A comparative study among different agroforestry systems and natural forests in southern Ghana

Human disturbance in forest ecosystems poses a significant threat to biodiversity conservation. However, agroforestry systems, offer hope for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural production. Despite this potential, the roles of various agroforestry systems in conserving biodiversity and maintaining ecosystem services are poorly understood. In this study, tree species diversity was investigated, and conservation implications were assessed in the three different agroforestry systems compared to natural forests. Sampling was conducted using parallel transects, establishing fifteen plots each measuring, 20 m × 20 m at 100 m intervals within cocoa, coffee, and cashew agroforestry farmlands. Similarly, fifteen plots each measuring, 20 m × 20 m were marked at 100 m intervals along three parallel transects in the natural forest. The findings revealed a significant reduction in tree species diversity between the agroforestry farmlands compared to natural forests. The findings also indicated a similarity in plant species in the different agroforestry farmlands and compared to the natural forest. Although agroforestry farmlands do not fully substitute for natural forests, they still support a notable amount of tree diversity, contributing to biodiversity conservation within agricultural landscapes. These findings have important implications for the sustainable management of tropical agricultural production landscapes.   Key words: Biodiversity, conservation, deforestation, agroforest, ecosystems.