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Thinning forests or planting fields? Producer preferences for establishing silvopasture

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dc.contributor.authorWilkens, Philadelphiaen
dc.contributor.authorMunsell, John F.en
dc.contributor.authorFike, John H.en
dc.contributor.authorPent, Gabriel J.en
dc.contributor.authorFrey, Gregory E.en
dc.contributor.authorAddlestone, Benjamin J.en
dc.contributor.authorDowning, Adam K.en
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-09T19:35:39Zen
dc.date.available2021-11-09T19:35:39Zen
dc.date.issued2021-09-04en
dc.description.abstractSilvopasture is the intentional integration of trees, forages, and livestock. Benefits of this agroforestry practice include shade for livestock, nutritious forage, and reduced wind speed in pastures, as well as ecosystem services and tree products. The literature indicate that some livestock producers are interested in silvopasture, but little is known about their establishment preferences and if they vary by demographics or operation type. This study hypothesized that producers are equally interested in planting trees in pastures (planting) and reducing forest canopy and planting forages (thinning) to establish silvopasture, and that the effects of the potential benefits of silvopasture on their preferences are similar. To test these hypotheses, 307 livestock producers in Virginia, United States of America were surveyed about whether they prefer planting or thinning. Producers also were asked about the extent to which potential benefits of silvopasture affect their preferences. Nearly 25% of the 139 respondents (response rate = 45%) were 'very interested' in thinning, compared to 8% for planting. Animal performance and welfare was their primary goal, but forest management and whole-farm productivity also were important. Guidelines are needed for maintaining stand health and productivity when thinning and for improving tree protection and growth in pastures when planting to establish silvopasture.en
dc.description.adminPublic domain – authored by a U.S. government employeeen
dc.description.versionPublished versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00665-zen
dc.identifier.eissn1572-9680en
dc.identifier.issn0167-4366en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/106564en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsPublic Domain (U.S.)en
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/en
dc.subjectAdoptionen
dc.subjectForest managementen
dc.subjectTree plantingen
dc.subjectLivestocken
dc.titleThinning forests or planting fields? Producer preferences for establishing silvopastureen
dc.title.serialAgroforestry Systemsen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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Scholarly Works, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation
Scholarly Works, School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
Scholarly Works, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station