VOLUME 16 ISSUE THREE

LIKE mixing ingredients together to

make a cake, three components – trees,

forage, and livestock – are blended

together to create a silvopasture system. 

You can custom-design silvopastures

for individual landowners, but four key

characteristics are the essence of silvopasture and distinguish it from typical

grazing or forestry technologies.

• Intentional – Each silvopasture ingredient is purposefully managed to yield 

multiple products and benefits.

• Intensive – The system recipe must be 

regularly and deliberately managed.

• Interactive – Just as a baker works to 

create the perfect texture and flavor, 

silvopasture resources are managed to 

optimize desired effects and to mitigate 

any undesired effects. The goal is to 

enhance production of more than one 

harvestable component at a time, while 

also provide conservation benefits like 

nonpoint source water pollution control or wildlife habitat.

• Integrated – The understory, trees, 

and animals are structurally and 

functionally combined. 

Together, this mix will create a sweet,

successful silvopasture. ]
Silvopasture research provides 

more design options

NAC Director’s Corner

A commentary on the status of agroforestry 

by Dr. Greg Ruark, NAC Program Manager

2 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 16, Issue Three

THE demand by landowners for information on silvopasture is growing tremendously, resulting in a corresponding

increase in demand for more information on a wide variety

of silvopasture options. To date, most research on silvopasture systems in the South has examined loblolly pine and, to

a lesser extent, slash pine in combination with introduced

forage grasses for cattle production. However, the recent

refinement of techniques that can release the growth of 

longleaf pine seedling in their first year of outplanting has

made this species more attractive to landowners. Along the

Gulf Coast, where many loblolly pine stands were toppled

or broken apart by the high winds associated with hurricanes, longleaf pines fared better. Longleaf pine silvopasture

systems have the potential to provide landowners with a

strategy to reestablish pines that are less susceptible to wind

damage, while providing an annual revenue stream from

grazing that would diversify their income and lessen the

overall risk of economic loss from catastrophic events. In the

West, most silvopasture research has focused on the development of ponderosa pine systems for cattle or sheep grazing.

However, the heightened demand for goat meat has

increased the interest of landowners in finding ways to

incorporate goats into their silvopasture systems in both the

West and the South. Wildlife continues to be of primary

interest to many landowners and efforts are being amplified

to modify existing silvopasture designs in order to optimize

conditions for species such as quail, wild turkey, and nongame birds. To this end, studies are underway to examine

the performance of native grasses as the sole or partial forage

component of a silvopasture system. Several of these research

efforts are summarized in this issue. ]

THIS 8 1⁄2 x 5 1⁄2 spiral-bound technical

handbook is being developed to be a field

companion. It brings together under one

cover the diverse aspects of silvopasture

management. Topics covered include economic, planning, and establishment issues

to consider in creating and managing silvopastures. The main part of the guide is

divided into three sections: The Tree

Component, The Forage Component, and

The Livestock Component. 

The guide is a general reference for silvopasture establishment and management,

complete with a section of additional

resources. The handbook will be completed

this winter. It will be available for order on

NAC's website: www.unl.edu/nac.

Field guide

available soon

SUSTAINABLE Agriculture Research

and Education (SARE) offers graduate

student grants in sustainable agriculture

for projects that address sustainable

agriculture issues and are part of the

student’s degree program. Grant proposals in the North Central Region are

due in January.

For more information, visit

http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/grad.htm

or contact Bill Wilcke at 612–625–8205

or wilck001@umn.edu.

Graduate student

grant program
Volume 16, Issue Three | Inside Agroforestry 3

Ecological sites mimic natural systems

Michael Hall, NRCS Grazing Lands

Specialist, and Richard Oliver, NRCS

Forester, Greensboro, NC; Homer

Sanchez, NRCS Rangeland

Management Specialist, Ft. Worth, TX

SILVOPASTURE resembles many of

our great coniferous savannah systems

both in the West and the Southeast.

Awareness of how natural processes work

can help us develop similar conditions to

meet management objectives. 

