@article{fdi:010077305,
  title = {{W}est {A}frican mixed farming systems as meta-ecosystems : a source-sink modelling approach},
  author = {{B}isson, {A}nne and {B}oudsocq, {S}. and {C}asenave, {C}. and {B}arot, {S}{\'e}bastien and {M}anlay, {R}. {J}. and {V}ayssieres, {J}. and {M}asse, {D}ominique and {D}aufresne, {T}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{N}utrient availability is a major limitation of the production of {W}est {A}frican mixed farming systems. {T}he fertility of these systems was traditionally sustained by fallowing, and nutrient transfers by livestock from savanna to croplands. {H}owever, demographic growth and socio-economic constraints require the agro-ecological intensification of these systems. {T}o understand how agricultural practices and landscape management affect crop production, we built a meta-ecosystem model of nitrogen stocks and fluxes, and we examined different scenarios of fallow management with or without livestock. {O}ur results suggest that crop production is highly dependent on the source-sink dynamics of nitrogen. {W}ithout livestock, maximum crop production is obtained for an intermediate duration of fallowing, highlighting a trade-off between space devoted to production (cropland) and space devoted to fertility restoration (fallow). {I}n presence of livestock, crop production is maximum for a shorter duration of fallowing; it is markedly higher with than without livestock. {T}his result highlights the positive roles of livestock and fallows as pumps (vectors) of nitrogen from savanna rangeland to cropland, and from fallow land to cropland, respectively. {H}owever, it also highlights the negative relationship between livestock presence and fallowing, suggesting that the optimal configuration of livestock and fallow management is highly context-dependent. {O}verall, we argue that the meta-ecosystem approach is particularly relevant for the study of agro-ecosystems characterized by high spatial heterogeneity. {T}his work can be seen as a first step toward an alternative approach, integrating tools from theoretical ecology for the study of agro-ecosystems which functioning strongly depends on spatial organisation.},
  keywords = {{A}frican mixed-farming system ; {M}eta-ecosystem model ; {F}allow ; {N}itrogen ; {L}ivestock ; {C}rop production ; {SENEGAL} ; {CASAMANCE} ; {ZONE} {SOUDANOGUINEENNE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{E}cological {M}odelling},
  volume = {412},
  numero = {},
  pages = {art. 108803 [17 p.]},
  ISSN = {0304-3800},
  year = {2019},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2019.108803},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010077305},
}