Holistic management approach as a tool for dehesa/montado restoration

PosterDehesa/montado can be defined as a multi-purpose agroforestry system with scattered oak trees. This ecosystem covers an estimated 3.1 million ha and is the most extended silvopastoral system and the largest High Nature Value Farming System in Europe. However, the sustainability of dehesas/montados has been questioned in recent years because of trends towards more intensive and simplified management, which in turn have led to changes in vegetation and soil properties and increased soil erosion rates. Holistic Management approach, based on time-controlled grazing systems, not only increases productivity but also implies ecosystem improvements: soil properties (soil structure, amount of organic matter, water efficiency, and availability soil nutrients) and pasture species cover and composition. McCoster (2000) has described a synergistic effect between a cell grazing (similar to HM) and trees regeneration in Australia. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of the Holistic Management Grazing Approach on the soil properties, trees recovery, pasture cover, biodiversity and productivity opposite to nowadays continuous grazing management and different pasture innovations in Spanish and Portuguese dehesa/montado farms