Traditional Grazing Research Articles

Transhumance in Sierra de Segura (Spain): A resilient traditional grazing system

Transhumance is tending to continuously decline globally, despite persisting in certain regions. Due to marked lack of knowledge about this practice and its cultural, economic, and environmental significance, our study aimed to identify the factors that contribute to the persistence of transhumance. We focused on ruminant herds of a transhumant community in the Santiago-Pontones municipality in Sierra de Segura, Spain. We processed official data from ruminant livestock enterprises and incorporated insights gained as observer-participants during seven transhumant displacements from 2016 to 2023. The census included 55042 ruminant heads and 118 herds, and 70 % of animals and 61 % of herds practiced transhumance. These herds wintered in pastures located within a range from 33 to 176 linear kilometers from their respective origins that span 15 municipalities. Significant differences were observed between sedentary and transhumant farm sizes (363 vs. 533 heads, respectively). Transhumance correlated significantly with herd size, number of sheep, percentage of female goats and number of ruminant species in herds. Women owned 19 % of ruminant enterprises, with no differences in herd structure or displacement type compared to those owned by men. Of the transhumant herds, 66 % traveled on foot, with no significant differences in herd structure parameters or distances based on their transport system, except that on-foot transhumant herds commenced their displacements earlier than those using trucks. In conclusion, our study outlines an active transhumant community in southeast Spain, whose resilience is a noteworthy asset that deserves recognition and safeguarding.

On the occurrence of the Dragon leech Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816 (Annelida, Hirudinea) in Sardinia (Italy)

In recent decades, medicinal leeches of the genus Hirudo have experienced a sharp decline throughout their distribution range due to their overexploitation for medical use and habitat alteration. Such a phenomenon is not fully understood because of the complex taxonomy of the genus, which remained unsettled until the beginning of the XXI century, when the implementation of DNA taxonomy allowed for a better understanding of the diversity of the genus and the distribution ranges of Hirudo species. Only the Mediterranean medicinal leech Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 is currently reported to occur in Italy and its major islands, although records of other Hirudo species have been reported in the literature. In this study, we report the occurrence of the Dragon leech Hirudo troctina Johnson, 1816 in Sardinia and provide its molecular characterization. In addition, based on a review of the existing literature and museum collections, we provide an ample synopsis of the available evidence regarding the occurrence of the species on the island. Hirudo troctina proved to be widespread and abundant in Sardinia during the XIX century but became rarer and rarer in the XX and XXI centuries possibly due to its overexploitation for medicinal use and export in mainland Europe, the abandonment of traditional grazing practices, and the decline of wetland habitats and amphibian populations. Currently, the only recently validated occurrence sites of the species are the water bodies of the “Giara di Gesturi”, a basaltic plateau in central-southern Sardinia. No corroborated evidence of the possible occurrence of other Hirudo species on the island was found. A better understanding of Hirudo troctina distribution in Sardinia will allow the amelioration of its protection and management practices, also under the provisions of the European “Habitats Directive”, where the H. medicinalis species complex is listed in Annex V.

Grazing effects on vegetation: Biodiversity, management, and restoration

AbstractIn many regions, wild large herbivores have maintained open landscapes up to and including historic times, but, more recently, have been largely replaced by domestic livestock. By employing extensive and traditional grazing and browsing regimes, conservation actions support biodiversity and recovery in natural and degraded areas. However, grazing also plays other important ecological roles, for example, in the maintenance and/or recovery of important ecosystem services, such as biomass production and carbon sequestration. Understanding herbivore effects on plant composition and functional diversity, and ecosystem functioning and services, is essential for informing ecological theory and practice. The current Special Issue highlights that the effects of grazing on vegetation are strongly context‐dependent. The articles identify at least three major factors acting in concert, which are responsible for contrasting diversity and functional patterns of vegetation subjected to herbivores: (i) herbivore identity; (ii) grazing intensity; and (iii) vegetation type. Insights from this Special Issue imply that long‐term experiments across different habitat types and in underrepresented regions are needed to provide valuable information for grazing planning and management. They also demonstrate that integrating indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge, and considering socio‐economic contexts, can provide opportunities for improving sustainable grazing management.