The ponderosa pine systems of the

West and the longleaf pine/wiregrass systems of the Southeast are known for their

open canopy of overstory trees with a

grass/forbs understory. These savannah

systems developed through natural

processes such as wind, ice, or fire that

“opened up” the stand of trees and are

maintained in this state as a result of periodic fires and/or wildlife. 

Today, natural landscapes can be

divided into “ecological sites” for the purposes of inventory, evaluation, and management. An ecological site is a distinctive

type of land with specific physical characteristics that differ from other kinds of

lands. An ecological site is the product of

all environmental factors responsible for

its development. The procedure for collecting and describing all the environmental characteristics and interactions on

an ecological site is called an Ecological

Site Description.

Ecological Site Descriptions relate

ecosystem components within and between

areas perceived as

having the same

historic plant community. Succession

is the process of soil

and plant community development

on an ecological

site over time. State

and transition

models can be

developed to show

how an ecological

site will respond to

disturbances (fire,

drought, insects,

wind, and wildlife) and management.

By understanding how nature creates

and maintains savannahs, we can initiate

and develop silvopastures that mimic natural ecological systems across the country.

For instance, rather than a natural phenomena that opens up a forest stand, as

land managers we can thin or selectively

harvest trees to reach the desired canopy

opening. Livestock and rotary mowers

normally replace fires and wildlife in preventing them from transitioning back to a

closed canopy forest. 

Collection of data and development

of Ecological Site Descriptions is an

ongoing process. Existing data is maintained and is available for review in the

Ecological Site Information System

(ESIS): http://esis.sc.egov.usda.gov ]

Part of the Ecological Site Description is a state and

transition model that describes vegetation dynamics

on the site.

This photo shows

several different

land types that are

described as 

ecological sites.

NAC file photo
4 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 16, Issue Three

THE Conservation Reserve Program

(CRP) has provided landowners with

an opportunity to remove highly

erodible and other sensitive lands from

row crop production, placing it into

permanent cover of trees or grass.

Landowners receive an annual “rental”

payment for doing so. 

Many landowners need the annual

income they receive from CRP payments until they can harvest their pine

trees. Silvopasture may be an alternative

for them. Silvopasture systems are

designed to produce a high-value timber

component, while providing short-term

cash flow from forage and livestock. 

Before you begin

Before converting a CRP pine planting

to a silvopasture make sure that the

CRP contract has expired and that

USDA Farm Services Agency has

released the land.

Assess the current condition of the

pine stand. If basal area is greater than

100 square feet per acre, it may be necessary to thin trees in a two stage

process. Never thin over 50 percent of

the basal area of the tree stand at one

time. This is necessary in order to avoid

tree sweep as they react to increased

sunlight, and to avoid increased wind

throw and top breakage problems. 

For a silvopasture system to be successful the pine stand must be thinned

enough to allow sunlight to reach the

ground to promote forage growth. The

Michael Hall, NRCS Grazing Lands

Specialist, and Richard Oliver,

NRCS Forester, Greensboro, NC;

Homer Sanchez, NRCS Rangeland

Management Specialist, Ft. Worth, TX

Photo courtesy of Michael Hall

JIM Adkins, a consulting forester from

Summerville, South Carolina left a

2002 silvopasture workshop (sponsored

by NAC) with some needed Continuing

Forestry Education credits and the

notion that converting a stand of pines

to a silvopasture could be a viable alternative, given the right circumstances.

A few years later, the opportunity presented itself when a client, Robert O.

Collins of Blackville was interested in

modifying a loblolly pine plantation to

include grazing for 150 head of longhorn

cattle. Collins, who was unfamiliar with

the term silvopasture at that time, knew

what he wanted the pasture to look like.

Michael Hall

NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist,

Greensboro, NC

Success story

see Success on page 9

CRP: pines to silvopasture

see CRP on page 9
Volume 16, Issue Three | Inside Agroforestry 5

IN the foothills of the Sierra Nevada

Mountains, near Colfax, California,

native vegetation is not conducive to conventional livestock operations. The brush

and trees shade out much of the grass and

forbs that typically provide range feed for

cattle and sheep. But, the same brush and

trees offer superb feed for browsers, like

goats and some varieties of sheep.

