Grazing livestock interactions with upland and montane biodiversity

Abstract

Sheep and cattle interact with arthropods (e.g., insects and spiders) and small vertebrates (e.g., passerine birds and small mammals) directly and indirectly by the removal of vegetation during grazing, the trampling of vegetation and soil, and the deposition of excreta, associated with the redistribution of nutrients. The cold and wet upland and montane biotopes have low productivity, and grazing by free-ranging domestic livestock alters structure more than botanical composition of the vegetation in these biotopes over short periods (one to three years). In contrast to productive lowland or intensified upland pastures, upland and montane biotopes include patches of vegetation with a high proportion of leaf litter associated with plant species that are unpalatable or of poor nutritional value for grazers.