Extending grazing time during the warm season can reduce P limitation and increase the N cycling rate in arid desert steppes

Ecological stoichiometry serves as a valuable tool for comprehending biogeochemical cycles within grassland ecosystems. The impact of grazing time on the concentration and stoichiometric characteristics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in desert steppe ecosystems remains ambiguous. This research was carried out in a desert grassland utilizing a completely randomized experimental design. Four distinct grazing time treatments were implemented: fenced grassland (FG, control), delay to start and early to end grazing grassland (DEG), delay to start grazing grassland (DG), and traditional grazing grassland (TG). The patterns of C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry in various components of the ecosystem, as well as their driving factors under different grazing times were examined. The results showed that grazing time positively influenced C and N concentrations in leaves, while negatively affecting N concentrations in roots. TG had a significant positive effect on soil P concentrations but a negative effect on soil C:P and N:P ratios. Plant C:N, C:P, and N: P ratios were mainly influenced by N and P. The soil C:N ratio was primarily influenced by soil N, the soil C:P ratio was affected by both soil C and P, and the soil N:P ratio was influenced by both soil N and P. The growth of plants in desert steppes is mainly limited by P; however, as grazing time increased, P limitation gradually decreased and the N cycling rate increased. C-N, C-P, and N-P in various plant organs and soils demonstrated significant anisotropic growth relationships at different grazing times. Soil organic carbon, pH, and soil total phosphorus were the main driving factors that affected changes in ecological C:N:P stoichiometry. These results will help improve grassland management and anticipate the response of grassland systems to external disturbances with greater accuracy.

Prevalence of Foetal Wastage in Jalingo Abattoir: A Retrospective Study

Indiscriminate slaughter of pregnant animals in the abattoir often results to wastage of foetuses. This study investigated the prevalence of foetal wastage in Jalingo abattoir. The study is an eleven years’ retrospective study (2012 - 2022). The data for the study were obtained from the abattoir records for the study period. The study examined the number of cows slaughtered and the number of foetuses wasted in the abattoir as well as the seasonal variation in the prevalence of foetal wastage. Out of the total of 163,647 cattle slaughtered in the abattoir, 141,607 (86.5%) were cows. A total of 17,220 (12.2%) foetuses were wasted within the study period. About 6.4% of foetal wastages occurred in the dry season and 5.8% occurred in the rainy season. The study also found out that for every 8 cows slaughtered in the abattoir 1 foetus is wasted. It is recommended that pregnancy examination of cows should be carried out by experts such as veterinarians before slaughter and that farmers should use alternative means of feeding their animals such as hay as against the traditional grazing which often result to selling off even pregnant animals when there is scarcity of feed which has effect on cattle population in the study area.

A many-objective optimization approach for weight gain and animal welfare in rotational grazing of cattle

The “multidimensional” nature of the concept of welfare is reflected in the definition proposed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), according to which an animal is in a satisfactory state of welfare when it is healthy, comfortable, and well-fed, can express its innate behavior, and does not suffer pain, fear, or distress. Many of these aspects, in the real context of a cattle farm, are not considered, and most of the farmers’ decisions are based on their experiences. In this proposal, we establish a many-objective optimization model for rotational grazing allocation based on six objectives that consider cattle weight gain and travel, as well as their welfare. The model is solved using the NSGA-III algorithm, and its performance is evaluated using a simulation study of 90 days of rotational grazing in which it is compared with the traditional grazing strategy. Average weight gains of up to 36.7 kg per animal are achieved at the end of the three months of simulated grazing using the proposed model. The results indicate that the allocation model generates an average weight gain that is statistically greater than that generated by the traditional rotation method but also guarantees improved animal welfare, the main contribution of our approach.

Forage Preference, Voluntary Intake, and In Vivo Digestibility of Six Tropical Tree Leaves by Sheep in Semi-Arid Areas in Benin Republic (West Africa)

Livestock supplementation with forage trees is becoming a sustainable alternative to traditional grazing on the open pastures during the dry season in Benin. However, little is known about the feeding preferences of sheep and the digestibility of such native tree/shrub fodder. Such knowledge could improve their use on smallholder farms. Multiple-choice feeding preference tests were conducted on six tree fodders (Annona senegalensis, Blighia sapida, Cassia sieberiana, Gmelina arborea, Khaya senegalensis, and Mangifera indica) to determine the best choice to feed the local rams and ewe Djallonke sheep. The cafeteria test involved four rams and four ewes. In addition, an in vivo trial using metabolic cages was conducted to evaluate the voluntary intake of dried woody leaves and the dry matter digestibility of diets containing these dried leaves. Preferences varied significantly (p ≤ 0.05) according to the woody species. Based on relative intake values, sheep preferred, in decreasing order, the leaves of M. indica, B. sapida, K. senegalensis, G. arborea, A. senegalensis, and C. sieberiana. The apparent digestibility of dry matter was highest (p ≤ 0.01) in the G. arborea diet (86.8%); all diets presented a value higher than 70%. This study provided helpful information about better resource utilization to improve animal productivity. Further study could evaluate the growth performance of sheep supplemented with tree fodder.

