CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND SOIL BIOLOGICAL FERTILITY AS DRIVERS OF CLIMATE-CHANGE MITIGATION IN NON-PRODUCTIVE AREAS IN ORCHARD SYSTEMS

In specialised fruit growing, attention is traditionally focused on production, while marginal areas of orchards, such as inter‑rows and field edges, are often overlooked despite their potential to provide key ecosystem services. Given their considerable surface area, these zones may exert a substantial influence on the overall functioning and resilience of the agroecosystem. This research aims to determine the capacity of orchard inter-row to contribute to climate‑change mitigation by enhancing soil carbon sequestration. At the same time, it seeks to investigate the evolution of soil biological fertility as a fundamental component of soil health, in order to understand how a biologically active soil can support the long‑term stability and improvement of the agroecosystem. Biological fertility, evaluated through the QBS‑ar index, and soil carbon stock are measured across four multispecies cover‑crop mixtures and spontaneous vegetation. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how non productive areas in orchards can be managed to enhance ecosystem services, contribute to climate‑change mitigation, and promote more sustainable and resilient fruit‑growing systems.