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Ecological considerations in sustainable silvopasture design and management

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Abstract

Silvopastoral systems are sustainable production systems characterized by greater biodiversity and multifunctionality, compared with other livestock production methods. The complex functional dynamics, however, make silvopastoralism a difficult construct to design and study. The key design criterion for these complex land use practices is to optimize the use of spatial, temporal, and physical resources, by maximizing positive interactions (facilitation) and minimizing negative ones (competition) among the components, for which the principles of sustainable land use systems are relevant. In this paper we address the cardinal questions, how the general ecological principles common to complex natural systems apply to the design and management of silvopastoral systems and how sound management might be identified with the notion of sustained maximum yield. In particular, we explore (1) spatial and temporal heterogeneity for maximizing resource use efficiency, (2) competitive interactions in perennial systems, (3) structural and functional diversity for resource conservation, and (4) integration of the principles of disturbance ecology in silvopastoral system design.

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Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Adapted from Kallenbach (2009)

Fig. 3

Adapted from Kallenbach et al. (2006)

Fig. 4

Based on data from Rogers et al. (2005)

Fig. 5

Adapted from Chakraborty et al. (2011)

Fig. 6

Adapted from Ballenger (2001)

Fig. 7

Adapted from Southorn and Cattle (2004)

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded through the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry under cooperative agreement with the USDA-ARS. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the University of Missouri. BMK further acknowledges the financial support provided by Nalanda University that facilitated his sabbatical at the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry.

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  1. The Center for Agroforestry, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Shibu Jose, Dusty Walter & B. Mohan Kumar

  2. Agricultural Experiment Stations, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Dusty Walter

  3. School of Ecology and Environment Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir Dist, Nalanda, Bihar, 803116, India

    B. Mohan Kumar

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  1. Shibu Jose
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Correspondence to Shibu Jose.

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Jose, S., Walter, D. & Mohan Kumar, B. Ecological considerations in sustainable silvopasture design and management. Agroforest Syst 93, 317–331 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-016-0065-2

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