Transcriptomics and metabolomics analysis reveal the dietary copper deficiency and supplementation effects of liver gene expression and metabolite change in grazing sheep.

The appropriate mineral nutrients are essential for sheep growth and reproduction. However, traditional grazing sheep often experience mineral nutrient deficiencies, especially copper (Cu), due to inadequate mineral nutrients from natural pastures. The results indicated that dietary Cu deficiency and supplementation significantly reduced and elevated liver concentration of Cu, respectively (p < 0.05). FOXO3, PLIN1, ACTN2, and GHRHR were identified as critical genes using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) validation as potential biomarkers for evaluating Cu status in grazing sheep. Combining these critical genes with gene functional enrichment analysis, it was observed that dietary Cu deficiency may impair liver regeneration and compromise ribosomal function. Conversely, dietary Cu supplementation may enhance ribosomal function, promote lipid accumulation, and stimulate growth and metabolism in grazing sheep. Metabolomics analysis indicated that dietary Cu deficiency significantly decreased the abundance of metabolites such as cholic acid (p < 0.05). On the other hand, dietary Cu supplementation significantly increased the abundance of metabolites such as palmitic acid (p < 0.05). Integrative analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome revealed that dietary Cu deficiency may reduce liver lipid metabolism while Cu supplementation may elevate it in grazing sheep. The Cu content in diets may have an impact on hepatic lipid metabolism in grazing sheep. These findings provide new insights into the consequences of dietary Cu deficiency and supplementation on sheep liver and can provide valuable guidance for herders to rationalize the use of mineral supplements.

Effects of different rearing systems on carcase traits, physicochemical properties, basic chemical composition, fatty acid profiles and amino acid profiles of Gangba lamb

This study aimed to explore the influence of feeding regimens on carcase traits and meat quality of Gangba lambs. Thirty healthy Gangba ram lambs at nine months of age and an average body weight of 14.08 ± 0.79 kg were randomly distributed into three treatment groups (10 replicates per group). The groups are as follows: a grazing (G) group without any supplementation and housing; a semi-grazing (SG) group provided with 200–300 g of concentrates and free access to oat hay off-pasture; and a stall-feeding (SF) group with 400–500 g of concentrates and free access to oat hay. The experiment lasted 85 d, comprising a 10-d adaptation period and a 75-d experimental period. Results showed that significant differences in carcase weight existed among groups, respectively, with the SF group having the highest weights and the G group having the lowest weights (p < 0.05). The pH45min and pH24h in the G group were significantly higher than that in the SG group (p < 0.05). Muscles from the G and SG groups had higher erucic acid (22:1n-9), α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3), and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA-c9t11 and CLA-t10c12) than the SF group (p < 0.05). The G group had a lower concentration of proline (Pro) than the SF group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the feeding systems had no effects on chemical composition and little influence on amino acid composition. The traditional grazing rearing and SG systems improved lamb meat quality by increasing the presence of beneficial fatty acids. In contrast, the SF regimen improved the carcase weight of Gangba lambs without increasing their meat quality compared to the grazing rearing and SG systems. The directions of future efforts for breeders are to improve carcase traits (like carcase weight) of lambs in both natural grazing and SG systems, as well as the meat quality of lambs raised in feedlots.

Just graze it! Biodiversity, nectar and forage resources in cultural landscapes grazed by different livestock species

ABSTRACT The Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve encompasses a heterogeneous landscape which provides numerous ecosystem services. Semi-natural grasslands provide forage for traditionally managed livestock and are important sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators. However, these services are not evenly distributed due to different biotic and abiotic constraints of the fjord landscape, which stretches from flat coastal areas to steep hills and mountains inland. We studied how geographic location and grazing livestock type affect the plant species richness, plant functional group composition, nectar and forage resources of these grasslands. We recorded plant species percentage cover in 30 fields in the Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve grazed by sheep, goats or cattle, and from these data we calculated indicator values for forage and nectar resource using species index values from existing trait databases. Sites grazed by cattle had significantly different plant functional group compositions than sites grazed by sheep or goats, independent of geographical location. Forage resource indicator values were lower at coastal sites grazed by sheep. We found a weak but significant positive correlation between nectar resource indicator value and plant species richness, as well as between nectar and forage resource indicator values. Type of livestock and geographical location are not the only factors influencing provisioning services in semi-natural grasslands. Nonetheless, traditional grazing maintains ecosystem service delivery even in low-productive coastal areas. Forage resource, nectar provision and plant species richness appear to be bundled, providing clear guidance for managing ecosystem services in Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s valuable cultural landscapes.

