In the last three decades, agroforestry has been widely promoted in the
tropics as a natural resource management strategy that attempts to balance the
goals of agricultural development with the conservation of soils, water, local
and regional climate, and, more recently, biodiversity (Izac and Sanchez
2001). Agroforestry practices such as homegardens, crop-fallow rotations, and
the use of timber trees in tree crop plantations are being studied at national
and international research centers, and courses in agroforestry are being taught
at colleges and universities all over the world. As a consequence, a large body
of scientific information and practical experiences is available on the effects of
trees on soil fertility and carbon stocks, the matching of crop and tree species
for different site conditions, tree management and related agronomic-techni-
cal issues (e.g., Young 1997; Schroth and Sinclair 2003). Information on com-
plex biotic interactions such as the importance of diversified tree cover in pest
and disease dynamics on plot and landscape scales is less available (Schroth et
al. 2000; Swift et al. in press). However, a comprehensive review of informa-
tion on the biodiversity associated with different agroforestry practices and the
landscapes of which they are part has not been conducted. This lack of infor-
mation is felt both in practical conservation and development projects in the
field and in university and college courses teaching tropical agroforestry, con-
servation biology, and related topics.
This book attempts to fill this gap by reviewing the present knowledge of
the potential role of agroforestry in conserving tropical biodiversity and by
identifying knowledge gaps that warrant further research. More specifically, its
objectives are to explore the potential of agroforestry for landscape-scale bio-
diversity conservation in the tropics; discuss benefits related to the biodiver-
sity of agroforestry systems and the landscapes of which they are part, which
could increase private and public support for the use of agroforestry in conser-
vation strategies; identify some of the ecological, socioeconomic, and political
constraints on biodiversity-friendly land use systems; and present some prac-
tical examples of the use of agroforestry in biodiversity conservation projects
in the tropics.
Agroforestry in Tropical Landscapes
Agroforestryis a summary term for practices that involve the integration of
trees and other large woody perennials into farming systems through the con-
servation of existing trees, their active planting and tending, or the tolerance
of spontaneous tree regrowth. Following a recent definition by the World
Agroforestry Center (ICRAF 2000), agroforestry is defined here as a dynamic,
ecologically based natural resource management practice that, through the
integration of trees and other tall woody plants on farms and in the agricul-
tural landscape, diversifies production for increased social, economic, and
environmental benefits.
2 Introduction: Agroforestry in Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Landscapes