Towards transdisciplinary identification of suitable woody perennials for resilient agro-silvopastoral systems in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa

Abstract

Parkland systems in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa are commonly perceived as a resilient agroforestry practice well adapted to the semi-arid climatic conditions of the region. However, there exist several knowledge gaps regarding the interplay between the different components of this agro-silvopastoral land use system. A literature review with subsequent meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the effects of woody perennials on soil, crops and livestock, for which our study found very context-specific responses. A scoring of tree and shrub species indicated a general trend of trade-off between positive impact on crops and livestock vs. impact on soil organic carbon content. The study further confirmed that Faidherbia albida (Del.) Chev. is one of the most promising parkland species, but also revealed that there are no multipurpose single species that should be promoted exclusively. The focus should rather shift to species mixtures that satisfy multiple human and environmental needs. The study also pointed out that information on the nutritional properties of the majority of browse species is particularly limited. Transdisciplinary modelling is suggested as a tool to assess the complex interactions between the different components that shape this agro-silvopastoral system at different scales.