Browsing by Author "Mackay-Smith TH"

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    A Framework for Reviewing Silvopastoralism: A New Zealand Hill Country Case Study
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-12-14) Mackay-Smith TH; Burkitt L; Reid J; López IF; Phillips C
    Silvopastoral systems can be innovative solutions to agricultural environmental degradation, especially in hilly and mountainous regions. A framework that expresses the holistic nature of silvopastoral systems is required so research directions can be unbiased and informed. This paper presents a novel framework that relates the full range of known silvopastoral outcomes to bio-physical tree attributes, and uses it to generate research priorities for a New Zealand hill country case study. Current research is reviewed and compared for poplar (Populus spp.), the most commonly planted silvopastoral tree in New Zealand hill country, and kānuka (Kunzea spp.), a novel and potentially promising native alternative. The framework highlights the many potential benefits of kānuka, many of which are underappreciated hill country silvopastoral outcomes, and draws attention to the specific outcome research gaps for poplar, despite their widespread use. The framework provides a formalised tool for reviewing and generating research priorities for silvopastoral trees, and provides a clear example of how it can be used to inform research directions in silvopastoral systems, globally.
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    Correction to: A Framework for Reviewing Silvopastoralism: A New Zealand Hill Country Case Study (Land, (2021), 10, 12, (1386)
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-03-22) Mackay-Smith TH; Burkitt L; Reid J; López IF; Phillips C
    The authors would like to make the following correction to the published article [1]. There was a miscommunication with the journal editors regarding the formatting of the table. Individual points within table boxes were removed for the final manuscript so there were duplicate references in each table box. The following changes were made to the references in Table 2: “McIvor et al. [42]” was removed from Page 8; “Charlton et al. [25]” was removed from Page 10; “Marden and Phillips [49]”, “Charlton et al. [25]” and “Boffa Miskell Limited [50]” × 2 were removed from Page 11 and from Page 10. Additionally, colons were added between references where necessary. Other changes include the following: “survivial” was changed to “survival” on Page 11; “Quantatiative” was changed to “quantitative” on Page 11; to was removed on Page 11; “precence” was changed to “presence” on Page 13; “11.5 year old” was changed to “11.5-year-old” on Page 8; “16 year-old” was changed to “16-year-old” on Page 8; “32.0-year-old” was changed to “32-year-old” on Page 8; and “5.0, 7.0 and 9.5 year old” changed to “5, 7, and 9.5 years old”. Finally, “≥25 m” was changed to “>30 m” and “10–20 m” was changed to 8–20 m” on Page 7 due to ongoing research refining the sizes of the tree. The corrected Table 2 appears below. Tree attributes for poplar (Populus spp.) and kānuka (Kunzea spp.) in a New Zealand hill country silvopastoral system. Tree attributes have been adapted from Wood [15]. The photographs were taken by the lead author. The following changes were made to the references in Table 3: “Guevara-Escobar et al. [26]” and “Wall [27]” were removed from Page 14, and “Guevara-Escobar et al. [26]” was removed from Page 16. Additionally, the Table 3 header was moved to the left and the font size of Table 3 was adjusted to size 8. The corrected Table 3 appears below. Silvopastoral outcomes for poplar (Populus spp.) and kānuka (Kunzea spp.) in a New Zealand hill country silvopastoral system. Tree outcomes have been adapted from Wood [15]. There was an error in the original publication. “Forst.” should be “(G. Forst.) Oerst.” A correction has been made to Section 1. Introduction, paragraph 1: Page 1. There was an error in the original publication. “>15” has been changed to “> 15”. A correction has been made to Section 1. Introduction, paragraph 3: Page 1. There was an error in the original publication. “(Populus spp.)” and “(Salix spp.)” have been removed. A correction has been made to Section 3.1. Poplar and Willow, paragraph 1: Page 5. There was an error in the original publication. “40 year” has been changed to “40-year”. A correction has been made to Section 3.1. Poplar and Willow, paragraph 2: Page 5. There was an error in the original publication. “serotine” should be “serotina”. A correction has been made to Section 3.2. Kānuka, paragraph 1: Page 6. There was an error in the original publication. “(Leptospermum scoparium)” has been removed. A correction has been made to Section 3.2. Kānuka, paragraph 2: Page 6. There was an error in the original publication. The reference “[23,24,25]” should be “[25]”. A correction has been made to Section 4.1. The interaction of Poplar and Kānuka with the Pasture and Soil, paragraph 5: Page 21. There was an error in the original publication. “400-years-old” should be “400 years old”. A correction has been made to Section 4.2. Longevity, paragraph 1: Page 21. There was an error in the original publication. Reference [80] should be removed after kiwi-fruit orchards. A correction has been made to Section 4.6. Bird biodiversity, paragraph 2: Page 22. There was an error in the original publication. “2 year” should be “2-year”. A correction has been made to Section 4.6. Bird biodiversity, paragraph 2: Page 22. There was an error in the original publication. “(Leptospermum scoparium)” has been removed. A correction has been made to Section 4.7. Additional Income, paragraph 1: Page 23. There was an error in the original publication. “7-years-old” should be “7 years old”. A correction has been made to Section 4.7. Additional Income, paragraph 3: Page 23. There was an error in the original publication. Reference [46] has been changed to [52]. A correction has been made to Section 4.7. Additional Income, paragraph 4: Page 23. There was an error in the original publication. reference [52] should be “Ministry for Primary Industries. Forest land in the ETS. Available online: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/forestry/forestry-in-the-emissions-trading-scheme/forest-land-in-the-ets/ (accessed on 8 May 2020)”. A correction has been made to References section: Page 27. The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused and state that the scientific conclusions are unaffected. The original publication has also been updated.
