Abstract
Tree species play a significant role in sustaining the productivity of grazing lands. However, information on appropriate species to use in restoring degraded grazing areas is limited. This study used 120 trees to assess the effect of 8 tree species on pasture diversity, abundance and biomass. This was done in a total of 960 quadrats of 1 m2 established under tree canopies and 5 m away from the edge of tree canopies. In each quadrat, the different pasture species and their ground cover were recorded. The pastures were harvested, weighed and their biomass recorded. Results of analysis by Shannon–Wiener’s index indicated that pasture diversity was almost the same under and outside tree canopies (H = 1.8 and H = 1.78 respectively), but pasture abundance was significantly higher under tree canopies (p < 0.05). Ficus natalensis and Albizia coriaria had the highest pasture abundance under their canopies. Pasture biomass never varied significantly under and outside tree canopies but between tree species, F. natalensis had a significantly higher positive influence on pasture biomass than other species. It was discovered that F. natalensis and A. coriaria have a higher potential for restoring degraded grazing areas in South-western Uganda. Key words: Brachiaria spp., Ficus natalensis, livestock, Shannon-Wiener, tree canopy.  
Highlights
In the livestock dominated farming communities of Southwestern Uganda, natural pastures constitute the major feed resource for livestock throughout the year (Tibezinda et al, 2016)
Canopy radius of A. abbysinica, A. campylacantha, A. coriaria and F. natalensis was significantly wider than the canopy radius of A. gerrardii, A. hockii, A. africanus and G. mollis (Table 1)
Basing on the previous findings elsewhere, this study has revealed that presence of F. natalensis in the sedentary grazing areas of South-western Uganda has a higher complementary support towards pasture biomass for the benefit of livestock
Summary
In the livestock dominated farming communities of Southwestern Uganda, natural pastures constitute the major feed resource for livestock throughout the year (Tibezinda et al, 2016). Other than climate related effects such as prolonged droughts which have reduced the abundance of pastures, the predominant and intensive sedentary practice of livestock grazing can hardly favor sustainable production of natural forage (Selemani et al, 2012). The act only exacerbates the declining productivity of grazing sites (Mganga et al, 2019) and in the sedentary grazing areas of Southwestern Uganda, the diversity and quantity of forage pastures is increasingly declining (de Vries, 2019)
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