Agricultural production in Zamora Chinchipe is primarily focused on dairy farming, an activity that constitutes a key component of land use in the region. Accordingly, the following objectives were established: (a) to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms using the GLEAM model; and (b) to evaluate the influence of altitude and livestock management practices on soil properties and the estimated GHG emis-sions associated with cattle production. This study encompassed 100 dairy farms, where the GLEAM methodology was applied to quantify emissions-related data. In addition, 300 soil samples (three per farm) were collected, and the perimeter of each farm, as well as the remaining forest areas, was mapped. The results indicate that although the farms generate CO₂-equivalent emissions associated with livestock activities, the remaining forest areas contribute to mitigation by storing carbon in the soil. Altitude was found to positively influence soil quality, increasing organic matter and nitrogen content, whereas overgrazing negatively affected key soil properties and was associated with higher levels of GHG emissions. These findings underscore the need to implement sustainable management strategies that integrate agricultural production with the conservation of ecosystem services.

Agricultural production in Zamora Chinchipe is primarily focused on dairy farming, an activity that constitutes a key component of land use in the region. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were as follows: (a) to estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dairy farms using the GLEAM model and (b) to evaluate the influence of altitude and livestock management practices on soil properties and the estimated GHG emissions associated with cattle production. This study encompassed 100 dairy farms, where the GLEAM methodology was applied to quantify emissions-related data. In addition, 300 soil samples (three per farm) were collected, and the perimeter of each farm, as well as the remaining forest areas, was mapped. The results indicate that although the farms generate CO₂-equivalent emissions associated with livestock activities, the remaining forest areas contribute to mitigation by storing carbon in the soil. Altitude was found to positively influence soil quality, increasing organic matter and nitrogen content, whereas overgrazing negatively affected key soil properties and was associated with higher levels of GHG emissions. These findings underscore the need to implement sustainable management strategies that integrate agricultural production with the conservation of ecosystem services.

Agroforestry systems are a sustainable strategy for climate change mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, particularly in regions like Zamora Chinchipe, where they improve soil resilience and productivity in deforested landscapes. This study evaluated soil carbon storage under different land-use systems—forest, cacao monoculture, cacao-based agroforestry, and coffee-based agroforestry—as a climate change mitigation strategy. Data were collected from cacao and coffee producers regarding crop management practices on their farms. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20 cm and analyzed for bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon stocks. Land-use systems showed that coffee-based agroforestry stored 101.22 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon and cacao-based agroforestry 71.55 Mg ha⁻¹, both exceeding values observed in cacao monoculture and even forest systems. These results suggest that cacao and coffee agroforestry systems have a greater capacity for carbon sequestration compared to monoculture systems. However, the contribution of forests should not be underestimated, as these findings are based only on the surface soil layer, which limits a comprehensive assessment of the full carbon storage potential of forest ecosystems in Zamora Chinchipe. Agroforestry systems emerge as viable and sustainable alternatives for soil carbon storage, as they integrate trees and crops, promoting long-term carbon sequestration in soils.