Exploring the Productivity and Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Transitions From Pasture to Silvopasture in the Eastern United States

A rapid umbrella review of literature on transitioning pasture to silvopasture in the eastern United States finds that while tree carbon may increase, forage and livestock productivity often decrease, potentially leading to land-use leakage that undermines net climate benefits.

• The current evidence base for using silvopasture as a primary climate mitigation strategy in the United States is thin and inconsistent, often failing to support expansive mitigation estimates.
• While silvopasture can increase carbon stored in tree biomass, it frequently leads to reductions in livestock output and forage production per acre, particularly as trees mature or increase in density. This creates a risk of land-use leakage where production shifts elsewhere to meet constant demand for milk and meat, potentially cancelling out climate benefits.
• Evidence regarding soil carbon gains in temperate transitions from pasture to silvopasture is limited and frequently indicates little change or potential losses. Additionally, while 'over-yielding' is conceptually promising, it faces economic and practical barriers and may reduce net sequestration if wood-producing lands are converted.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Exploring the Productivity and Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Transitions From Pasture to Silvopasture in the Eastern United States. https://www.wri.org/research/exploring-productivity-and-climate-change-mitigation-potential-transitions-pasture

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Exploring the Productivity and Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Transitions From Pasture to Silvopasture in the Eastern United States. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/exploring-productivity-and-climate-change-mitigation-potential-transitions-pasture.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Exploring the Productivity and Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Transitions From Pasture to Silvopasture in the Eastern United States |url=https://www.wri.org/research/exploring-productivity-and-climate-change-mitigation-potential-transitions-pasture |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendexploring, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Exploring the Productivity and Climate Change Mitigation Potential of Transitions From Pasture to Silvopasture in the Eastern United States}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/exploring-productivity-and-climate-change-mitigation-potential-transitions-pasture}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }