Many benefits have been obtained from rotational grazing, including management flexibility and livestock distribution, but long-term positive effects on plant and animal production have been inconsistent. The purpose of this case study was to investigate nutrient intake of animals in 2 production scale graxing treatments. The study site was the Texas Experimental Ranch located in Throckmorton C...

Two early- (EG) and two late-season (LG) corn-residue grazing trials were conducted either from October to December or from December to March (1987 and 1988) using both nonirrigated and irrigated fields. Initial availability, disappearance, and nutritive value of different corn residue components were estimated. Stocking rates were 1.97, 2.20, 1.36, and 2.58 animals/ha for the two EG and LG non...

While toxins from aquatic cyanobacteria are a well-recognised cause of disease in birds and animals, exposure of grazing livestock to terrestrial cyanobacteria has not been described. This study identified terrestrial cyanobacteria, predominantly Phormidium spp., in the biofilm of plants from most livestock fields investigated. Lower numbers of other cyanobacteria, microalgae and fungi were pre...

In Wisconsin, the prevalence of dairy and livestock farming has led to questions about how animal agriculture affects the environment. As of 2003, managed grazing was practiced on 23 percent of Wisconsin dairy farms (Taylor and Foltz 2006). Many farmers who practice managed grazing (graziers) have observed environmental benefits resulting from this management system. What have scientific studie...

Soil degradation caused by overgrazing is a worldwide problem. The degradation of an overutilized area occurs mainly where animals prefer to spend extra time because of the attractants that are around gateways, water sources, along fences or farm buildings. High grazing pressure decreases plant density which results in changes of the botanical composition of a pasture. The effect that grazing h...

The importance of plant species diversity on performance of livestock grazing temperate region pastures is summarized in this review. As livestock producers seek less capital-intensive production systems, emphasis is redirected toward low-input pasture systems that rely on complex species mixtures to produce forage. Increased plant species diversity has been linked to improvements in ecosystem ...

soil physical properties have an important role on vegetation growththrough affecting the development of root system. the aim of this study was toinvestigate the trampling effect of livestock grazing on soil physical properties andvegetation cover changes. the experiment was conducted on three range conditionsites (reference, key and critical area) with ten frequencies in hosseinabadekudistan i...

BACKGROUND A mixed methods study was undertaken in the Kachia Grazing Reserve of northern Nigeria. Surveys in March, June and October 2011 included focus group discussions, key informant and in-depth household interviews, concerning livelihood practices, animal health, ownership, and productivity. In May 2011, 249 Fulani families fleeing post-election violence entered the reserve with their liv...

     Forage production of rangelands differs during different times of grazing season and in the same month of different years. In range management projects, grazing capacity calculated once during the grazing season, which coincides with the maximum production of rangeland species. This may cause more livestock entry into the rangeland during the grazing season, leading to more degradation. Th...

Wells in grasslands are usually accompanied with increased traffic by humans and livestock. The purpose of this study was to detect whether plant community structure differs in spatial arrangement with different grazing gradients in the desert steppe of Mongolia. We found poor correlation between total coverage and distance-to-well in bigshrub and shrub-limited sites but strong correlation in t...