Establishment and production from thinned mature deciduous-forest silvopastures in Appalachia

Abstract

Small Appalachian hill farms may benefit economically by expanding grazing lands into some of their under-utilized forested acreages. Our objective was to study the forage production potential of forest to silvopasture conversion. We thinned a white oak dominated mature second growth forested area establishing two orchardgrass-perennial ryegrasswhite clover silvopasture replications for comparison with two nearby open pasture replications. After thinning trees, silvopastures were limed, fertilized and seeded. Sheep were fed hay and corn scattered across the area to facilitate removal of residual understory vegetation, disruption of litter layer and incorporation of applied materials into surface soil. Each area was divided into multiple paddocks and rotationally grazed by sheep. Two 1 m 2 herbage mass samples were taken from each paddock prior to animal grazing. There was no significant difference in soil moisture between silvopastures and open pastures however, there was adequate rainfall to prevent drought all 3 years. The two silvopastures received 42 and 51% of total daily incident PAR compared to the open field. Total dry forage mass yield from open pasture over the 3 years averaged 11,200 kg ha -1 y -1 and from silvopasture 6,640 kg ha -1 y -1 . Silvopastures, however, had a higher PAR use efficiency (PARUE) than open pasture. Hill farms could increase grazing acreages without sacrificing all benefits from trees on the landscape by converting some areas to silvopasture.

Changes in Soluble-N in Forest and Pasture Soils after Repeated Applications of Tannins and Related Phenolic Compounds

“…The effects of tannins on soil organic matter and nutrient cycling have important implications for livestock production in mixed systems such as silvopastures that include a mixture of forages together with browse and overstory tree species [61][62][63][64]. Appalachian silvopasture soil typically differs from International Journal of Agronomy the surrounding unmanaged woodland because it is limed to increase soil pH, receives additional N-inputs from fertilizers and manure, and can develop greater bulk density due to compaction by livestock (Table 1).…”

Tiller production in cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) growing along a light gradient

“…Light is only one resource that varies in silvopasture, with water, nutrients and soil physical properties also influencing plant productivity and development (Feldhake et al. , 2010).…”

“…The reduced tillering noted in shaded sites could also be a product of differences in light quality (Casal et al. , 1985) or differences in soil chemical and physical characteristics associated with long‐term management practices that differ between woodlots and traditional, open pasture (Feldhake et al. , 2010).…”

“…Multiple simultaneous stresses occur in silvopasture in the form of resource competition between trees and the understorey forage community. In particular, productivity and system resilience are influenced by, but by no means limited to, the partitioning of light among trees and understorey (Feldhake et al. , 2010).…”

Forage production and diversification for climate-smart tropical and temperate silvopastures

“…Conversely, many studies in temperate environments with more rainfall have shown that canopy coverage either maintains (DeBruyne et al 2011) or reduces the quantity of understory forage produced (Feldhake et al 2010;Orefice et al 2016). In a study conducted in Appalachia, Neel and Belesky (2015) showed that hardwood silvopasture DM production was 60-70% that of open pasture in the spring and equal to only 40-60% of it in summer.…”