As a major category of agroforestry, silvopasture systems, because of its diversity of products, great efficiency and environmental improvement, has been one of the most important practice for ecosystem rehabilitation in northwestern China. Because the outputs of the systems are affected immensely by designed components, interspecific interactions have been the focus of research in silvopasture systems. Above-ground interactions mean direct or indirect non-underground interactions between different species in a community, including microclimatic modification and biodiversity increase, effects among plant species, relationship between woody plants and livestock, etc. This review summarises current knowledge on above-ground interactions in silvopasture systems, discussing cases from research reports and drawing on experiences from practices in the world. In silvopasture systems, by decreasing solar radiation and heat dissipation, reducing evapotranspiration and air flow, and raising air humidity and snow cover, trees provide favorable microclimatic conditions for herbage and livestock; And in turn, herbage provide protection to trees, especially to seedlings, by increasing air humidity, reducing air and soil temperature variation. Herbage make some eco-physiological responses to the presence of trees, e.g. enhancing leaf area index and chlorophyll content, improving light use efficiency, reducing tillering and tillers′ relative growth, and delaying maturity. The yield and quality of forage depend on many factors, such as species, space arrangement and shade. Generally, solar radiation interception of woody plants may decrease forage yield, but improve quality of forage simultaneously. Both yield and quality of grass can be enhanced under the canopies of isolated trees in tropical savanna and near windbreaks on rangelands, because of favorable microclimate, and availability of soil water and nutrient. The yield and quality of forest products, and growth performance of trees are improved, by introducing lower competition forage, especially legume, into forests and orchards; However, due to severely competition for soil resource between woody plants and grass, opposite consequence usually occur in silvopasture systems on infertile sites. Silvopasture systems, with more species and components, provide abundant food, favorable habitat for predators, improving biodiversity and stability of silvopasture systems, that may contribute to eco-environmentally-friendly management of forests and orchards. In silvopasture systems involving livestock, while grazing of livestock can reduce competition from grass, animals′ gnawing and trampling also hurt the trees combined. Consequently, it is necessary that some equipments for trees defensing the mechanical damage of livestock, such as tree shelters and electric fences. The performance and welfare of livestock may be enhanced because of favorable conditions provided by trees. The knowledge aforementioned can provide some suggestions for component design, system optimizing, sustainable land use, alleviation of adverse interations and maximal outputs of silvopasture systems in China. The paper also suggests that more researches should be carried out further in physiological mechanisms of interspecific interactions, long-term and dynamic models of light utility between woody plants and herbage, biodiversity protection mechanism, some protective approaches for mechanical damage of animals, and the system responses to global climate change.