Livestock face complex foraging options associated with optimizing nutrient intake while being able to avoid areas posing risk of parasites or disease. Areas of tall nutrient-rich swards around fecal deposits may be attractive for grazing, but might incur fitness costs from parasites. We use the example of dairy cattle and the risks of tuberculosis transmission posed to them by pastures contami...

The dilution method is the principal tool used to infer in situ microzooplankton grazing rates. However, grazing is the only mortality process considered by the theoretical model underlying the interpretation of dilution method experiments. We show an alternative interpretation arises when there is concurrent niche competition within the plankton community. We find that grazing rates may be ove...

Profitability and factors affecting grazing season length were econometrically analyzed using a representative sample of Irish dairy farms. The objective of this study was to explore what potential exists on Irish dairy farms to extend the grazing season and to quantify the possible economic benefits that result from lengthening the grazing season. Regression results indicate that location fact...

We consider the problem of sweeping (or grazing) the inte-rior/exterior of a polygon by a exible rope whose one end point (anchor) is attached on the boundary of the polygon. We present a linear time algorithm to compute the grazing area inside a simple polygon. We show how to extend the algorithm for computing the internal grazing area, without increasing its time complexity, to compute the gr...

Livestock grazing is an important element in ecosystem regulation since it may affect essential functions, such as nutrient acquisition, organic matter decomposition, or litter accumulation the soil. Overgrazing can threaten conservation of ecosystems through excessive defoliation plants trampling. On contrary, moderate have benefits on dynamics by favoring cycling soil microbial activity. The ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of growing cattle when intensively grazing stockpiled endophyte-infected (E+), endophyte-free (E-), and nontoxic endophyte-infected (EN) tall fescue during the winter. The experiment was conducted over 5 consecutive winters. In each year, plots (1 ha each, 4 per treatment) were harvested for hay in August, fertilized in September, and ...

The effects of four main practices tillage versus no-tillage, and intensive grazing extensive grazing, applied in characteristic agricultural lands Crete Island were evaluated situ using nine soil quality indicators. following representative indicators the rapid visual assessment methodology adopted at European level context EU research project iSQAPER: susceptibility to water wind erosion, sur...

Grazing on natural rangelands, which are areas dominated by native vegetation that are used for livestock grazing, can achieve desired vegetation outcomes, preserve native habitat, and economically benefit multiple stakeholders. It is a powerful tool that can be manipulated to reduce wildlife declines and benefit ecosystems. However, the benefits of conservation grazing systems on many wildlife...

abstract over the last fifty years, most of the semi-arid rangeland in iran has been converted to cropland without an equivalent reduction in grazing animals. this shift has led to heavy grazing pressure on rangeland vegetation. the present study has been conducted in sisab research station in the north khorasan province to evaluate effects of long-term grazing exclosures on biodiversity of ran...