Agroforestry-Based Nature Actions for Climate Change Mitigation Through Soil Carbon Storage in Zamora Chinchipe

Agroforestry systems are a sustainable strategy for climate change mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, particularly in regions like Zamora Chinchipe, where they improve soil resilience and productivity in deforested landscapes. This study evaluated soil carbon storage under different land-use systems—forest, cacao monoculture, cacao-based agroforestry, and coffee-based agroforestry—as a climate change mitigation strategy. Data were collected from cacao and coffee producers regarding crop management practices on their farms. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20 cm and analyzed for bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon stocks. Land-use systems showed that coffee-based agroforestry stored 101.22 Mg ha−1 of carbon and cacao-based agroforestry 71.55 Mg ha−1, both exceeding values observed in cacao monoculture and even forest systems. These results suggest that cacao and coffee agroforestry systems have a greater capacity for carbon sequestration compared to monoculture systems. However, the contribution of forests should not be underestimated, as these findings are based only on the surface soil layer, which limits a comprehensive assessment of the full carbon storage potential of forest ecosystems in Zamora Chinchipe. Agroforestry systems emerge as viable and sustainable alternatives for soil carbon storage, as they integrate trees and crops, promoting long-term carbon sequestration in soils.