Biological diversity of forest plant communities as a feed resource for beef cattle breeding (review)

Abstract

In the State Forest Fund and forests of rural territories of the Russian Federation the areas of hayfields and pastures are 4,3 and 2,3 million hectares. Annually, 22,5 million tons of herbage are harvested on forest lands, which is 4,5 million tons of hay. Forest soils of the Moscow region are characterized by high acidity, low content of nutrients, they need regular fertilization. In the Moscow region according to the type of soils they are divided into gray forest soils, which make up 6,1 % of all soils and sod-podzolic – 43,4 %. When livestock manure enters the soil during grazing, the pH of the soil becomes alkaline 8,0–9,0. Six-month compost of livestock manure with a moisture content of 80 %, left on forest pastures, exceeds the leaves’ litter in the amount of dry matter by 2,6 times, N (in % for absolutely dry matter) by 6,5 times, the amount of cement carbon (C) by 1,6 times, the amount of total nitrogen (N) by 16,8 times, but is inferior in the content of C (in % for absolutely dry matter) by 1,6 times. Deoxidation of soils promotes accelerated vegetation. The impact of livestock grazing on forest resources has both positive and negative effects on increasing the biodiversity of plant communities. Livestock grazing causes both harm and benefit to forest biological diversity. The harm is caused by unregulated use, the benefit of grazing brings as a source of organic fertilizers, restoring the cycle of C, P, N. Cattle also contributes to the loosening of the soil, the destruction of ticks, and it participates in the change of the plant composition of the forest to more valuable types of trees and shrubs.