Forestry and shelter for livestock

Abstract

There have been a number of proposals for the introduction of an agroforestry system in upland Britain, in which the trees are grown at a wide spacing with livestock grazing beneath the canopy. Such a system could be attractive for the production of high quality timber, and could also provide shelter for the animals. The effect of such a system on the productive performance of the animals is almost un-researched. The heat balance of sheep outdoors is described in relation to air temperature, windspeed, radiation (solar and thermal), rain and humidity. The effect of shelter on the environmental stress they experience is discussed, and the information required to evaluate the benefits/disadvantages of such a system is considered.