Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of Eucalyptus trees in a silvopastoral system on the microclimate and the capacity of that to mitigate the effects of climate change on pasturelands. This study included an open pasture of Piatã palisadegrass and an adjacent pasture that contained both palisadegrass and East-to-West rows of Eucalyptus trees, with 15 m between rows, 2 m between trees within rows. The micrometeorological measurements were collected at several distances from the tree rows and in the open pasture. The silvopastoral system was associated with greater between-row shading when solar declination was high and greater near-tree shading when solar declination was around -22°. Both soil heat flux and temperature were influenced by solar radiation, wind speed, and the ability of tree canopies to reduce radiation losses. Wind speed was consistently lower in the silvopastoral system, owing to the windbreak effect of the Eucalyptus trees. The present study demonstrated that silvopastoral systems can be used to attenuate the effects of climate change, as trees can protect pastureland from intense solar radiation and wind, thereby reducing evapotranspiration and, consequently, improving soil water availability for the understory crop.
Highlights
Agroforestry systems (AFSs) are characterized by the combined use of land for timber or fruit trees and crops and/or livestock, either simultaneously or sequentially (Lundgren and Raintree 1982), and silvopastoral systems, are characterized by the combined use of land for trees or shrubs and for pastureland and livestock (Nair 1993)
The microclimates of AFSs depend on a variety of factors, including system design, arrangement, orientation, age, species composition, and architecture, all of which interact at macro- and meso-scales, and the main changes achieved through conversion to AFSs are caused by shade, which is provided by trees and reduces the solar radiation reaching sub-canopy crops (Pezzopane et al 2015)
Including air and soil temperatures, relative humidity, soil moisture (Pezzopane et al 2015), and evapotranspiration (Lin 2010), which affect crop growth (Bosi et al 2014), and by reducing wind speed, tree plantings can indirectly affect a variety of other microclimate variables (Pezzopane et al 2015)
Summary
Agroforestry systems (AFSs) are characterized by the combined use of land for timber or fruit trees and crops and/or livestock, either simultaneously or sequentially (Lundgren and Raintree 1982), and silvopastoral systems, are characterized by the combined use of land for trees or shrubs and for pastureland and livestock (Nair 1993). The microclimates of AFSs depend on a variety of factors, including system design, arrangement, orientation, age, species composition, and architecture, all of which interact at macro- and meso-scales, and the main changes achieved through conversion to AFSs are caused by shade, which is provided by trees and reduces the solar radiation reaching sub-canopy crops (Pezzopane et al 2015). SILVOPASTORAL MITIGATES CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS including air and soil temperatures, relative humidity, soil moisture (Pezzopane et al 2015), and evapotranspiration (Lin 2010), which affect crop growth (Bosi et al 2014), and by reducing wind speed, tree plantings can indirectly affect a variety of other microclimate variables (Pezzopane et al 2015). The ability of AFS establishment to modify microclimates and to improve the resilience of agricultural systems should be considered when comparing different strategies for adapting agriculture to climate change (Montagnini et al 2013, Nguyen et al 2013)
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have