Biomass Dynamics in Land Uses of the Upper Amazon: Perspectives for Sustainability

This chapter examines how different land uses determine biomass and carbon stocks and dynamics in the Peruvian Upper Amazon, or Yunga, a montane and premontane ecosystem on the eastern slopes of the Andes (600–3800 m). It documents that primary forests hold the largest carbon stocks (485 t C ha⁻¹) compared to secondary forests and conversion to crops, which reduces storage by more than 80%. It presents agroforestry systems of coffee and cacao, silvopastoral systems, and forest conservation as viable alternatives that combine productivity with carbon sequestration, highlighting the role of soil as the main reservoir and the contribution of beneficial microorganisms, mycorrhizal fungi, and nitrogen-fixing legumes in the recovery of degraded soils. In its second part, the work synthesizes sustainable management strategies (crop management, erosion control, rice and banana improvement, pasture management, efficient use of agricultural and forestry residues, and biological control) and links them to Peruvian public policies: conservation of riparian buffer zones, rainwater harvesting, and regulation of agrochemicals, based on the Forestry and Wildlife Law, the Water Resources Law, and sectoral decrees. It concludes that the integration of agroecological practices and regulatory frameworks is key to balancing agricultural production and environmental conservation, contributing to food security and climate change mitigation. It is a review document that compiles evidence from multiple previous studies, without original primary data.