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Drivers and vertical CO2 flux balances in a Sahelian agroforestry system : Insights from high frequency measurements

Ba, Seydina M. ; Roupsard, Olivier ; Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie ; Bouvery, Frédéric ; Agbohessou, Yélognissè ; Duthoit, Maxime ; Wieckowski, Aleksander LU orcid ; Tagesson, Torbern LU ; Assouma, Mohamed H. and Gaglo, Espoir K. , et al. (2026) In Soil 12(1). p.471-495
Abstract

Agroforestry systems – combining trees with crops and/or livestock – are increasingly promoted as sustainable and climate-resilient land-use strategies. Despite their widespread presence in the Sahel, experimental data on their potential as carbon sinks are scarce. This study presents a full-year, high-frequency dataset of CO2 fluxes in a Sahelian agro-silvo-pastoral parkland dominated by Faidherbia albida, located in Senegal’s groundnut basin. CO2 fluxes were continuously measured using automated dynamic chambers, allowing the quantification of soil and crop respiration (Rch), gross primary production (GPPch), and net carbon exchange (FCO2ch) under both full sun and shaded (under tree canopies)... (More)

Agroforestry systems – combining trees with crops and/or livestock – are increasingly promoted as sustainable and climate-resilient land-use strategies. Despite their widespread presence in the Sahel, experimental data on their potential as carbon sinks are scarce. This study presents a full-year, high-frequency dataset of CO2 fluxes in a Sahelian agro-silvo-pastoral parkland dominated by Faidherbia albida, located in Senegal’s groundnut basin. CO2 fluxes were continuously measured using automated dynamic chambers, allowing the quantification of soil and crop respiration (Rch), gross primary production (GPPch), and net carbon exchange (FCO2ch) under both full sun and shaded (under tree canopies) environments. Seasonal patterns of CO2 fluxes were similar in both environments, with peaks during the rainy season. Rch and GPPch were significantly higher under tree canopies, indicating a “fertile island” effect. CO2 flux variability was primarily driven by soil moisture and leaf area index. Chamber-based GPP estimates closely matched those from Eddy Covariance measurements. On an annual scale, F. albida trees contributed approximately 23 % of total ecosystem GPP, with a carbon use efficiency of 0.48. Net annual vertical CO2 exchange was estimated at −1.4 ± 0.46 and −1.8 ± 0.17 Mg CCO2 ha−1 using chamber and Eddy Covariance methods, respectively. These findings underscore the role of F. albida-based agroforestry systems as effective carbon sinks in Sahelian landscapes, supporting their potential contribution to climate change mitigation.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Soil
volume
12
issue
1
pages
25 pages
publisher
Copernicus GmbH
external identifiers
  • scopus:105037544172
ISSN
2199-3971
DOI
10.5194/soil-12-471-2026
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3d16ae56-8324-42d2-9f14-a5cf65889383
date added to LUP
2026-07-09 14:14:25
date last changed
2026-07-09 14:15:01
@article{3d16ae56-8324-42d2-9f14-a5cf65889383,
  abstract     = {{<p>Agroforestry systems – combining trees with crops and/or livestock – are increasingly promoted as sustainable and climate-resilient land-use strategies. Despite their widespread presence in the Sahel, experimental data on their potential as carbon sinks are scarce. This study presents a full-year, high-frequency dataset of CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes in a Sahelian agro-silvo-pastoral parkland dominated by Faidherbia albida, located in Senegal’s groundnut basin. CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes were continuously measured using automated dynamic chambers, allowing the quantification of soil and crop respiration (Rch), gross primary production (GPPch), and net carbon exchange (FCO<sub>2</sub>ch) under both full sun and shaded (under tree canopies) environments. Seasonal patterns of CO<sub>2</sub> fluxes were similar in both environments, with peaks during the rainy season. Rch and GPPch were significantly higher under tree canopies, indicating a “fertile island” effect. CO<sub>2</sub> flux variability was primarily driven by soil moisture and leaf area index. Chamber-based GPP estimates closely matched those from Eddy Covariance measurements. On an annual scale, F. albida trees contributed approximately 23 % of total ecosystem GPP, with a carbon use efficiency of 0.48. Net annual vertical CO<sub>2</sub> exchange was estimated at −1.4 ± 0.46 and −1.8 ± 0.17 Mg CCO<sub>2</sub> ha<sup>−1</sup> using chamber and Eddy Covariance methods, respectively. These findings underscore the role of F. albida-based agroforestry systems as effective carbon sinks in Sahelian landscapes, supporting their potential contribution to climate change mitigation.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ba, Seydina M. and Roupsard, Olivier and Chapuis-Lardy, Lydie and Bouvery, Frédéric and Agbohessou, Yélognissè and Duthoit, Maxime and Wieckowski, Aleksander and Tagesson, Torbern and Assouma, Mohamed H. and Gaglo, Espoir K. and Delon, Claire and Sambou, Bienvenu and Serça, Dominique}},
  issn         = {{2199-3971}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{471--495}},
  publisher    = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
  series       = {{Soil}},
  title        = {{Drivers and vertical CO<sub>2</sub> flux balances in a Sahelian agroforestry system : Insights from high frequency measurements}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-471-2026}},
  doi          = {{10.5194/soil-12-471-2026}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}