rhizobial and phosphate-solubilizing on soil microbial communities and nitrogen mineralization
bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to ameliorate in selected Zambian soils. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.
shade response on six pulse crops. Agrofor Syst. https:// 1007/s10457-016-0063-4
doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0070-0 Young A (1989) Agroforestry for soil conservation. BPCC
Stefano AD, Jacobson MG (2018) Soil carbon sequestration in Wheatons Ltd, Exeter
agroforestry systems: a meta-analysis. Agrofor Syst. Zhang Q, Zhang M, Zhou P, Fang Y, Ji Y (2018) Impact of tree
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0147-9 species on barley rhizosphere-associated fungi in an
Torres-Gómez M, Garibay-Orijel R, Casas A, Pérez-Salicrup agroforestry ecosystem as revealed by 18S rDNA PCR-
DR (2018) Ectomycorrhizal trees intermingled within DGGE. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-
Cupressus lusitanica plantations sustain the diversity and 0086-5
availability of edible mushrooms. Agrofor Syst. https://doi.
org/10.1007/s10457-017-0081-x

123