Silvopastoral Management in Post-fire Restoration

Commodities

• Additional Plants: trees
• Animals: goats, sheep

Practices

• Animal Production: grazing management
• Crop Production: forestry, silvopasture

Over the past decade, the State of California has invested
significant effort to use prescribed grazing as a forest
management tool.  Despite this, limited research exists on
the effectiveness of small ruminant grazing in forested
ecosystems.  In 2022, the Mosquito Fire burned a significant
portion of Blodgett Forest, creating a unique opportunity to
experimentally apply goat and sheep herbivory towards wildfire
recovery. 

Traditional post-fire restoration relies on re-establishing
conifer crops as quickly as possible – typically through site
preparation with chemical control.  This proposal will apply
sheep, goat, and herbicide treatments across a randomized block
design to assess small ruminant grazing effectiveness site
preparation.  Furthermore, this proposal will build on
current efforts by two of the producers (NM Ranch and Blodgett
Forest) evaluating nutritional value and herd behavior in
forests. This proposal differs from existing efforts by
strategically timing the grazing application to an earlier phase
of shrub development, thereby minimizing root establishment as
compared with more conventional approach of targeting browse once
woody fuels are established.

Results will identify the potential for small ruminant grazing
during post-disturbance restoration.  It will also help
provide guidance for policy makers, land managers, property
owners, and practitioners on best management practices (BMPs)
relative to targeted grazing in forestlands.  

Publications –

• Factsheets on how to use small ruminant grazing in post-fire
  site preparation
• Guide on avoided plants/weeds in mid-elevation mixed conifer
  forests
• Cost Study comparing targeted grazing to herbicide use.

Extension –

• Field Trips, landowner training, and producer workshops
  (livestock and forestry)

• Evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of small ruminant
  grazing to manage shrub competition in post-wildfire
  reforestation.
• Evaluate potential for small ruminant silvopastoralism in
  forested environments with an emphasis on animal nutrition and
  herd management.
• Evaluate appropriate interval to re-introduce livestock
  post-fire.
• Extend findings through a multi-faceted outreach initiative.