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    Kānuka Trees Facilitate Pasture Production Increases in New Zealand Hill Country
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2022-07) Mackay-Smith TH; López IF; Burkitt LL; Reid JI
    ‘Tree-pasture’ silvopastoral systems have the potential to become transformative multifunctional landscapes that add both environmental and economic value to pastoral farms. Nevertheless, no published study has found increased pasture production under mature silvopastoral trees in New Zealand hill country. This study takes a novel approach to silvopastoral research in New Zealand, and investigates a genus that has similar bio-physical attributes to other global silvopastoral trees that have been shown to increase pasture production under their canopies, with the aim of finding a silvopastoral genera that can increase pasture production under tree canopies compared to open pasture in New Zealand. This study measures pasture and soil variables in two pasture positions: under individually spaced native kānuka (Kunzea spp.) trees (kānuka pasture) and paired open pasture positions at least 15 m from tree trunks (open pasture) at two sites over two years. There was 107.9% more pasture production in kānuka pasture positions. The soil variables that were significantly greater in kānuka pasture were Olsen-P (+115.7%, p < 0.001), K (+100%, p < 0.001), Mg (+33.33%, p < 0.01), Na (+200%, p < 0.001) and porosity (+8.8%, p < 0.05), and Olsen-P, porosity and K best explained the variation between kānuka pasture and open pasture positions. Volumetric soil moisture was statistically similar in kānuka pasture and open pasture positions. These results are evidence of nutrient transfer by livestock to the tree-pasture environment. Furthermore, as there was a significantly greater porosity and 48.6% more organic matter under the trees, there were likely other processes also contributing to the difference between tree and open pasture environments, such as litterfall. These results show that kānuka has potential to increase pasture production in New Zealand hill country farms and create multifunctional landscapes enhancing both production and environmental outcomes in pastoral farms.
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    Pasture production–diversity relationships in a kānuka silvopastoral system
    (John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society, 2023-04-09) Mackay-Smith TH; López IF; Burkitt LL; Reid JI; Wagg C
    Silvopastoral systems have great potential for forming multifunctional landscapes that provide a range of economic and environmental benefits to pastoral land. However, pasture production–diversity relationships in silvopastures require further exploration. This study measures how pasture functional group production, pasture species diversity and pasture functional diversity (FD) are impacted by trees in a novel native silvopastoral system in New Zealand hill country with kānuka (Kunzea spp.). Silvopastoral trees facilitated the growth of fast-growing competitor functional groups (Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata and high fertility annuals: Bromus hordeaceus and Critesion murinum), because of positive impacts on soil fertility, organic matter and porosity. Shannon diversity, species richness and species evenness were significantly less in the more productive pastoral environment under the trees, but functional richness, functional evenness and functional dispersion were similar between kānuka pasture and open pasture. These results show that silvopastures can increase pasture production by promoting the growth of competitive pasture functional groups, and that reduced species diversity under silvopastoral trees does not necessarily impact FD in the context of production. Moreover, species indices overestimated diversity reductions under the trees compared to functional indices. Thus, considering FD in silvopastoral systems is integral for not misinterpreting diversity outcomes.