Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland

Edzo Veldkamp; Marcus Schmidt; Christian Markwitz; Lukas Beule; René Beuschel; Andrea Biertümpfel; Xenia Bischel; Xiaohong Duan; Rowena Gerjets; Leonie Göbel; Rüdiger Graß; Victor Guerra; Florian Heinlein; Martin Komainda; Maren Langhof; Jie Luo; Martin Potthoff; Justus G.V. van Ramshorst; Carolin Rudolf; Diana Maria Seserman; Guodong Shao; Lukas Siebicke; Nikolai Svoboda; Anita Swieter; Andrea Carminati; Dirk Freese; Torsten Graf; Jörg M. Greef; Johannes Isselstein; Martin Jansen; Petr Karlovsky; Alexander Knohl; Norbert Lamersdorf; Eckart Priesack; Christine Wachendorf; Michael Wachendorf; Marife D. Corre

doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1

Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland

Edzo Veldkamp, Marcus Schmidt, Christian Markwitz, Lukas Beule, René Beuschel, Andrea Biertümpfel, Xenia Bischel, Xiaohong Duan, Rowena Gerjets, Leonie Göbel, Rüdiger Graß, Victor Guerra, Florian Heinlein, Martin Komainda, Maren Langhof, Jie Luo, Martin Potthoff, Justus G.V. van Ramshorst, Carolin Rudolf, Diana Maria SesermanGuodong Shao, Lukas Siebicke, Nikolai Svoboda, Anita Swieter, Andrea Carminati, Dirk Freese, Torsten Graf, Jörg M. Greef, Johannes Isselstein, Martin Jansen, Petr Karlovsky, Alexander Knohl, Norbert Lamersdorf, Eckart Priesack, Christine Wachendorf, Michael Wachendorf, Marife D. Corre

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental impacts. Temperate agroforestry potentially improves ecosystem functions, although comprehensive analysis is lacking. Here, we measured primary data on 47 indicators of seven ecosystem functions in croplands and 16 indicators of four ecosystem functions in grasslands to assess how alley-cropping agroforestry performs compared to open cropland and grassland. Carbon sequestration, habitat for soil biological activity, and wind erosion resistance improved for cropland agroforestry (P ≤ 0.03) whereas only carbon sequestration improved for grassland agroforestry (P < 0.01). In cropland agroforestry, soil nutrient cycling, soil greenhouse gas abatement, and water regulation did not improve, due to customary high fertilization rates. Alley-cropping agroforestry increased multifunctionality, compared to open croplands. To ameliorate the environmental benefits of agroforestry, more efficient use of nutrients is required. Financial incentives should focus on conversion of open croplands to alley-cropping agroforestry and incorporate fertilizer management.

Original language	English
Article number	20
Journal	Communications Earth and Environment
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1
State	Published - Dec 2023
Externally published	Yes

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Veldkamp, E., Schmidt, M., Markwitz, C., Beule, L., Beuschel, R., Biertümpfel, A., Bischel, X., Duan, X., Gerjets, R., Göbel, L., Graß, R., Guerra, V., Heinlein, F., Komainda, M., Langhof, M., Luo, J., Potthoff, M., van Ramshorst, J. G. V., Rudolf, C., ... Corre, M. D. (2023). Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland. Communications Earth and Environment, 4(1), Article 20. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1

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title = "Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland",

abstract = "Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental impacts. Temperate agroforestry potentially improves ecosystem functions, although comprehensive analysis is lacking. Here, we measured primary data on 47 indicators of seven ecosystem functions in croplands and 16 indicators of four ecosystem functions in grasslands to assess how alley-cropping agroforestry performs compared to open cropland and grassland. Carbon sequestration, habitat for soil biological activity, and wind erosion resistance improved for cropland agroforestry (P ≤ 0.03) whereas only carbon sequestration improved for grassland agroforestry (P < 0.01). In cropland agroforestry, soil nutrient cycling, soil greenhouse gas abatement, and water regulation did not improve, due to customary high fertilization rates. Alley-cropping agroforestry increased multifunctionality, compared to open croplands. To ameliorate the environmental benefits of agroforestry, more efficient use of nutrients is required. Financial incentives should focus on conversion of open croplands to alley-cropping agroforestry and incorporate fertilizer management.",

author = "Edzo Veldkamp and Marcus Schmidt and Christian Markwitz and Lukas Beule and Ren{\'e} Beuschel and Andrea Biert{\"u}mpfel and Xenia Bischel and Xiaohong Duan and Rowena Gerjets and Leonie G{\"o}bel and R{\"u}diger Gra{\ss} and Victor Guerra and Florian Heinlein and Martin Komainda and Maren Langhof and Jie Luo and Martin Potthoff and {van Ramshorst}, {Justus G.V.} and Carolin Rudolf and Seserman, {Diana Maria} and Guodong Shao and Lukas Siebicke and Nikolai Svoboda and Anita Swieter and Andrea Carminati and Dirk Freese and Torsten Graf and Greef, {J{\"o}rg M.} and Johannes Isselstein and Martin Jansen and Petr Karlovsky and Alexander Knohl and Norbert Lamersdorf and Eckart Priesack and Christine Wachendorf and Michael Wachendorf and Corre, {Marife D.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Author(s).",

