CARBON ACCUMULATION IN COFFEE CULTIVATION UNDER DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Coffea arabica L.; Agroforestry Systems; Carbon Sequestration; Photosynthesis; Soil Management
Coffee cultivation faces increasing challenges due to climate change, requiring production systems that balance yields with carbon (C) sequestration. This thesis aimed to evaluate the impact of coffee plantation establishment and management systems on C accumulation, soil physicochemical properties, and physiological parameters. The study was structured into three experimental articles conducted in Santo Antônio do Amparo and São Sebastião do Paraíso, Minas Gerais, Brazil. In Article 1, C stocks in agroforestry systems were quantified, finding that intercropping with African mahogany maximizes coffee vigor (25,94 t C ha⁻¹ in the plant), while acrocarpus enhances subsurface soil C sequestration (54.4 t C ha⁻¹). Article 2 analyzed weed management, evidencing that "biological decompaction" in the no-weeding system (T6) promotes greater C stabilization in the soil profile (10-30 cm) compared to the degrading use of residual herbicides. Article 3 integrated soil analysis with photosynthetic parameters, revealing that intercropped systems and conservationist management preserve soil microporosity, resulting in higher quantum efficiency and CO₂ fixation rates under thermal stress. It is concluded that biological diversification, through either trees or spontaneous cover, transforms coffee farming into an efficient carbon sink, increasing agroecosystem resilience. The integration of ecophysiology with soil dynamics proves that protecting the edaphic environment provides the necessary support for productive sustainability and greenhouse gas mitigation in tropical regions.