Potential of Alnus acuminata based agroforestry for carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services in Rwanda

dc.contributor.authorCyamweshi, Athanase R.
dc.contributor.authorKuyah, Shem
dc.contributor.authorMukuralinda, Athanase
dc.contributor.authorMuthuri, Catherine W.
dc.date.accessioned2023-02-03T05:08:58Z
dc.date.available2023-02-03T05:08:58Z
dc.date.issued2021-08
dc.description© The Author(s) 2021. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Version of Scholarly Record of this Article is published in Agroforestry Systems, 2021, available online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10457-021-00619-5 . Keywords: aboveground biomass; agroforestry; carbon stock; firewood; stakes; soil fertility; Africa; Rwanda.
dc.description.abstractAlnus acuminata Kunth. (alnus) is widely used in agroforestry systems across the globe and is believed to provide multiple ecosystem services; however, evidence is lacking in agroforestry literature to support the perceived benefits, particularly in Rwanda. To understand carbon sequestration potential and other benefits of alnus, a household survey, tree inventory and destructive sampling were conducted in north-western Rwanda. Over 75% of the respondents had alnus trees in their farms. The trees provide stakes for climbing beans, firewood and timber. They also improve soil fertility and control soil erosion. Farmers had between 130 and 161 alnus trees per hectare with an average height of 7.7 ± 0.59 m and diameter at breast height of 16.3 ± 1.39 cm. The largest biomass proportion was found in stems (70.5%) while branches and leaves stock about 16.5 and 13% of the total biomass, respectively. At farm level, aboveground biomass of alnus trees was estimated to be 27.2 ± 0.7 Mg ha−1 representing 13.6 Mg of carbon (C) per hectare. Biomass carbon increased with tree size, from 7.1 ± 0.2 Mg C ha−1 in 3 years old trees to 34.4 ± 2.2 Mg C ha−1 in 10 years old trees. The converse was observed with elevation; biomass carbon decreased with increasing elevation from 21.4 ± 1.29 Mg C ha−1 at low (2011–2110 m) to 9.6 ± 0.75 Mg C ha−1 in the high elevation (> 2510 m). In conclusion, alnus agroforestry significantly contributes to carbon sequestration, although the magnitude of these benefits varies with tree age and elevation. Planting alnus trees on farms can meet local needs for stakes for climbing beans, wood and soil fertility improvement, as well as the global need for regulation of climate change.
dc.description.sponsorshipThe authors are grateful to the participating farmers during survey and tree inventory, and offered their trees for destructive sampling. The research was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (Grant No. 91672913) through the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and was implemented as part of the project ‘Trees for Food Security’ made possible by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The authors also express their gratitude to the Administration of the Rwanda Standard Board (RSB) for availing their laboratory facilities for drying our tree samples.
dc.identifier.citationCyamweshi, A.R., Kuyah, S., Mukuralinda, A., & Muthuri, Catherine W. (2021). Potential of Alnus acuminata based agroforestry for carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services in Rwanda. Agroforestry Systems, 95, 1125–1135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00619-5
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00619-5
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14096/256
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer Nature
dc.titlePotential of Alnus acuminata based agroforestry for carbon sequestration and other ecosystem services in Rwanda
dc.typeArticle

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