Grassland degradation induces high dietary niche overlap between two common livestock: cattle and sheep

Abstract Introduction Diet selection of grazing livestock is one the critical factors affecting diversity and composition plant communities in grasslands, with consequent impacts for ecosystem functioning. Co‐grazing multiple species could create additive or complementary effects on due to diet overlap differentiation among species. However, there only limited knowledge about co‐occurring whether how these characteristics change grassland degradation. Materials Methods We experimentally test diets two commonly (cattle sheep) dietary niche partitioning/overlap between them non‐degraded, moderately severely degraded grasslands. Results Cattle exhibited broader than sheep, was lower non‐degraded As degradation increased availability annual plants, interspecific cattle sheep gradually increased, suffered a resulting compression. Sheep maintained relatively narrow constant breadth. Conclusion The increasing extent indicated co‐grazing community, thus stronger community diversity.