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Abstract

A top-bottom approach where local problems are treated in isolation has proven ineffective in achieving sustainable development. The need for inclusive approaches to managing the demand for arable lands, forest resources, and the problems of resource exploitation and climate change calls for local understanding of these elements’ interrelationship. Understanding the interrelationships among climate change, agriculture, and the ecosystems in different agroecological zones in Nigeria was the purpose of this chapter. Deforestation and forest degradation analysis approach was utilized. One state and two forest communities from each of the rainforest, savannah, and mangrove agroecological zones were purposively focused in this chapter based on forest distribution and cover. Focus group discussions involving 252 male and female farmers using 30 years as reference were used to garner relevant information. Climate variation caused a slight modification in cropping schedules of farmers due to prolonged dry season, mainly in the savannah region. Farmers engaged in mixed farming and also cultivate more hardy crops like cassava in response to climate uncertainties. Especially in the mangrove and savannah, ecosystem components such as agriculture and population showed increasing trends over the years as forest cover reduces. Downward trend in charcoal production was limited to mangrove and rainforest zones as fishing and hunting becomes vulnerable livelihoods across the zones. The degree and progression of climate change effects on the ecosystem in Nigeria agroecological zones is largely comparable and have both desirable and adverse livelihood outcomes. Affordable insurance policy, credit, agri-inputs, favorable forest regulatory framework, and youth empowerment supports would enhance sustainable adjustment to climate change.

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The impact of climate change on smallholder and subsistence agriculture.

John Morton (2007)

Some of the most important impacts of global climate change will be felt among the populations, predominantly in developing countries, referred to as "subsistence" or "smallholder" farmers. Their vulnerability to climate change comes both from being predominantly located in the tropics, and from various socioeconomic, demographic, and policy trends limiting their capacity to adapt to change. However, these impacts will be difficult to model or predict because of (i) the lack of standardised definitions of these sorts of farming system, and therefore of standard data above the national level, (ii) intrinsic characteristics of these systems, particularly their complexity, their location-specificity, and their integration of agricultural and nonagricultural livelihood strategies, and (iii) their vulnerability to a range of climate-related and other stressors. Some recent work relevant to these farming systems is reviewed, a conceptual framework for understanding the diverse forms of impacts in an integrated manner is proposed, and future research needs are identified.

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Ecosystem services and agriculture: tradeoffs and synergies

Alison Power (2010)

Agricultural ecosystems provide humans with food, forage, bioenergy and pharmaceuticals and are essential to human wellbeing. These systems rely on ecosystem services provided by natural ecosystems, including pollination, biological pest control, maintenance of soil structure and fertility, nutrient cycling and hydrological services. Preliminary assessments indicate that the value of these ecosystem services to agriculture is enormous and often underappreciated. Agroecosystems also produce a variety of ecosystem services, such as regulation of soil and water quality, carbon sequestration, support for biodiversity and cultural services. Depending on management practices, agriculture can also be the source of numerous disservices, including loss of wildlife habitat, nutrient runoff, sedimentation of waterways, greenhouse gas emissions, and pesticide poisoning of humans and non-target species. The tradeoffs that may occur between provisioning services and other ecosystem services and disservices should be evaluated in terms of spatial scale, temporal scale and reversibility. As more effective methods for valuing ecosystem services become available, the potential for ‘win–win’ scenarios increases. Under all scenarios, appropriate agricultural management practices are critical to realizing the benefits of ecosystem services and reducing disservices from agricultural activities.