Diversity and carbon stocks in an agroforestry experimental zone in southeastern Côte d’Ivoire: The case of Agnéby program growers' plantations

Cocoa-based agroforestry systems, combining crops, trees and sometimes animals, partially reproduce the structure of natural forests and offer a sustainable solution to environmental challenges. This study aimed to assess the floristic diversity and carbon stock of woody species present in these systems in Azaguié. Three types of agroforestry system were studied: simple, mixed and complex. Botanical inventories were carried out in 15 plots of 10,000 m². For each tree, diameter at breast height (Diameter at Breast Height) and total height were measured to estimate plant biomass and deduce carbon stock. Additionally, Shannon and other diversity indices were calculated to assess species diversity. A total of 68 woody species was recorded in the different systems. The complex system stood out for its high floristic diversity (57 species) and higher average carbon stock, estimated at 25.259 tons of carbon per hectare, compared with the mixed and simple systems. Diversity indices confirm this trend, with a Shannon index of 2.99 ± 0.14a, a Pielou index of 0.98 ± 0.01a, and a Simpson index of 0.02 ± 0.02a for the complex system. These results demonstrate the potential of cocoa agroforestry systems for conserving biodiversity and sequestering carbon, thereby helping to combat climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.