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Diversify your landscapes redux

I originally published this post on 29 July, but then Dr Baudron pointed to two additional papers on Twitter, and then later to another one, so I’m re-upping, for the second time, with a sixth bullet point.

There’s a nice series of papers on the benefits of diverse landscapes in Ethiopia from Frédéric Baudron of CIMMYT and others.

Just in case this tweet disappears, or whatever, here are the links:

  1. Wheat yields and zinc content are higher closer to forests because of elevated organic matter in the soil.
  2. Diets are also more diverse nearer forests.
  3. Livestock (but not crop) productivity is higher nearer forests, and smallholder systems generally more sustainable.
  4. Bird diversity benefits from tree cover too, and that provides important ecosystem services to smallholders.
  5. Even limited reforestation in the surrounding landscape is associated with higher wheat yields in simulations, and you can potentially measure it from space.
  6. More people, more trees.”