3.4. SAFs, Climate Change and Desertification In general, agroforestry systems play an important role in the production of biomass, even in a region of semiarid region where vegetation does not have the same yield potential compared to systems located in areas of tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. A more consolidated system, such as those studied, the set may reach more than 200 metric tons of CO2 per hectare equivalent1 in an implantation period of approximately 20 years. The production strategy usually adopted, to diversify through numerous fruit shrubs explains in part the high amount of biomass that can be produced. The location is also important because there are regions of the savanna that are wetter and therefore have the greatest potential for biomass production. Besides the contribution to carbon sequestration, which helps mitigate the effects of climate change, agroforestry systems help protect water sources and even to create a milder microclimate. What is the carbon sequestration potential of the systems studied?
Agroforestry system generating healthy foods in place of the family of Mr Antonio do Velho. Comunidade Enjeitado - Triunfo / PE.
The potential of biomass accumulation of Agroforestry System depends crucially on the composition of species and planting density. Harder species such as mimosa, the imburana and ipe, for example, contain more carbon and consequently have greater potential sequestering of this element. Conservative estimatives indicate that the most consolidated systems, with about fifteen years of implementation, can secure nearly 150 tons per hectare of CO2 equivalent. Thus, it can be inferred from very general way that, on average, SAFs have a potential accumulation of ten metric tons per hectare/year of CO2 equivalent in the savanna biome. However, this figure may be much higher in systems where predominant species with a high potential of biomass accumulation and, as pointed out in more humid areas of AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID
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