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Can agroforestry systems thrive in the drylands? Characteristics of successful agroforestry systems in the arid and semi-arid regions of Latin America

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Abstract

Agroforestry systems are a strategy for rural communities to manage environmental change through contributions in agrobiodiversity, livelihood diversity and labour availability, and economic stability. The majority of research in agroforestry has focused on tropical humid and sub-humid environments and the characteristics of agroforestry systems in arid and semi-arid regions have not been extensively documented in Latin American countries. Here, we document the characteristics of replicable, widely practiced agroforestry systems in five climatic regimes across the arid and semi-arid regions of Latin America (dry sub-humid, warm semi-arid, temperate arid, cold arid, and warm arid regions). The research was conducted on 4-6 farms per region using the design and diagnosis method, highlighting that the combination of multi-purpose trees with subsistence crops and livestock is highly context-specific. The analysis was corroborated by semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions on farmers’ perceptions of the challenges and benefits of implementing agroforestry. In general farmers perceive the significant contributions to economic and ecological sustainability, including the improvement of soil fertility and resilience to climate change.

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Acknowledgements

This paper derives from the results of the WAFLA research project (INCO – 2006 - 032443), coordinated by TTZ-Germany and funded by the European Community. The data reported here were collected by and shared among the members of the WAFLA Consortium; the concerned partners are gratefully acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Dr. Laksmi Krishnamurthy, the lead author of this manuscript, sadly passed away before its publication. The co-authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Laksmi Krishnamurthy’s contributions to the field of agroforestry in Latin America.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agroforestry Center for Sustainable Development, Universidad Autonoma Cha**o, Cha**o, Mexico

    Laksmi Krishnamurthy, Indumathi Rajagopal & Arturo Peralta Solares

  2. Independent, 36 Petchaburi Road, Bangkok, 10300, Thailand

    P. Krishna Krishnamurthy

Authors
  1. Laksmi Krishnamurthy
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  2. P. Krishna Krishnamurthy
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  3. Indumathi Rajagopal
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  4. Arturo Peralta Solares
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Correspondence to P. Krishna Krishnamurthy.

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Krishnamurthy, L., Krishnamurthy, P.K., Rajagopal, I. et al. Can agroforestry systems thrive in the drylands? Characteristics of successful agroforestry systems in the arid and semi-arid regions of Latin America. Agroforest Syst 93, 503–513 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0143-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-017-0143-0

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