Abstract
Plenary paper presented at the International Leucaena Conference, 1‒3 November 2018, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.Leucaena leucocephala has played a key role in the development of sustainable cattle ranching in Latin America. This species is the backbone of the so-called Intensive Silvopastoral Systems (ISPS) that combine high-density cultivation of leucaena as fodder shrubs (4,000–40,000 plants/ha) with grasses and trees. The layers of vegetation added by shrubs and trees increase the system’s capacity for transforming solar energy into biomass and enhance habitat complexity. Although part of the biomass is transformed into livestock products, a significant amount is deposited as litter on the soil and, along with the nitrogen fixed by leucaena and other trees, has positive effects on soil properties and grass production. The increased complexity of the system has measurable effects on biodiversity. ISPS with leucaena support more species of birds, ants, dung beetles and woody plants than conventional pasture monocultures, contribute to landscape-scale connectivity and provide environmental services. They also enhance animal welfare through reduced heat stress and improved availability and quality of fodder resources. ISPS contribute to climate change mitigation by improving above- and below-ground carbon sequestration and by cutting down greenhouse gas emissions per units of dry matter consumed and cattle product. Although these systems have been successfully implemented in Colombia, Mexico and other countries, their adoption is still limited in relation to the area suitable for their introduction.
Highlights
Silvopastoral systems (SPS) are defined by the intentional integration of livestock, trees, shrubs and grasses on the same land unit in order to optimize the beneficial interactions between components
During the establishment phase of intensive silvopastoral systems (ISPS) L. leucocephala seeds are inoculated with specific strains of Rhizobium to enhance the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen and avoid the use of synthetic fertilizers
This study showed that, forests play an irreplaceable role in preserving unique species, the introduction of ISPS with shrubs and trees enhances the persistence of biodiversity at a landscape scale by facilitating movement between forest fragments
Summary
Silvopastoral systems (SPS) are defined by the intentional integration of livestock, trees, shrubs and grasses on the same land unit in order to optimize the beneficial interactions between components (modified from Jose et al 2019). Intensive silvopastoral systems (ISPS) are a type of SPS that combines high-density cultivation of fodder shrubs (4,000–40,000 plants/ha) with improved tropical grasses and tree or palm species at densities of 100–600 trees/ha These systems are managed under rotational grazing with ad libitum provision of water and mineralized salt in each paddock, and 12–24 hour grazing periods that alternate with 40–50 day resting periods (Calle et al 2012; Murgueitio et al 2016). The layers of woody vegetation added by shrubs and trees accelerate the transformation of solar energy into biomass and the penetration of roots into deep soil layers, from where they extract nutrients and water (Nair 2011; Chará et al 2015) This structural complexity allows for more abundant and heterogeneous plant residues being deposited on the soil as dry leaves, branches, fruits, resins and exudates with beneficial effects on soil organic matter, nutrients and biota (Vallejo et al 2012; Martínez et al 2014). Studies carried out in Costa Rica and Nicaragua showed water runoff equivalent to 28–48% of the precipitation in pastures without trees compared with less than 10% in SPS (Ríos et al 2007)
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