AGROFORESTRY AND ITS ROLE IN SOIL PROTECTION AND SOIL ORGANIC CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN SON LA PROVINCE, VIETNAM
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70169/VJFS.1226Keywords:
Agroforestry, carbon sequestration, soil properties, soil organic carbon, Son La provinceAbstract
This study aimed to analyze soil characteristics and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration in agroforestry systems (AFS) compared with monoculture farming in Son La province, Vietnam. The research was conducted in three communes - Chieng Mai, Muong E, and Nam Lau - covering 10 agroforestry models and two monoculture control models. A total of 66 soil samples were collected from two soil layers (0 - 20 cm and 20 - 40 cm) to analyze pH, soil moisture, soil texture, and organic matter (OM). Soil organic carbon stocks were estimated following the IPCC (2006) guidelines and statistically compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). The results showed that agroforestry systems exhibited superior soil properties, including higher pH values (approximately 5.4 - 5.6), organic matter contents two to three times greater, soil moisture exceeding 30%, and SOC stocks ranging from 8.07 to 17.23 t ha⁻¹-two to four times higher than those of monoculture coffee or tea systems. The highest SOC stocks were observed in the Michelia balansae + coffee, Prunus salicina + coffee, and Michelia mediocris + tea models. These findings confirm that agroforestry systems have strong potential to enhance soil fertility, maintain soil structure, and increase carbon sequestration, thereby contributing to ecological agriculture development, climate change adaptation, and the achievement of Vietnam’s Net Zero
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