Enhanced Ecosystem Services Provided by Silvopastures

Pent, Gabriel J.; Fike, John H.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-80060-4_7

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Silvopastures may provide a means to improve animal welfare and productivity by buffering the environment and protecting livestock from weather extremes. The presence of trees in silvopasture systems offers shade, shelter, and diverse forage options for livestock, enhancing their well-being and reducing stress [22,54] and thus leading to healthier and more comfortable animals. In an open pasture system, radiant heat is more intense compared to a silvopasture system with shade [55].…”

Section: Silvopasture Potential For Heat Stress Abatementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silvopastures: Benefits, Past Efforts, Challenges, and Future Prospects in the United States

Poudel,

Pent,

Fike

2024

Agronomy

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The global human population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, increasing the demand for food and fiber, but also raising concerns about the environmental impact of agricultural production scaled to meet their needs. Silvopastures—integrated tree–forage–livestock systems—have emerged as a viable practice to meet the required productivity and environmental stewardship outcomes. This review consolidates the extensive research on silvopasture practices in the United States and highlights the benefits of these systems. A comprehensive literature search across databases such as ScienceDirect and Google Scholar revealed 152 publications on silvopastures in the United States since 2000, indicating growing interest. These studies have primarily focused on the impacts of silvopastures on livestock welfare and productivity, forage production and composition, soil health and nutrient dynamics, and socio-economic factors. Geographical distribution analysis indicated that the research is more focused in the Southeastern United States, with Florida, Virginia, Alabama, Missouri, and Arkansas being the top five contributing states. The review also offers insights into the tree and forage species used across these states and discusses the challenges to silvopasture adoption among producers and land managers while exploring future prospects. This review may be used as a resource for understanding the multifaceted dimensions of silvopasture adoption, providing insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners alike.

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Section: Silvopasture Potential For Heat Stress Abatementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Silvopastures: Benefits, Past Efforts, Challenges, and Future Prospects in the United States

Poudel,

Pent,

Fike

2024

Agronomy

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“…Thus, solving the problem of land resources and balancing supply and demand is the key to improving China’s implementation of the free-range system for improving laying hen welfare. Several studies have shown that agro-forestry, the incorporation of animals into woodlands, provides reciprocal benefits for both trees and animals, such as nutrient cycling, natural conservation, weed and pest control [ 30 , 33 , 34 ]. This is in line with the expectations and requirements of the Chinese government for woodland use [ 73 ].…”

Section: Challenges and Solutions To The Free-range Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is an interesting option for improving the welfare of laying hens. Much literature in agroforestry in recent years [ 29 , 30 , 31 ] shows that combining husbandry and forestry is an interesting development. This combination can increase the productivity of the land and diversify income sources for farmers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Potential of Understory Production Systems to Improve Laying Hen Welfare

Yan

Yang

Zhu

et al. 2022

Animals

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The welfare of laying hens in cage systems is of increasing concern. Represented by the European Union’s ‘End the Cage Age’ initiative, more and more countries have advocated cage-free farming. China, an important country for poultry farming and consumption in the world, is highly dependent on cage systems and lacks confidence in alternative (e.g., free-range) systems. In this context, using China’s abundant woodland resources (including natural forests, plantations, and commercial forests) to facilitate the management of laying hens in a free-range environment may provide highly promising welfare improvement programs. On the basis of the Five Freedoms, we assess the welfare status of understory laying hen management systems with reference to the behavioural needs and preferences of laying hens and the EU standards for free-range and organic production (highest animal welfare standards in the world). The results show that the considered systems meet or even exceed these standards, in terms of key indicators such as outdoor and indoor stocking density, outdoor activity time, and food and drug use. Specifically, the systems provide sufficient organic food for laying hens without using antibiotics. They allow laying hens to avoid beak trimming, as well as to express nesting, foraging, perching, reproductive, dustbathing and other priority behaviours. The presence of roosters and higher use of woodland space allow the laying hens to achieve better feather and bone conditions, thus reducing stress and fear damage. Notably, the predation problem is not yet considered significant. Second, there is evidence that understory laying hen systems are profitable and have been welcomed and supported by farmers and governments in the southwest, south, and north of China. However, whether it can be scaled up is uncertain, and further research is needed. In addition, laying hens in this management system face various risks, such as foot injury, parasitism, and high dependence on consumer markets, which must be considered. Overall, agro-forestry, or accurately, understory poultry raising, provides opportunities and possibilities for free-range laying hens and welfare improvement in China and other countries.

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“…When taking land out of annual crop production, restoring native habitats may provide the greatest environmental benefits and can also support harvesting of traditional foods and medicines as well as recreational uses. Other innovative land uses, such as small-scale diversified perennial forest gardens (Wartman et al, 2018), commercial-scale woody perennial polycultures (Kreitzman et al, 2021), or silvopastoral systems (Pent and Fike, 2021), can support economic activity while also providing a portion of the benefits of native habitats, if designed and managed with ecosystem functioning in mind. Such systems have seen very little research attention in the prairie region so far but can likely be adapted to a wide range of local conditions.…”

Section: Design Agricultural Landscapes To Support Ecological Functio...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring social and ecological relationships in the agroecosystems of Canada's prairie region

Martens

2022

Outlook Agric

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Ecosystem restoration is proposed as one aspect of the transformative changes required to meet global sustainability goals. In the prairie region of Canada, where the widespread and relatively recent conversion of natural ecosystems to farmland displaced Indigenous peoples and made way for a thriving agricultural sector, I propose that ecosystem restoration requires two intertwined transition processes: reorienting worldviews to embrace the social and biophysical contexts of local ecosystems, and taking practical steps to restore ecosystem functioning and integrity. Attention to ecosystem functioning—the relational processes that undergird the desired outcomes—can promote the design and implementation of agricultural landscapes that mimic key features of natural ecosystems while maintaining a mix of land uses. Human ingenuity and thoughtful integration of traditional and scientific knowledge are needed to develop locally adapted land use that supports synergetic relationships within and among farm fields and other landscape features. Integrating social goals into the design of agricultural landscapes can spawn creative solutions but will require a shift toward a more open and collaborative approach, especially regarding the use of privately owned lands.

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Enhanced Ecosystem Services Provided by Silvopastures

Cited by 6 publications

References 93 publications

Silvopastures: Benefits, Past Efforts, Challenges, and Future Prospects in the United States

Silvopastures: Benefits, Past Efforts, Challenges, and Future Prospects in the United States

The Potential of Understory Production Systems to Improve Laying Hen Welfare

Restoring social and ecological relationships in the agroecosystems of Canada's prairie region

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