Silvopasture

nounStandard termForestry

An agroforestry system that intentionally integrates trees, forage crops, and livestock grazing on the same land.

This management practice combines timber production with livestock grazing. Trees provide shade and windbreaks for the animals, which reduces heat stress, while the livestock manage understory brush and cycle nutrients back into the soil. It requires careful spacing of trees to allow enough sunlight to reach the forage grasses below.

Heard on the job

We're thinning the pine plantation to a lower basal area so we can transition that block into silvopasture for the cattle.