Allen Edwards is not your traditional

farmer. He, along with his wife and children, created a “stacking enterprise,” in

which their goat silvopasture is a part.

Enterprise stacking takes advantage of

every piece of ground that is productive

and works to sustain the operation. Each

microclimate is examined and managed

and new enterprises are always evaluated

to add to the stacks. 

In 1946, Allen’s father purchased a

520-acre farm intending to manage it as a

tree farm. In 2001, a wildfire destroyed

over 100 acres. Fortunately, a 900-feet

wide by one-half mile long fuel break prevented additional loss. 

“What we have always done, and still

do, is grow trees for lumber. But we’ve

expanded for a number of reasons,”

Lyn Townsend,

NRCS Forester,

Portland, OR; Bruce

Wight, NRCS Lead

Agroforester, Lincoln, NE

could be an additional

product. Hog fuel at $15

to 20/dry ton (1 cord of

Douglas fir) is not as lucrative as 

stove wood.

• Small tree reproduction – Potential 

“free range” Christmas trees ($3 to

$9 per tree) as well as bundles of 

greenery from Douglas fir and 

western cedar ($2.50 per bunch).

• Understory – Goat grazing or 

browsing; Understory “weeds and 

brush” are browsed by the goats. For 

example, the deciduous sweet birch 

has a 20+ percent protein resulting 

in producing goats with a high-grade 

meat with freshness and taste. Allen 

currently sells the goat meat to three 

restaurants along with a variety of 

garden greens that are produced in 

fields near the house.

Managed goat browsing is a key component of the Edwards multi-faceted

enterprise. By reducing the aggressive

competition of invading woody shrubs,

the regenerating pines grow faster while

at the same time reduce the fuel loads

resulting in a lower fire risk from another

wildfire. Allen’s enterprise stacking

approach has enabled him to continue as

a viable and sustainable farm that supports the local economy instead of selling

parcels to the ever increasing rural

housing developments. ]

Goats in the

Edwards explained. “We lost a quarter of

our land in the Ponderosa Fire six years ago

so I replanted 10,000 pine trees. So much

brush came back that we added raising

sheep and goats.” The goats produce additional income in his stacking enterprises

and also reduce the risk of future fire. The

annual goat browse also helps keep the deer

range in good condition.

In economic terms, a traditional tree

farm enterprise focused primarily on

sawlog production may net $150 per acre

per year, while the stacked enterprise

approach may yield up to $500 per acre

per year. The other components of Allen’s

stacking enterprises include:

• Overstory trees – Long-term sawlogs.

• Intermediate tree thinning – “Stove

wood” (firewood); posts and poles

“What we have always

done, and still do, is grow

trees for lumber.”

Allen Edwards, farmer, 

California

forest
6 Inside Agroforestry | Volume 16, Issue Three

Oregon State University

There are approximately one million

hectares of hill land, woodland, and pasture in western Oregon. Silvopasture presents opportunities to increase hill land

productivity, profitability, and biodiversity. The goal of this research project is to

develop conceptual models of silvopasture

structure and function, based upon quantifiable properties, which will allow people

to predict the general impacts of silvopasture design and management decisions.

The project has accumulated 14 years of

tree and pasture measurements. Current

activities concentrate on monitoring tree

and pasture growth, with emphasis on

integrating the data to expose trends in

tree/pasture interactions over time and

space. In addition, the long-term nature

of treatment application offers significant

opportunities to study accumulated treatment effects such as carbon and nitrogen

accretion, and soil compaction.

For more information: Steve Sharrow

Rangeland Resources, Oregon State

University, Corvallis, OR; 541–737–

1627, Steven.H.Sharrow@orst.edu

Nacogdoches, Texas

An existing cooperative project with the

USDA Natural Resources Conservation

Service (NRCS) and the National

Agroforestry Center will be joined to evaluate the effects of silvopasture management

on soil quality and soil ecology, including

earthworm ecology. Both pine plantation

and pasture conversion to the silvopasture

system will be evaluated. Two study sites in

east Texas will be used for the research.

