Silvopasture as a territorial development tool. The case of the Lluçanès region

Abstract

Silvopastoral management, which combines extensive grazing and forest management, has been widely practised in the rural areas of Catalonia. However, the growing trend of intensive livestock production, together with the low profitability of most extensive farms, increases the vulnerability of this sector and jeopardises its continuity. Additionally, the changes in forest management and the reduction of timber profitability spur the abandonment of forestland, increasing wildfire risk and biodiversity loss. Pasture grazing in forestland favours the control of understorey growth, biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services to society. The conduct of forest owners and livestock farmers determines the success of silvopastoral management since a productive coherence is needed between forest and livestock management. With the working hypothesis that sustainable silvopastoral management may be beneficial for both forest owners and livestock farmers, this study explores the attitudes of these two groups with respect to this approach to joint land management.