Relationship between Silvopastoral Cover and Enteric Methane Footprint in Tropical Cattle Farms of the Ecuadorian Amazon

Cattle farming in the Ecuadorian Amazon contributes substantially to enteric methane emissions, yet farm-level evidence on the role of silvopastoral systems (SPSs) in mitigating emissions remains limited. This study evaluated the relationship between SPS cover, stocking rate, and the enteric CH4 carbon footprint in 86 cattle farms in Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. Farms were classified according to SPS cover as low (0–10%), medium (11–30%), or high (>30%). Enteric CH4 emissions were estimated using IPCC (2019) emission factors and expressed as an area-based enteric methane footprint (kg CO2e ha−1 year−1) and a product-based enteric methane footprint (kg CO2e L−1 of milk). Stocking rate tended to decrease with increasing SPS cover, but differences among SPS categories were not statistically significant (p = 0.084). In contrast, the area-based enteric methane footprint differed significantly among SPS categories (p = 0.008). Tukey-adjusted comparisons showed that low-SPS farms had a higher area-based enteric methane footprint than medium-SPS (adjusted p = 0.028) and high-SPS farms (adjusted p = 0.049), whereas medium- and high-SPS farms did not differ significantly (adjusted p = 0.795). The product-based enteric methane footprint did not differ significantly among SPS categories (p = 0.225). In the multivariable model, greater SPS cover remained negatively associated with the area-based enteric methane footprint (regression coefficient = −27.66 kg CO2e ha−1 yr−1 per percentage point of SPS cover, p = 0.015). These findings indicate that greater SPS cover was associated with a lower enteric methane footprint at the territorial scale, whereas the corresponding difference in the product-based indicator was not statistically significant.