The study sites and findings of the research

will also be used for landowner demonstration programs conducted with NRCS .

As the interest in silvopasture continues

to grow, so does the demand for 

guidelines and technical information.

To meet this demand, scientists around

the country are examining the effects

of silvopasture on different animals

and comparing various forage and tree

combinations. Here are a few current

research projects.

A taste of 

silvopasture

research
Volume 16, Issue Three | Inside Agroforestry 7

For more information: K. W. Farrish,

School of Forestry, Stephen F. Austin

State University, Nacogdoches, Texas;

936–569–7029, kfarrish@sfasu.edu

University of Missouri Center for

Agroforestry

Researchers are investigating the similarities and differences in cattle performance

between traditional open pasture rotational grazing and silvopasture grazing.

Individual projects include: 

• Response of cattle and trees in 

pastures with planted trees

• Extended grazing season with 

early/late season forages sown under 

alley cropped pine

• Influence of intensively managed 

grazed cattle on forage and trees

• Effects of managed hardwood forest 

stands on understory shade tolerant 

forages

• The integration of silvopastoral 

practices into unimproved, standing 

timber

• Forage growth characteristics and 

animal utilization of stockpiled tall 

fescue in a silvopasture system

• The effects of silvopasture practices 

on survival and growth of under

planted white oak

For more information: 

www.centerforagroforestry.org/

Auburn University, Alabama

A silvopasture project is underway to

increase the understanding of plant-soillivestock interactions in order to enhance

the sustainability of southern pine silvopasture systems. The objectives include: 

• Determine the impact of nitrogen 

supply on above- and below-ground 

forage productivity, forage quality, 

and plant diversity

• Determine the impact of nitrogen 

supply on pasture soil structural 

stability and relationships to soil 

compaction, and water infiltration 

and retention in developing and 

mature silvopastures

• Compare the use of small ruminants

to the more conventional use of 

herbicides to control invasive 

broadleaf plants and the impacts on 

infiltration

• Examine economic feasibility and 

level of landowner acceptance

• Estimate the effects of management 

practices on watershed-level 

hydrology

Cooperators include Auburn University,

NRCS (AL, GA, NC), Fort Valley State

University, Georgia Forestry

Commission, and University of Florida

For more Information: Mary

Goodman, Forage and Grazing Lands

Ecology, Auburn University; 334–844–

3936, goodmms@auburn.edu

Federation of Southern

Cooperatives, Epes, Alabama

A loblolly pine / goat silvopasture study

has been established in the “Black Belt”

region of Alabama, on property of the

Federation of Southern Cooperatives. The

Federation is comprised of over 100 black

farmer cooperatives located throughout

the Southeast. Research includes: 

• Evaluating browse and forage species 

performance under loblolly pine

• Studying the effects of browse and 

forage species on the growth and 

health of goats

• Investigating the effects of meat 

goat-loblolly pine silvopasture on 

soil chemical, physical, and hydrological properties

• Evaluating the economics of pine 

silvopasture goat production in the 

Black Belt region of the Southeast 

Partners include Alabama A&M

University, Tuskegee University, Auburn

University, the Alabama Forestry

Commission, and the USDA National

Agroforestry Center.

For more information: Dr. Ermson

Nyakatawa, Alabama A&M University;

256–372–4241, Ermson.nya@aamu.edu.

Agricultural Research Service

(ARS), Appalachia

A multidisciplinary team of scientists are

raising lambs on oak silvopastures to

compare their progress on traditional

pasture versus silvopasture. Instruments

at the research sites monitor light, soil

temperature, wind speed, precipitation,

and soil moisture. Some researchers keep

a watch on the above ground processes

while others observe what’s happening

underground, since there’s a possibility

that the trees help shallow grass roots

grow. Other experiments involve black

walnut/honeylocust silvopastures. 

