Nutritional value of shrubs in agroforestry systems (PA)

Galicia holds the sixteen percent of fired area of Europe. Silvopasture is an adequate land management system for Galicia as it reduces fire risk, improves silviculture practices, increases land rent and promotes rural population estabilisation. Forest shrubs understory grazing at adequate stocking rates reduces forest fires as a replacement of shrubs by herbaceous vegetation is caused, which has less fuel accumulation under the tree. The herbaceous understory favors silviculture practices as pruning and thinning can be more easily carried out with herbaceous understory than with shrub understory. Understory grazing also increases economic land return as animal products can be sold and usually faeces deposition of some animals can subsequently increase mushroom production. Forage value of the shrubs should be carefully considered, being the protein content, one of the most important indicators of forage quality, besides palatability and digestibility. Most important shrub species in Galicia are gorse (Ulex sp), representing around 73.47% followed by species of genus Erica ( Erica cinerea 29.98% and Erica arborea 16.43%) and Cytisus sp. which accounts around 18.28% of shrubby vegetation of Galicia. Other species such as Chamaespartium are also present.