Farmer Livelihood Strategies and Attitudes in Response to Climate Change in Agroforestry Systems in Kedougou, Senegal

Farmers managing agroecological systems across sub-humid West Africa face a variety of challenges in meeting their needs. In the face of adverse conditions, farmers have successfully managed agroforestry parklands to create an ecological equilibrium. However, climate change presents a challenging and new disturbance to farmer livelihood strategies. Using a qualitative approach and a rural livelihood framework, we analyzed and assessed farmer livelihood strategies, attitudes, and responses to climate change. Results showed that farmers are constantly changing management strategies through flexible and adaptable decision-making to mitigate negative disturbances, but climate change as a primary driver to change cannot be distinguished from other normal challenges that farmers face inter- and intra-annually. Through the accumulation of knowledge and adaptive management, farmers in Kedougou derive a variety of livelihood strategies to reduce risk in the face of uncertainty and variable climatic conditions. Furthermore, farmers used trees on farms to derive a multitude of ecosystem services provided not only provisioning services such as fuel, food, and fiber, but increased biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Additional research is still needed to understand to what extent the inclusion of trees on farms affect various biophysical properties as well as rationale behind species choice.