Agroforestry Systems: Integrating Trees for Climate Resilience
R VijayKumar *
Faculty of Forestry, Department of Botany and Microbiology (M.Sc. Forestry Course), Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar – 522510, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Babu Kakumanu
Faculty of Botany, Department of Botany and Microbiology, Acharya Nagarjuna University, Nagarjuna Nagar – 522510, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Agroforestry—the deliberate integration of trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock—has re-emerged as a strategically important land-use option in an era of compounding climate risks. Rising temperatures, intensifying rainfall extremes, prolonged droughts, and more frequent heatwaves are altering agronomic productivity and stability, while also accelerating soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse-gas emissions associated with conventional land-use trajectories. This review synthesises peer-reviewed evidence on how agroforestry systems contribute to climate resilience through interacting biophysical and socio-economic pathways. Literature was identified through structured searches of Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The search covered the period 2006–2026 and prioritised peer-reviewed journal articles. Across diverse agroecological regions, trees on farms can moderate microclimatic extremes, improve soil organic carbon and soil structure, enhance infiltration and water regulation, reduce erosion, and support biodiversity-mediated ecosystem services. These functions strengthen the capacity of farming households and landscapes to absorb disturbances and recover, while also contributing to climate-change mitigation via carbon storage in biomass and soils. Evidence from meta-analyses and global assessments indicates that outcomes are highly context-dependent and shaped by system design, species traits, management intensity, and prior land use. Trade-offs—including competition for light and water, labour and capital constraints, delayed returns, and institutional barriers—can limit adoption or shift benefits among stakeholders. Emerging approaches in monitoring, reporting and verification, particularly remote sensing of tree cover and improved carbon accounting coefficients for agroforestry, are reducing uncertainty and enabling more robust integration into climate policy and incentive schemes. The review concludes that agroforestry is best understood as a portfolio of place-based designs that enhance resilience when aligned with local climate hazards, livelihood priorities, and governance conditions. Future progress will depend on long-term field evidence, co-designed decision support, and policy frameworks that reward multifunctional land stewardship rather than single-output optimisation.
Keywords: Agroforestry, climate resilience, adaptation, ecosystem services, soil organic carbon, microclimate, silvopasture, biodiversity, carbon accounting, policy scaling