Carbon Storage in North American Agroforestry Systems

This chapter presents background information on the key concepts of agroforestry and major types of agroforestry systems in North America. It examines the carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems and discuss management considerations and research needs for exploiting the potential. Agroforestry is the purposeful growing of trees and crops in interacting combinations for a variety of objectives. As an agroforestry practice, a riparian forest buffer represents an area of trees, usually accompanied by shrubs and other vegetation, that is adjacent to a body of water, has no clearly defined boundaries, and represents a transition between aquatic and upland environments. Agroforestry systems are relevant to programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, where riparian buffers could be used to improve water quality, or alleycropping systems could be used to reduce soil erosion.