Orchard management, soil organic carbon and ecosystem services in Mediterranean fruit tree crops

Agriculture is not only appointed to produce food but has the potential to provide a range of ecosystem services (ES) depending on the management options adopted at field scale. Information on the impact of management practices adopted in fruit tree crops on ES is fragmented and often not fully codified. This paper focuses on some Mediterranean fruit tree crops i.e. peach (Prunus persica), apricot (Prunus armeniaca), olive (Olea europaea) groves and vineyards (Vitis vinifera), and links mainly soil processes and functions to the provisioning, regulating and sociocultural ES. The effects of field practices (e.g., tillage/no-tillage, cover crops, retention/burning of pruning residues, mineral/organic fertilization) on manageable soil properties (e.g., porosity, organic carbon content, composition of microbial community) and related functions (e.g., supply of nutrients, water storage, soil stability, above-ground biodiversity) were examined. The analysis draws the attention to the pivotal role of the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks on soil aggregates and erodibility, soil water storage, use of fresh water for irrigation, plant nutrition, biodiversity, nutrient storage and absorption of pesticides. Sociocultural services delivered by tree crops are also discussed. This paper highlights the dependence of ES on the sustainable field practices adopted, particularly those aimed at increasing SOC stocks (e.g., no tillage, increased carbon input, recycling of pruning residuals, cover crops). The outcomes presented may strengthen the significance of increasing SOC management practices for fruit tree crops and be supportive of the implementation of environmentally friendly policies assisting in the conservation or the improvement of the soil natural capital.