Agroforestry provides essential ecosystem services; its structure and stability directly determine ecosystem function and service provision. Sustaining agroforestry ecosystem functions and services in the long term is necessary to meet the needs of people. This study conducted a literature search and statistical analysis based on WOS and CNKI literature databases. We reviewed 136 literature reports on studies of agroforestry ecosystem structure and stability. The landmark results are summarized in five aspects of agroforestry ecosystems: structure characteristics, structure optimization, structure design, stability research, and influence factors. On this basis, the key scientific issues that need to be solved are summarized, and their insights for improving the supply capacity of agroforestry ecosystem services under the rocky desertification control are discussed.

The achievement of eco-product value and the growth of eco-industry can boost the economic advancement of karst areas. The findings of a statistical analysis of 520 relevant studies reveal the following: (1) From a time series perspective, the amount of papers increase with each wave of research; (2) contents mainly concentrate on four aspects, namely, ecosystem services supply (8.46%), value accounting (10.58%), value realization (37.88%), and eco-industry (30.38%); (3) the study areas are primarily concentrated in Asia (85.96%), Europe (7.12%), and North America (4.04%), most of which are located in China’s karst areas with vulnerable ecological environments and regions that are aware of eco-product values; and (4) research frontiers are reflected through four aspects of the ecosystem, namely, services supply, value accounting, value realization, and the eco-industry. Based on the analysis in this paper, it can be concluded that paths, mechanisms, and models for eco-product value realization are still slow. Therefore, to support the growth of karst agroforestry ecosystem services, it is imperative to further research the capacity of agroforestry ecosystem services supply, value accounting systems, ecological compensation mechanisms, the value realization models of eco-products, and the formation mechanism of eco-industries.

Severe soil-water loss and unfertile soil frequently occur under karst desertification environments. The surface-underground dual structure in these areas allows the surface water to leak into the subsurface through cracks and sinkholes, as well as other conduits, causing a special “karst drought”. Hence, water-resource shortage has become a challenge for local agricultural development. To realize efficient utilization of water resources, an urgent need is to clearly understand and study the law of farmland hydrological cycles under agroforestry practices, which is still understudied. Here, we focused on the hydrological cycle at the farmland scale and water-saving measures under agroforestry in three study areas representing different degrees of karst desertification. First, a significant positive correlation was found between total and available precipitations as well as land evapotranspiration (LET). Second, under agronomic measures, the soil water content in the three areas was all higher than that of the control group while soil evaporation was all lower. This indicates that agronomic measures can contribute to the efficient use of water resources by halting soil evaporation and increasing soil water content. Third, dwarf dense planting and pruning technologies were helpful in inhibiting crop transpiration and reducing vegetation interception. Fourth, in the farmland hydrological cycle of agroforestry, 77.45% of precipitation transformed into soil water storage, 24.81% into soil evaporation, 20.73% into plant transpiration, 17.40% into groundwater, and 5.18% into vegetation interception. However, their sum was greater than 100%, suggesting that the farmland-scale water cycle is an open system. The implication is that different agronomic practices under agroforestry bring certain water-saving benefits by constraining the conversion of ineffective water and promoting the storage of effective water, thus opening up promising opportunities for efficiently utilizing water resources in karst desertification areas. The finding is also significant to the control of karst desertification, soil and water conservation, and karst drought alleviation.

Since the 1950s, the rapid depletion of natural capital due to human activities has led to a growing global demand for ecological and socioeconomic sustainability, driving the development of agroforestry. Although agroforestry ecosystems can maintain sustainable land resources and maximize land productivity, their quality continues to fluctuate. Moreover, there is no clear review of studies addressing the impact of the evolution of agroforestry landscape patterns on their ecosystems, and to fill this gap, we conducted an inclusive review. A total of 163 publications related to agroforestry ecosystem quality and landscape patterns (ELA) that met a set of inclusion criteria were obtained through the Scopus database using the literature review method of searching, appraisal, and synthesis report. The objectives were to summarize the research progress on ELA, reveal the dynamic coupling mechanism between landscape pattern evolution and ecosystem quality, explore the role of landscape pattern optimization in ecological processes and services in agroforestry, and suggest future research and policy directions. Although the understanding of landscape patterns and ecological processes has been deepened, there are limitations in the study of scales, habitats, and other aspects. It is emphasized that understanding the interaction between agroforestry and other landscape elements in spatiotemporal organization is a prerequisite for promoting sustainable benefits, and that the challenges of spatiotemporal dynamics are integrated to scientifically optimize agroforestry landscape patterns. Finally, it is necessary to gain revelations based on the coupling relationship of ELA, through scientific management of agroforestry landscapes, in order to sustainably consolidate the effectiveness of karst rocky desertification (KRD) control and to enhance human welfare.

The ongoing degradation of fragile ecosystems increasingly diminishes the availability of natural resources. Consequently, the conservation and utilization of ecosystem assets have emerged as a focal point of global research. This study focuses on integrating agroforestry ecosystem assets (AEA) with their capacity to provide ecosystem services, aiming to explore their interconnections and enhance their optimization. We employed a comprehensive literature review method, utilizing the Scopus database to select, analyze, and include 61 pertinent studies on AEA globally. The systematic literature review results show the following: (1) The overall number of published papers is showing an upward trend, indicating that research in this field is gradually expanding. The geographical focus of the literature is primarily in Europe and Asia, with academic institutions being the main contributors to this research. (2) Landmark research findings are mainly concentrated in the areas of identification, quantitative assessment, and decision management. Among these, quantitative assessment is the main focus, while the research on identification, decision management, and influencing factors is relatively limited and explores the relevant key scientific questions. (3) The above information highlights the key areas for improvement in the karst desertification control agroforestry ecosystem, focusing on two aspects: fragile habitats and human–land relationships. Furthermore, this review furnishes essential recommendations for agroforestry practitioners and policymakers across various regions, emphasizing the critical need to thoroughly evaluate and leverage the connections between the quantity and quality of ecosystem assets. Such an approach is pivotal for facilitating the strategic restructuring and optimization of agroforestry ecosystems. This, in turn, aims to elevate the sustainability of AEA utilization and enhance their ability to provide ecosystem services (ES).