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doi = "10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1",

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Veldkamp, E, Schmidt, M, Markwitz, C, Beule, L, Beuschel, R, Biertümpfel, A, Bischel, X, Duan, X, Gerjets, R, Göbel, L, Graß, R, Guerra, V, Heinlein, F, Komainda, M, Langhof, M, Luo, J, Potthoff, M, van Ramshorst, JGV, Rudolf, C, Seserman, DM, Shao, G, Siebicke, L, Svoboda, N, Swieter, A, Carminati, A, Freese, D, Graf, T, Greef, JM, Isselstein, J, Jansen, M, Karlovsky, P, Knohl, A, Lamersdorf, N, Priesack, E, Wachendorf, C, Wachendorf, M & Corre, MD 2023, 'Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland', Communications Earth and Environment, vol. 4, no. 1, 20. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1

TY - JOUR

T1 - Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland

AU - Veldkamp, Edzo

AU - Schmidt, Marcus

AU - Markwitz, Christian

AU - Beule, Lukas

AU - Beuschel, René

AU - Biertümpfel, Andrea

AU - Bischel, Xenia

AU - Duan, Xiaohong

AU - Gerjets, Rowena

AU - Göbel, Leonie

AU - Graß, Rüdiger

AU - Guerra, Victor

AU - Heinlein, Florian

AU - Komainda, Martin

AU - Langhof, Maren

AU - Luo, Jie

AU - Potthoff, Martin

AU - van Ramshorst, Justus G.V.

AU - Rudolf, Carolin

AU - Seserman, Diana Maria

AU - Shao, Guodong

AU - Siebicke, Lukas

AU - Svoboda, Nikolai

AU - Swieter, Anita

AU - Carminati, Andrea

AU - Freese, Dirk

AU - Graf, Torsten

AU - Greef, Jörg M.

AU - Isselstein, Johannes

AU - Jansen, Martin

AU - Karlovsky, Petr

AU - Knohl, Alexander

AU - Lamersdorf, Norbert

AU - Priesack, Eckart

AU - Wachendorf, Christine

AU - Wachendorf, Michael

AU - Corre, Marife D.

PY - 2023/12

Y1 - 2023/12

N2 - Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental impacts. Temperate agroforestry potentially improves ecosystem functions, although comprehensive analysis is lacking. Here, we measured primary data on 47 indicators of seven ecosystem functions in croplands and 16 indicators of four ecosystem functions in grasslands to assess how alley-cropping agroforestry performs compared to open cropland and grassland. Carbon sequestration, habitat for soil biological activity, and wind erosion resistance improved for cropland agroforestry (P ≤ 0.03) whereas only carbon sequestration improved for grassland agroforestry (P < 0.01). In cropland agroforestry, soil nutrient cycling, soil greenhouse gas abatement, and water regulation did not improve, due to customary high fertilization rates. Alley-cropping agroforestry increased multifunctionality, compared to open croplands. To ameliorate the environmental benefits of agroforestry, more efficient use of nutrients is required. Financial incentives should focus on conversion of open croplands to alley-cropping agroforestry and incorporate fertilizer management.

AB - Intensively managed open croplands are highly productive but often have deleterious environmental impacts. Temperate agroforestry potentially improves ecosystem functions, although comprehensive analysis is lacking. Here, we measured primary data on 47 indicators of seven ecosystem functions in croplands and 16 indicators of four ecosystem functions in grasslands to assess how alley-cropping agroforestry performs compared to open cropland and grassland. Carbon sequestration, habitat for soil biological activity, and wind erosion resistance improved for cropland agroforestry (P ≤ 0.03) whereas only carbon sequestration improved for grassland agroforestry (P < 0.01). In cropland agroforestry, soil nutrient cycling, soil greenhouse gas abatement, and water regulation did not improve, due to customary high fertilization rates. Alley-cropping agroforestry increased multifunctionality, compared to open croplands. To ameliorate the environmental benefits of agroforestry, more efficient use of nutrients is required. Financial incentives should focus on conversion of open croplands to alley-cropping agroforestry and incorporate fertilizer management.

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U2 - 10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1

DO - 10.1038/s43247-023-00680-1

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85146757238

SN - 2662-4435

VL - 4

JO - Communications Earth and Environment

JF - Communications Earth and Environment

IS - 1

M1 - 20

ER -

Multifunctionality of temperate alley-cropping agroforestry outperforms open cropland and grassland

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