Silvopastoral systems and soil macroinvertebrate conservation: a review.

Abstract

Silvopastoral systems are a livestock production alternative that allows interaction between perennial woody species and the traditional component. The objective of this research is to contribute to the knowledge of silvopastoral systems and macroinvertebrates, presenting them as alternatives for sustainable livestock production and strategies for quality control and conservation of natural resources. For this, a bibliographic review is proposed that contains the associated concepts and the main research carried out on the subject. Among the findings of interest of the study, it was found that silvopastoral systems allow the maintenance or increase of productivity through the cycling of nutrients and the protection of the soil, considering the Golden Button as an ideal shrub species for its operation, since it manifests a high nutritional value and multipurpose service, where litter has a fundamental role in the development and implementation of this type of system. Also, macroinvertebrates were found to be ideal for identifying the ecological conditions of a natural system. That is, macroinvertebrates are ecological indicators (or bioindicators), thanks to their wide geographic distribution, flight reaction as an indicator of contamination, easy sampling, well-known taxonomy at the gender level, in addition to the ease of use of many of these species in assessments susceptible to contamination. It is concluded that the implementation of silvopastoral systems and the conservation of macroinvertebrates is advantageous not only for environmental protection, but also for increasing productivity.
Keywords: Golden button, bioindicators, litter, livestock production