Unsung climate guardians: The overlooked role of remnant and spontaneous trees in carbon stocks and gains from tree growth in West African cocoa fields.

ABSTRACT: Cocoa cultivation in West Africa has been a major driver of deforestation, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions and threatening cocoa yields. Agroforestry, which integrates trees from various origins-remnant, spontaneous, and planted-presents a sustainable solution to enhance carbon sequestration and improve farm resilience. However, the specific contributions of these tree origins and the socio-environmental factors shaping their effectiveness remain poorly understood. This study examines carbon dynamics across 150 cocoa fields in Côte d'Ivoire, analyzing a total of 11,568 trees across 15 sites. Using Bayesian modeling, we assess carbon stocks and gains from tree growth to explore how socio-environmental factors influence carbon balance in cocoa fields. Carbon stocks varied widel

SUBMITTER: Konan IK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316257 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature