Agroforestry is a new concept of land management, especially in North America; therefore quantitative data are rare if not nonexistent on most aspects of it. Carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems is one such little-studied area. In the discussion on C storage potential of any land-use system, it is important that the system characteristics and processes governing their functioning are understood adequately. Since such basic information about agroforestry systems is not widely known, in this chapter we will first present background information on the key concepts of agroforestry and major types of agroforestry systems in North America. We then examine the C sequestration potential of agroforestry systems and discuss management considerations and research needs for exploiting the potential.
