Conservation and Cattle Production: Improving the Matrix Through Silvopasture

Abstract

Conversion of Nicaragua’s tropical dry forest to cattle pasture has left a highly heterogeneous landscape where pasture is maintained against forest succession. Climate change threatens to exacerbate these divisions between conservation and agriculture by drying up limited water sources for cattle and endemic species alike. Our client, Paso Pacífico, was interested in researching the potential of silvopastoral practices in the Rivas Isthmus of Nicaragua. Silvopastoralism combines the interests of cattle ranchers and conservationists by improving cattle production through multifunctional afforestation measures and alternative pasture management practices. This work builds on the previous Master’s work on living fence rows (Dorgay, Muelle & Klooster 2016) in Nicaraguan cattle ranches by focusing on the impact of isolated trees in pastures on non-migratory birds, pasture and cattle health. This is the first study to combine these elements of the pastoral agroecosystem with a survey of farmer perceptions into an interdisciplinary study. We began our study with a literature review of studies concerning isolated tree impacts and silvopastoral practices. We then visited 17 cattle ranches in order to complete observational studies of native birds, measurements of pasture quality and cattle health, and semi-structured interviews with farm managers or landowners. As a result, we found that non-migratory bird visits are positively correlated with isolated trees with wide and sparse canopies and available fruit. The isolated trees were also found to have suppressed pasture grass growth yet maintain overall nutrient content underneath their canopies. However at the farm-scale, we found no correlation between the overall tree cover on ranches and cattle health suggesting supplemental feed by the trees and farmers. Overall, farmers viewed isolated trees as beneficial to cattle production and the environment. The culmination of our work is a set of recommendations to develop a culture of silvopastoral practices. The case for planting additional trees on private pasture land is supported by the evidence of lack of natural tree replacement and widely recognized benefits for cattle. By approaching incremental afforestation of cattle ranches at the landscape level, Paso Pacífico can maintain tree species diversity while incorporating farmer preference in tree plantings. Within any resulting afforestation program, a particular focus on preserving trees with wide canopies, fruiting trees, and dying or dead trees in place will preserve an unique set of resources for native birds. Finally, we recommend that future research and program design build on these studies of living fence rows and isolated trees to investigate the specific influence of socioeconomic factors and the conservation impacts of silvopastoral practices for a diversity of taxa.