For more information: www.ars.usda.

gov/is/AR/archive/aug05/sylvan0805.htm

Florida A&M University Research

Center

The objective of research at Florida A&M

is to help limited resource landowners

seek alternative uses for timberland.

Researchers converted a 20-year old

loblolly pine plantation to silvopasture

and planted two varieties each of bahia

and Bermuda grass species. Goats were

introduced. The results indicate it is feasible to successfully undertake a silvopastoral system with goats; it is both economically and environmentally beneficial. 

For more information: Oghenekome

U. Onokpise, Agronomy, Forestry and

Natural Resource Conservation, 850–

561–2217, oghenekome.onokpise@

famu.edu ]

“Questions about 

silvopasture are coming

from many sectors. NAC

is working with partners

to find answers.”

– Greg Ruark, NAC

Program Manager
8 Inside Agroforestry | Volume 16, Issue Three

THERE have been over 77,000 fires

thus far during the 2007 fire season that

have burned over 9.2 million acres in the

United States. The number of acres

burned is almost three times the 10-year

average. Increasingly, fire prevention and

suppression efforts are complicated by

the growing occurrence of private forest

ownership in the Wildland-Urban

Interface (WUI), where houses are interspersed in forest and woodland areas.

The high fuel loads of unmanaged

forests, coupled with dry weather,

increase the incidence and severity of

wildfires. Unmanaged forests essentially

develop into thick stands of competing

trees. This competition creates a high

incidence of tree mortality, which

increases the fuel load, thus increasing

the risk for catastrophic fires.

Several factors create these high-risk 

situations:

• Limited harvesting or thinning;

• Inability to use prescribed fire around

developing residential areas;

• Lack of post-harvest activities, 

such as tree and shrub regrowth 

management;

• A decline in forest health (overstocking creates favorable conditions for insects and disease).

An alternative to unmanaged forests

and plantations is silvopasture.

Silvopastures are intensively managed for

both forest and forage products, and as a

result address these high-risk situations.

Converting a thick forest stand to a silvopasture system has numerous benefits:

see Fire on page 11
Volume 16, Issue Three | Inside Agroforestry 9

Collins’ objectives were driven as much

by the resulting aesthetics as the need to

thin the trees or create more pasture. He

needed the additional pasture but did not

want the openness of the typical

Southeastern pastures and hayfields.

Leave trees were marked with a goal of

30 to 40 saw timber and pole quality trees

per acre. Adkins believes that cutting the

stand back to the desired stocking does not

decrease the quality of the remaining

timber. He does caution that thinned

stands can be susceptible to wind throw

and ice damage during the 3 to 4 years following harvest. The trees need at least this

much growing time to develop strength to

withstand these weather stresses.

Since Annosus root rot is a problem

associated with the sandy soils of this area,

Adkins recommends a final stem count

that includes a small percentage increase

should the need arise to remove infected

trees. CRP stands of loblolly pines, 20

years of age and older, are common in

Adkins’ area of South Carolina. He says

canopy density goal for a silvopasture is 25

to 45 percent for warm season grasses, and

35 to 65 percent for cool season grasses. 

Thinning alternatives

Thinning can be done in one of three ways:

(1) removing entire rows of trees leaving

linear pattern of trees and open alleys; (2)

selectively removing trees. This creates a

more natural “park like” setting, but

requires more effort in marking, harvesting,

and establishing grass; or (3) leaving clusters

(motts) of trees with larger open areas (a

variation of the selective thinning). This

method is very advantageous for wildlife if

mast producing tree and shrub species are

allowed to remain in the clusters.

Pruning

Most pine stands in the Southeast coming

out of CRP will probably have done a

good job of self-pruning, but some additional hand pruning may be needed.

Pruning of lower branches up to a height

of at least one log length has proven to be

profitable by producing large knot free

logs. Pruning also raises the tree canopy so

that more light can reach the ground, thus

maintaining higher pasture production for

a longer portion of the tree rotation.

