Agroforestry for ruminants: a review of trees and shrubs as fodder in silvopastoral temperate and tropical production systems

Flashcards about Agroforestry for ruminants

What is Agroforestry?

A land-use system that combines woody perennials with crops and/or animal production on the same area.

What are the three types of agroforestry systems?

Silvoarable, silvopastoral, and agrosilvopastoral systems.

What are Silvopastoral systems?

Systems that integrate animals and trees.

What are the three main silvopastoral structures in terms of plant composition?

Trees on pasture, grazed forest, and forestry in a livestock farm or forested rangelands.

Which ruminants are reported as being managed with shrub and tree fodder?

Goats, sheep, and cattle.

What are the economic benefits of integrating livestock with multipurpose shrubs and trees?

Short-term income, and long-term profits through timber.

What is the common use of willow in temperate areas like New Zealand?

Willow is used as fodder to secure forage supply during summer and autumn droughts.

How does willow supplementation affect animal performance?

It can improve reproductive rate, reduce post-natal lamb mortality, and lessen daily liveweight loss.

Which shrub legume is commonly used in tropical ecosystems?

Leucaena leucocephala is widely used to supply fodder to ruminants.

What are some limitations to incorporating woody fodder in animal diets?

Low palatability or toxicity.

What are the different ways woody resources can be used for ruminants?

Direct browsing or pruning, with or without preservation of the forage.

Which temperate species are used to feed ruminants during summer and autumn droughts in New Zealand?

Salix and Populus spp.

In Europe, which structures may be browsed by animals?

Hedgerows and windbreaks.

Which indigenous species are promoted for hedgerows in Wallonia, Belgium?

Fraxinus excelsior, Crataegus monogyna, or Corylus avellana.

What is driving the interest in integrating shrubs and trees in agricultural landscapes in Belgium?

Environment-friendly policies and annual subsidies for establishing and maintaining hedgerows and woody strips.

What types of grazing systems facilitate browsing practices using leucaena in Australia?

Continuous, rotational, or seasonal grazing systems.

What limits the introduction of Leucaena in ruminant systems?

Mimosine content and it being considered an environmental weed.

Which tropical shrub legume is commonly planted in hedges in the highlands of Eastern Africa?

Calliandra calothyrsus.

Which native or introduced species are found in arid, semiarid, and sub-humid zones of Africa?

Acacia spp., Prosopis Africana, Leucaena spp., S. sesban or C. calothyrsus.

What are some reported benefits of woody fodder?

Browse species can improve ruminal protein digestion, reduce parasitic infestation, or lessen methane emissions.