Silvopastoral Systems - Data Collection

The sites are now managed on a care and maintenance basis. The measurements detailed below are no longer collected routinely. They could, however, be re-commenced in the future to record productivity and environmental impacts.

Routine measurements made in all years at all sites on individual plots:

• Sward height (measured weekly and used to maintain a predetermined sward-height profile through control of grazing pressure by adjusting animal numbers);
• Animal numbers (weekly);
• Animal live weights (monthly - ewes (and lambs in season));
• Animal body condition scores (monthly - ewes);
• Tree height (annually on a core group of 25 trees (5 x 5 block));
• Tree stem diameter (annually on core group - measured at 20cm above root collar until diameter at breast height (dbh 1.3m) is measureable);
• General site meteorological data - logged from an automatic weather station (not individual plot-based).

• Quadrat sampling inside grazing exclosure cages (spatially stratified with respect to trees);

Tree root structure (using a logarithmic spiral trench):

• Spatially defined root distribution;
• Spatially defined individual root size (diameter).

Meteorological measurements:

• Light (PAR) transmitted to ground level (stratified spatial sampling on a 3 x 3 grid bounded by four trees);
• Tree canopy dimensions (to relate to PAR transmitted);
• 100mm soil temperature (stratified spatial sampling as for PAR);
• Wind speed (sampled vertically and spatially).

Environmental measurements:

• Pasture botanical composition (linear transects);
• Soil moisture (sampled at a range of distances from trees);
• Ground insects (pitfall trapping, spatially stratified);
• Birds (observation of birds on plots and in trees, during spring and autumn migratory seasons).

Animal behaviour, scan sampling is used to monitor:

• Animal activity (grazing, ruminating, resting etc.);
• Animal location (distance to nearest tree and nearest neighbour);
• Basic weather details (windy/calm; wind direction; rain/dry);