Remove no more than 1/3 to 1/2 of the

total crown while maintaining a live

crown equal to 1/3 of the tree height.

Woodland and forage

Silvopastures are intensive systems, thus it

is important to establish a high quality

forage crop. This can be either a native

warm season grass or improved grasses

such as bahiagrass, coastal bermudagrass,

and tall fescue.

Grazing can control grass competition

for moisture, nutrients, and sunlight

thereby enhancing tree growth. Well managed grazing provides economical control

of weeds and brush without herbicides.

Fertilizer applied for forage is also used by

trees, increasing their growth as well. 

For silvopasture systems to be successful there must be a commitment to

intensive forage, livestock, and timber

management. Plan future tree harvests in

about five year intervals to maintain

desired canopy density and maximum

growth of final crop trees. Rotational or

intensive grazing is a must. Continuous

grazing is not recommended.

Wildlife benefits

While economic gain is most often the primary goal of a silvopasture system, wildlife

habitat is commonly seen as an added benefit. Minor modification can greatly

improve the value of a silvopasture system

for wildlife, while still retaining most of

the timber and forage production potential. Adding legumes as a forage component for grazing also benefits wildlife. ]

CRP

continued from page 4

that for a landowner with livestock and a

desire to increase grazing acreage, converting CRP plantations to silvopasture is

an alternative worth considering.

Collins is working on another 150 acres

of silvopasture near Blackville to provide

grazing for a cattle operation that includes

a large herd of Santa Cruz cattle. ]

Success

continued from page 4

LARGE blocks of traditional forest land

are not eligible for the Conservation

Security Program (CSP). However, forest

land classed as “silvopasture,” the intentional combination of trees and livestock

under intensive management with interactions between the components as an integrated agro-ecosystem, is eligible. 

CSP is a voluntary conservation program that supports ongoing stewardship

of private agricultural lands by providing

payments for maintaining and enhancing

natural resources. CSP identifies and

rewards farmers and ranchers who are

meeting the highest standards of conservation and environmental management with

their operations. The program provides

financial and technical assistance to promote the conservation and improvement of

soil, water, air, energy, plant, and animal

life, and other conservation purposes on

Tribal and private working lands. Working

lands include cropland, grassland, prairie

land, improved pasture, rangeland, as well

as forested land that is an incidental part of

an agriculture operation. 

A fact sheet with more details is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/

csp/pdf_files/csp_fs3_05.pdf ]

Conservation

Security

Program and 

silvopasture

Lyn Townsend

NRCS Forester, Portland, OR
10 Inside Agroforestry |Volume 16, Issue Three

reasons to adopt silvopasture

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Diversify on-farm income. Silvopastures provide annual

income from grazing and long-term profit from trees,

which respond to different market pressures. 

Reduce economic damage that can result from a catastrophic event, like a hurricane or tornado. Accessibility

into a silvopasture increases its salvage value.

Reduce the risk of wildfire. Silvopastures have a lower

understory fuel load than a traditional plantation

with a lower tree stocking density. 

Control insects. Bark beetles are primarily attracted

to dense stands of trees and not typically found in

silvopastures. The distance between trees makes it

difficult for the beetles to spread.

Minimize the impact of low pulp market prices on

management decisions. Silvopastures eliminate the

need for pulp tree thinning. 

Environmental benefits. Silvopastures increase biological diversity, help protect water quality, reduce soil

erosion, and improve water holding capacity of the land.

Provide wildlife habitat. Silvopastures create structure and plant diversity which is attractive to many

wildlife species including wild turkey, red cockaded

woodpeckers, and deer.

Provide shade for livestock. Uniformly dispersed trees

increase livestock comfort levels and reduce stress.

Boost the opportunity for recreational activities.

Silvopastures are easily accessible for hunting, birdwatching, and photography.

