Carbon benefits through fallow agricultural land transitions: the case of multi-strata agroforestry in Hawaiʻi

Leah Bremer, Gina McGuire, Silao Hastings Silao, Natalie Kurashima, Tamara Ticktin, Susan Crow, Christian Giardina, Kawika Winter, Nathan DeMaagd and Clay Trauernicht
Additional contact information
Leah Bremer: University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization; Water Resources Research Center
Gina McGuire: Department of Geography and Environment, University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄ noa; Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service
Silao Hastings Silao: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service
Natalie Kurashima: Kamehameha Schools
Tamara Ticktin: School of Life Sciences, University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄ noa
Susan Crow: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄ noa
Christian Giardina: Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service
Kawika Winter: School of Life Sciences, University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄ noa; HawaiÊ»i Institute of Marine Biology
Nathan DeMaagd: University of Hawaiʻi Economic Research Organization; Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Clay Trauernicht: Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of HawaiÊ»i at MÄ noa
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Steven Bond-Smith

No 2024-4, Working Papers from University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Abstract: There are growing efforts to incorporate agroforestry into ecosystem service incentive programs. Indigenous and other place-based multi-strata agroforestry systems are important conservation and agricultural strategies, yet their ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration benefits, have received little research attention. To fill this gap, we draw on interviews with agroforestry practitioners and ecosystem service modeling in Hawaiʻi to: 1) create future scenarios of where fallow agricultural lands and non-native dominated conservation lands could be transitioned to multi-strata agroforestry under current and future climates; and 2) quantify the potential above-ground carbon and soil carbon benefits and tradeoffs of transitions across these scenarios. Mean above-ground carbon in modeled agroforestry systems was estimated to be 92-125 Mg C ha-1 (337-458 Mg CO2 ha-1) with ~73% of the potential area significantly increasing above-ground carbon storage. Significant benefits for both above-ground and soil carbon are projected across 37-45% of the area transitioned to agroforestry, with just 4-5% of area with expected overall losses. With potential above-ground carbon sequestration similar or greater than that of native forest restoration, restoration through agroforestry represents an important pathway to achieving ecological, cultural, and economic benefits on large areas of fallow agricultural and non-native dominated conservation lands, offering a pathway to support inclusive and effective natural climate solutions.

Keywords: nature-based solutions; payments for ecosystem services; soil carbon; above ground carbon; Indigenous land management; local values (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38 pages
Date: 2024-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-geo, nep-tre and nep-ure
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