Journal of Biology and Nature

Monocultures of crops have created problems and challenges, including damage to soil fertility, reduction of biodiversity, and impact on water resources and pollinators. Increased use of fertilisers and fossil fuels has enhanced climate change, leading to a reduction in farm income. Hence, areview of the literature was conducted to diagnose the significant horticultural and short forestry systems suitable for climate change adaptation and mitigation. The review highlighted that the short forestry systems are mostly practised in developing countries rather than developed countries. Silvi-Horti-pisciculture is a short forestry system where fish, wood, fruits, and annuals are cultivated synergistically. Silvi-Horti-pisciculture with beekeeping offers better ecosystem services such as control and prevention of pollution, food security and environmental sustainability, the protection of biodiversity, and adaptation to climate change in climate change scenarios. The order of significance is: carbon sequestration, nutrient recycling, biodiversity conservation, water conservation, and economies of the different components in the short forestry system, which include fruit trees, timber trees, bees, fish, medicinal plants, flowers, vegetables and crops. In the system of short forestry, the dominant component is fruit trees, where annual vegetables are intercropped. Hortoforestry can be a multifunctional tool for high food production, poverty population reduction, input reduction, water conservation, improved soil quality, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and climate change adaptation. Water bodies (both ground and surface water) have provided importance to hortoforestry, around the world, since the early twentieth century, with the rise of both the global population and society’s consumerism, agriculture has intensified, having a direct impact on the degradation of soils, water, air, natural landscapes and biodiversity.  The study concluded that short forestry systems are a possible multifunctional solution for global food security, environmental protection, and mitigation and climate change and adaptation in the wasteland.