Chile's X region (40-43 degrees south), has around 1 million has. of marginal soils with forest-livestock potential use, red clay slopes being dominant, located in the coastal ranges. Subsistance agriculture with increasing erosion damage is carried out on small properties which also practice extensive livestock production with sheep and cattle.

In order to study alternative land use which could benefit small peasant farmers agroforestry with sheep and pines was attempted.

Two agroforestry systems using Pinus radiata D.Don and sheep were developed. System I started in 1977 planting 8 ha at 2,5 x 7m spacing. Romney ewes were introduced in 1979 initially at a stocking rate of 5/ha. Prunnings were carried out in 1980, 1984 and 1986; thinnings were done in 1982,1984 and 1986, to 7m and 200 st/ha respectively.

System 2 used 20ha of conventional 2 x 2m forest planted in 1974. It was prunned and thinned in 1982,1984 and 1986 to Bm and 200 st /ha respectively and stocked initially with 4.7 Romney ewes/ha in 1983.