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

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.

Demissie, Sheleme (author)
Gonfa, Techane (author)
Mehrabi, ZiaUniversity of Colorado (author)
Rifai, SamiUniversity of Adelaide (author)
Hirons, Mark A.University of Oxford (author)
Gole, Tadesse Woldemariam (author)
Mason, JohnNature Conservation Research Centre (NCRC Ghana) (author)
McDermott, Constance L.University of Oxford (author)
Boyd, EmilyLund University,Lunds universitet,BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate,Centrum för miljö- och klimatvetenskap (CEC),Naturvetenskapliga fakulteten,Lunds universitets hållbarhetsforum,LUCSUS,Samhällsvetenskapliga institutioner och centrumbildningar,Samhällsvetenskapliga fakulteten,LU profilområde: Naturbaserade framtidslösningar,Lunds universitets profilområden,Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (CEC),Faculty of Science,Lund university sustainability forum,LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies),Departments of Administrative, Economic and Social Sciences,Faculty of Social Sciences,LU Profile Area: Nature-based future solutions,Lund University Profile areas(Swepub:lu)em6237bo (author)
Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z.London School of Economics and Political Science (author)
Malhi, YadvinderUniversity of Oxford (author)
Norris, KenNatural History Museum, London (author)
Ninewells Hospital and Medical SchoolUniversity of Colorado (creator_code:org_t)

By the author/editor: Morel, Alexandra ...; Demissie, Shelem ...; Gonfa, Techane; Mehrabi, Zia; Rifai, Sami; Hirons, Mark A.; show more...; Gole, Tadesse Wo ...; Mason, John; McDermott, Const ...; Boyd, Emily; Robinson, Elizab ...; Malhi, Yadvinder; Norris, Ken; show less...

About the subject

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES: AGRICULTURAL SCI ...; and Agriculture Fore ...; and Agricultural Sci ...

Kungliga biblioteket hanterar dina personuppgifter i enlighet med EU:s dataskyddsförordning (2018), GDPR. Läs mer om hur det funkar här.
Så här hanterar KB dina uppgifter vid användning av denna tjänst.