Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 23
animals also benefit from shade and protection from
harsh weather conditions, which contributes to better
animal welfare. Also included in this category are forest grazing, reindeer grazing, natural grazing (grazing on natural pastures) and sheep farming [21].
Pastures can be wooded with trees in rows (like alley
cropping), solitary scattered trees or clusters of trees.
It is also possible to have alternating cultivation and
grazing on wooded land, creating further diversity in
production. Grazing animals can be kept on forest
land, which is historically the most widespread form
of Swedish agroforestry [21]. For example, pigs have
traditionally fed on nuts in oak and beech forests [22].
Goats and sheep graze heather, crowberry and berry
fruit or nut trees. Chickens can eat fallen fruit, insect
pests and provide fertiliser - the list can continue [18].
The animals can also damage the trees and shrubs, especially when the woody perennials are still small. The
Lähäckar riskerar bli avbetade! /
Shelterbelts at risk of being eaten!
Rotationsbete med gris mellan
trädrader på Stora Juleboda
gård upplevs inte som något
problem, tvärtom hjälper deras
bök till att vitalisera systemet. /
Rotational grazing with pigs
between tree rows at Stora Juleboda farm is not experienced as
a problem, to the contrary their
rooting contributes to vitalising
the system.
shrubs, but have a particular preference for heather.
Even conifers are favoured by goats, helping to keep
the land open for other animals [18].
Silvopastoral systems are fascinating because they
create synergies between livestock and ecosystems.
Grazing and browsing animals, if properly managed,
can rehabilitate and revitalise the nutrient cycle and
can also fulfil an important function as beneficial animals. For example, ducks can eat harmful snails under
Did you know that: Many silvopastoral
systems have the highest species diversity in
the whole of Sweden. Through trampling and
fertilisation, grazing and browsing animals
benefit plants, insects, birds and other species that need open land for their survival,
as well as spreading seeds and spores [2 8].
In short, animals play a key role in sustainable agriculture.
