ABSTRACT
The goal of this entry is to introduce the reader to basic concepts of agroforestry and how they relate to landscape ecology and the enhancement of biodiversity in the tropics. In recent years, the term biodiversity has become a household word throughout much of the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), “‘Biological diversity’ encompasses the variety of existing life forms, the ecological roles they perform and the genetic diversity they contain. In forest ecosystems, biological diversity allows species to adapt continuously to dynamically evolving environmental conditions, to maintain the potential for tree breeding and improvement (to meet human needs for goods and services and changing end-use requirements), and to support their ecosystem functions.”[1] The role of agroforestry in maintaining or enhancing biodiversity, particularly in the tropics, is the primary focus of this encyclopedia entry.