Improve forage quality. The partial shade created by

trees lengthens the growing season creating higher

quality forage. Animal waste enhances both tree and

forage growth as well. ]

SINCE colonial times, range scientists have advocated combining cattle and timber production on the Coastal Plain of

the Southeastern United States. While low density grazing of

native forage in natural forests and plantations is practiced

throughout the southeastern US, few landowners are aware of

the economic potential of combining forage and timber management practices.

In 1984, Dr. Terry Clason sought out to investigate this. At

the time, Clason worked for the Hill Farm Research Station in

Homer, Louisiana; the Station is affiliated with Louisiana State

University Agricultural Center. 

He examined five silvopasture treatments of native and

introduced grasses in a thinned 20-year-old loblolly pine plantation including: native grasses, Pensacola bahiagrass, common

bermudagrass,

Coastal bermudagrass, and Au-Lo-Tan

lespedeza. They were

managed as conventional pastures except

the lespedeza which

was managed as a low

input pasture. There

was also a timber

treatment with no

forage management. He collected pine growth data in 1984,

1987, and 1989 and evaluated the annual forage production at

21-day intervals from April to October (forage dry matter yield

and quality was determined for each sampling interval). 

Based on his early findings of these treatments, Dr. Clason

initiated an economic analysis comparing the Coastal bermudagrass silvopasture, coastal bermudagrass open pasture, timber

management only, and asset liquidation. The coastal bermudagrass silvopasture treatment was the most profitable of the four

land management options evaluated, and best demonstrated the

value of diversifying income producing enterprises. 

Dr. Clason found that a loblolly pine-forage intercropping

system is a suitable management option for maturing plantations. After five years, he determined that timber and forage

management practices provided investment income, created

and maintained a high quality forage resource, and enhanced

the timber production component. ]

Economics of

forage alternatives

Kimberly Stuhr

Technology Transfer Specialist, Lincoln, NE

The coastal bermudagrass silvopasture

treatment was the

most profitable of the

four land management

options evaluated.
Volume 16, Issue Three | Inside Agroforestry 11

• Thinning removes potential fuel 

hazards and promotes growth on 

the residual trees. The thinned tree 

canopy also allows adequate sun

light to reach the ground to support 

forage growth.

• Forage production on the forest 

floor for livestock and wildlife 

increases. Livestock remove forage 

which prevents the build up of dead 

or dry fuel and brush species 

regrowth. Careful management of 

the grazing rotation also assures 

abundant residual grasses and forbs 

for wildlife use and watershed health.

• The overall health of the residual 

forest stand improves, reducing the 

risk of insect attacks.

Fire

continued from page 8

As wildfires across

the country become

larger and more 

difficult to contain,

fuel management is

essential. Silvopasture develops

discontinuities in

fuel beds and 

eliminates ladder

fuels. Photo by Richard

Straight

GETTING wildlife managers and cattlemen to agree about how grazing lands

should be managed can be a difficult task.

A cattleman’s objective centers around the

forage needs of large herbivores, whereas a

wildlife manager focuses on the needs of

small ground nesting birds. Silvopasture

systems are common ground for the

wildlife manager and the livestock producer in the central and western United

States. Both have long recognized the value

of native warm season grasses as a source of

forage and a valuable habitat for grassland

bird species. Many also recognize the value

that proper livestock grazing and prescribed

burning have on habitat manipulation. 

Native warm season grasses, combined

with trees and livestock production,

enhance habitat for quail, turkey, and a

variety of non-game species. Using a

double-row set of trees with 30 to 40 feet

between sets, in combination with a

native warm season mix has the potential

to create excellent habitat and also add

forage for the livestock operation.

Managing for multiple benefits is the

key to overall success. The tree canopy

must be managed to allow adequate light

to reach the ground, while the grasses are

Wildlife à la

mode

• Fire ladder fuel is eliminated 

because the trees are farther apart 

and branches are pruned to create 

high-quality lumber and to increase 

sunlight to the forage below.

• The creation of a silvopasture 

creates annual income that can 

partially offset the cost of hazard 

fuel reduction.

