Emerging Issues in the South

Silvopasture
The health and competitiveness of Southern forests is being impacted by changing local and global markets, invasive species, shifting consumer demands, and declining economic viability of the private forest landowner. There are ways to both promote the conservation ethic, manage forests for a multitude of resources (traditional and nontraditional), and provide economic gains to the landowner.

Program Issue

The pulpwood market in the Southeastern U.S. has weakened, and it has become difficult for pine plantation owners to generate a profit or even pay for the cost of a mid-rotation thinning. If left unthinned, the growth of a pine plantation stagnates and the stand poses a high risk for wildfire and insect damage, and fails to realize its potential to produce quality sawtimber.

“Current market trends (i.e. low domestic pulpwood prices) are forcing the forestry community to look at other options. A silvopasture system can produce short-term or annual economic returns while being able to produce a high value timber product over the long term.” - Rick Hatten, Georgia Forestry Commission

Silvopasture Alternative

These systems incorporate timber and livestock production on the same piece of land and provide an alternative approach to saw-timber production of southern pines. This alternative provides easy access for rotational livestock grazing, haying, or continued cropping. It has many additional benefits, such as providing habitat for quail and wild turkey, being less susceptible to southern pine beetle attack, providing ready access for pine straw raking, and reducing the risk of wildfires. Silvopastures can be established by thinning existing pine stands to allow enough light to reach the understory so that a forage system can be established.

Reasons to Consider Silvopasture Systems

• Land Base – In the Southeast, forest land owners and farmers are struggling to generate a profit.
• Dual Income – A landowner can continue to earn an annual income from livestock, while growing high-value sawlogs.
• Plant Only Crop Trees – When pulp wood markets are not viable to offset thinning, it makes economic sense to plant the same number of trees that will be harvested as poles and sawlogs.
• Industrial Loblolly Clones – A silvopasture demonstration trial at Alabama A&M University is partnering with the forest industry to evaluate the growth and quality of high-yielding loblolly clones.
• Landowner Cost Share –Silvopasture establishment qualifies for southern pine beetle and wildfire prevention program funding and technical assistance.

Research Needs

Sufficient research over the past 20 years has been conducted to allow Station researchers at the National Agroforestry Center to develop a handbook of initial Best Management Practice guidelines for southern silvopasture systems for cattle that incorporate loblolly, longleaf, and slash pines with a limited combination of forage species. However, a need remains a need to expand research to include a variety of tree/forage combinations across various sites and to evaluate other livestock, especially goats.

USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC)

NAC develops and delivers technology on a broad suite of agroforestry practices, and conducts research on how to design and install these practices to help restore ecosystem services on farms and ranches. NAC’s primary audience are the natural resource professionals who work with farmers, ranchers, and communities throughout the nation.

Administered by the Southern Research Station, NAC relocated its headquarters from Lincoln, NE, to Huntsville, AL. The Center’s program manager is located in Alabama, with existing NAC personnel remain in Nebraska while efforts are made to expand agroforestry nationally and add additional staff in Alabama. NAC works closely with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the agency supports a liaison at NAC in Lincoln who serves as a catalyst to provide agroforestry training and assistance to NRCS and its partners.

Transferring Technology

• Conservation – Agroforestry, Working Tree technologies, can be readily incorporated into most farm and ranch operations and is useful to many communities. These practices provide cost-effective ways to diversify production and increase income, while simultaneously enhancing natural resource conservation.
• Carbon – Planting “linear forests,” such as windbreaks and riparian forest buffers, on farms and ranches can store large amounts of carbon while maintaining the bulk of land in agricultural production.
• Water Quality – Forested riparian buffers improve water quality by controlling soil and stream bank erosion and by reducing the input of agricultural fertilizers, pesticides, and animal wastes into waterways.
• Wildlife – Most agroforestry practices benefit wildlife by adding valuable habitat. These practices can be designed for specific wildlife and to provide ecological, recreational, and economic benefits.
• Communities – Trees at the community/agriculture interface provide visual screening, dust and noise abatement, modify temperatures, treat stormwater runoff, and provide greenways and recreational settings.
• Income – Agroforestry practices, like alley cropping, silvopastures, and forest farming, diversify production systems and generate additional on-farm income.
• Livestock – Trees shelter livestock from harsh weather and reduce visual and odor problems associated with concentrated feed lots and poultry operations. Silvopasture systems combines forage production and livestock grazing in the understory of conifer stands that are managed for timber production; producing both annual and long-term returns to landowners.

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Maintaining healthy Southern forests requires an understanding of changing market conditions, rapidly evolving forest threats, and the socio-economic aspects associated with landowner decision making. Incentives and new markets for ecosystem services and biomass are encouraged to support keeping forest lands in working forests, thus preventing fragmentation and loss of habitat. The capacity of States to deliver training, science, and assistance to landowners is essential for success.






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