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Landscape and management influences on smallholder agroforestry yields show shifts during a climate shock

Morel, Alexandra C. ; Demissie, Sheleme ; Gonfa, Techane ; Mehrabi, Zia ; Rifai, Sami ; Hirons, Mark A. ; Gole, Tadesse Woldemariam ; Mason, John ; McDermott, Constance L. and Boyd, Emily LU , et al. (2024) In Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 366.
Abstract

Sustaining yields for smallholder perennial agriculture under a rapidly changing climate regime may require consideration of landscape features and on-farm management decisions in tandem. Optimising landscape and management may not be possible for maximising yields in any one year but maintaining heterogeneous landscapes could be an important climate adaptation strategy. In this study, we observed elevation, forest patch and shade management gradients affecting smallholder coffee (Coffea arabica) yields in a ‘normal’ year versus the 2015/16 El Niño. We generally found a benefit to yields from having leguminous shade trees and low canopy openness, while maintaining diverse shade or varying canopy openness had more complex influences... (More)

Sustaining yields for smallholder perennial agriculture under a rapidly changing climate regime may require consideration of landscape features and on-farm management decisions in tandem. Optimising landscape and management may not be possible for maximising yields in any one year but maintaining heterogeneous landscapes could be an important climate adaptation strategy. In this study, we observed elevation, forest patch and shade management gradients affecting smallholder coffee (Coffea arabica) yields in a ‘normal’ year versus the 2015/16 El Niño. We generally found a benefit to yields from having leguminous shade trees and low canopy openness, while maintaining diverse shade or varying canopy openness had more complex influences during a climate shock. The two years of observed climate shock were dominated by either drought or high temperatures, with yield responses generally negative. Climate projections for East Africa predict more erratic rainfall and higher temperatures, which will disproportionately impact smallholder farmers.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Agro-ecology, Coffea arabica, Ecosystem services, El Niño, Landscapes, Shade management
in
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
volume
366
article number
108930
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85185770485
ISSN
0167-8809
DOI
10.1016/j.agee.2024.108930
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bb9da4ee-5ebd-4c2e-a3f0-dde65ac4c141
date added to LUP
2024-03-13 15:52:49
date last changed
2024-03-13 15:53:55
@article{bb9da4ee-5ebd-4c2e-a3f0-dde65ac4c141,
  abstract     = {{<p>Sustaining yields for smallholder perennial agriculture under a rapidly changing climate regime may require consideration of landscape features and on-farm management decisions in tandem. Optimising landscape and management may not be possible for maximising yields in any one year but maintaining heterogeneous landscapes could be an important climate adaptation strategy. In this study, we observed elevation, forest patch and shade management gradients affecting smallholder coffee (Coffea arabica) yields in a ‘normal’ year versus the 2015/16 El Niño. We generally found a benefit to yields from having leguminous shade trees and low canopy openness, while maintaining diverse shade or varying canopy openness had more complex influences during a climate shock. The two years of observed climate shock were dominated by either drought or high temperatures, with yield responses generally negative. Climate projections for East Africa predict more erratic rainfall and higher temperatures, which will disproportionately impact smallholder farmers.</p>}},
  author       = {{Morel, Alexandra C. and Demissie, Sheleme and Gonfa, Techane and Mehrabi, Zia and Rifai, Sami and Hirons, Mark A. and Gole, Tadesse Woldemariam and Mason, John and McDermott, Constance L. and Boyd, Emily and Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z. and Malhi, Yadvinder and Norris, Ken}},
  issn         = {{0167-8809}},
  keywords     = {{Agro-ecology; Coffea arabica; Ecosystem services; El Niño; Landscapes; Shade management}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment}},
  title        = {{Landscape and management influences on smallholder agroforestry yields show shifts during a climate shock}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2024.108930}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.agee.2024.108930}},
  volume       = {{366}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}