Trees in Cattle Pastures Boost Biodiversity

by Caroline Link, Justus Liebig University Giessen
May 26, 2026

Cattle ranching is the biggest driver of tropical deforestation, but it is also a key livelihood for nearly one billion smallholder farmers. A global study by Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) shows that this tension can be eased by reintroducing trees into pastureland. Planting trees in cattle pastures nearly doubles biodiversity compared to conventional pastures. However, these plantings cannot replace the protection of native forests. The study was published in the journal “Ecological Applications.”

This study offers the first global quantitative synthesis of silvopastoral systems, which refer to farms that intentionally integrate trees into pastureland. In their meta-analysis of 45 studies from 15 countries and four biogeographic regions, the researchers found that silvopastoral systems host 44 percent more species and nearly twice as many individual animals as treeless pastures. In terms of species richness, they often approach the diversity levels of nearby native forests.

Keep reading: https://www.uni-giessen.de/en/about/press/pressreleases/pm66-26treesincattlepastures

Read the Ecological Applications paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70255