In addition to creating a productive

forest management system, silvopasture

areas can also serve as buffers to help protect residential areas and address issues in

and around the WUI. They can serve as

buffers next to no-management or ecologically sensitive areas. ]

Michael Hall

NRCS Grazing Lands Specialist,

Greensboro, NC

managed primarily through grazing and

prescribed burns. A grazing management

plan with specific timing and grazing duration guidelines is critical to obtaining

wildlife objectives for the system. Moderate

grazing intensities maintain and increase

plant diversity. Recommended grazing

heights for the grasses must be maintained

ensuring the viability of the grasses and

meeting the wildlife habitat requirements. 

According to Lynn Lewis-Weis,

wildlife biologist with the National Wild

Turkey Federation, “Properly managed

silvopasture is not only good for cattle

production and growing trees, but for

wildlife as well. Compared to traditional

pasture management, silvopasture offers a

multitude of benefits for landowners who

have diversified operations that include

forestry, cattle, pasture, and wildlife, all on

the same piece of land.” ]

Wildlife, such as the Eastern wild turkey,

benefit from the habitat that silvopastures

create. Photo by C. Kertley-Perkins.

Managing for multiple

benefits is the key to

overall success.
USDA National Agroforestry Center

East Campus–UNL

Lincoln, NE 68583–0822

PRSRT STD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

USDA — FS

PERMIT NO G-40

January 16–18, 2008

Eighth National Conference on 

Science, Policy, and the Environment: 

“Climate Change: Science and 

Solutions.” Washington, DC. For more 

information: 202–530–5810, 

conference2008@ncseonline.org, 

http://ncseonline.org/2008conference/

February 4, 2008

Call for Papers. American Water 

Resources Association (AWRA) 

Summer Specialty Conference: 

“Riparian Ecosystems & Buffers: 

Working at the Water’s Edge,” June 

30 – July 2, 2008, Virginia Beach, VA.

For more information: atodd@fs.fed.us, 

http://www.awra.org/meetings/Virginia_

Beach2008/index.html

March 4–6, 2008

WIREC 2008: Washington 

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use, $300

Address Service Requested

InsideAgroforestry VOLUME 16 ISSUE THREE

Upcoming Events

“Inside Agroforestry” is published three times per year by the

USDA National Agroforestry Center. Phone: 402–437–5178;

Fax: 402–437–5712.

• Greg Ruark, NAC Program Manager (256–372–4540)

• Michele Schoeneberger, FS Research Lead (ext. 4021)

• Richard Straight, FS Lead Agroforester (ext. 4024)

• Bruce Wight, NRCS Lead Agroforester (ext. 4036)

• Kimberly Stuhr, Technology Transfer Specialist/

“Inside Agroforestry” Editor (ext. 4013)

• Ryan Dee, Technology Transfer Assistant/

“Inside Agroforestry” Designer (ext. 4014)

www.unl.edu/nac

Mission

The USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) is a partnership of

the Forest Service (Research and Development and State and

Private Forestry) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

It is administered by the Forest Service, Southern Research Station;

and its program manager and headquarters are located in Huntsville,

AL, on the campus of Alabama A&M University, while NAC’s staff

are located at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln NE; University of

Idaho, Moscow ID, and in Blacksburg, VA. NAC’s purpose is to

accelerate the development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain more economically, environmentally, and socially

sustainable land use systems. To accomplish its mission, NAC interacts with a national network of partners and cooperators to conduct

research, develop technologies and tools, establish demonstrations,

and provide useful information to natural resource professionals.

Policy

USDA policy prohibits discrimination

because of race, color, national origin,

sex, age, religion, or handicapping 

condition. Any person who believes he

or she has been discriminated against in

any USDA-related activity should 

immediately contact the Secretary of

Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250.

Opinions expressed in “Inside

Agroforestry” are those of the author

and do not necessarily represent the

policy of the USDA Forest Service and

the USDA Natural Resources

Conservation Service.

International Renewable Energy 

Conference. Washington, DC. For more

information: www.wirec2008.gov 

For more upcoming events, visit our 

website calendar: www.unl.edu/nac/

calendar.htm.