Richness and Abundance of Soil Seed Bank in Dif ferent Agroecosystems in Central Veracruz, Mexico

The soil seed bank is key to plant succession. However, agricultural activities have had a great impact on the vegetation and its composition. The aim was to determine the soil seed bank in dif ferent grazing agroecosystems in the central part of Veracruz state, Mexico. Richness, abundance, diversity, equity, dominance and similarity of the species were quantified and compared among four agroecosystems (silvopastoral, pasture-trees, traditional grazing, and Acahual or secondary vegetation) in Veracruz, Mexico during the year 2017. Samples were collected. of soil at two depths (0-5, &gt; 5-10 cm). A statistical dif ference was found in the seed bank (P &lt; 0.05) in silvopastoral at both depths, 0-5 (H’ = 2.13) and 5-10 (H’ = 1.86). Equity and dominance were higher for this agroecosystem (0.86) and for Acahual (0.58) with statistical dif ferences (P &lt; 0.05). No statistical dif ferences were found at sites between depths (P &gt; 0.05). Similarity was greater than 50% at all sites and increased with soil depth. The evidence suggests that the greatest diversity of the seed bank was in silvopastoral from 0 to 5 cm deep. The seed bank has potential for the restoration of vegetation, mainly herbaceous, and can promote the development of shrubs and trees, despite the management of cattle ranching sites.

Proteomic Analysis Reveals the Effects of Different Dietary Protein Levels on Growth and Development of Jersey-Yak

Jersey-yak is a hybrid offspring of Jersey cattle and yak (Bos grunniens). Changing the feeding system of Jersey-yak can significantly improve its growth performance. In this study, tandem mass tag (TMT) proteomics technology was used to determine the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) of the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle of Jersey-yak fed different protein levels of diet. The results showed that compared with the traditional grazing feeding, the growth performance of Jersey-yaks was significantly improved by crude protein supplementation after grazing. A total of 3368 proteins were detected in these muscle samples, of which 3365 were quantified. A total of 434 DEPs were identified. Through analyses, it was found that some pathways related to muscle growth and development were significantly enriched, such as Rap1 signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, and TGF-beta signaling pathway. A number of DEPs enriched in these pathways are related to muscle cell development, differentiation, and muscle development, including integrin subunit alpha 7 (ITGA7), myosin heavy chain 8 (MYH8), and collagen type XII alpha 1 chain (COL12A1). In conclusion, the results of this study provide insights into the proteomics of different feeding patterns of Jersey-yak, providing a stronger basis for further understanding the biological mechanism of hybrid varieties.

A comprehensive study on the longissius dorsi muscle of Ashdan yaks under different feeding regimes based on transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Yak is an important dominant livestock species at high altitude, and the growth performance of yak has obvious differences under different feeding methods. This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of different feeding practices on growth performance and meat quality of yaks through combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses. In terms of yak growth performance, compared with traditional grazing, in-house feeding can significantly improve the average daily weight gain, carcass weight and net meat weight of yaks; in terms of yak meat quality, in-house feeding can effectively improve the quality of yak meat. A combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis revealed 31 co-enriched pathways, among which arginine metabolism, proline metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism may be involved in the development of the longissimus dorsi muscle of yak and the regulation of meat quality-related traits. The experimental results increased our understanding of yak meat quality and provided data materials for subsequent deep excavation of the mechanism of yak meat quality.

Long-term vegetation responses to climate depend on the distinctive roles of rewilding and traditional grazing systems

ContextThe abandonment of traditional practices has transformed agro-pastoral systems, leading to a more frequent occurrence of passive rewilding of Mediterranean landscapes. Reconstructing ecosystem responses to climate under different grazing conditions (i.e., wild, and domestic ungulates) is important to understand the future of these ecosystems.ObjectivesHere we study the different roles of domestic and wild herbivory in defining the climate-vegetation interaction. Specifically, we evaluated (1) the effect of climate on primary productivity at the landscape scale and (2) the long-term trends of vegetation biomass in response to passive rewilding or maintenance of traditional grazing systems.MethodsThis study was carried out in South-eastern Spain. We used satellite images to generate NDVI time series that proxy primary productivity and vegetation biomass. We combined the NDVI and climate data from two key landscapes: one with wild ungulates and another predominantly with domestic ungulates.ResultsWe detected a secondary succession process in areas with only wild ungulates. In domestic herbivory areas, vegetation biomass remained constant throughout time (30 years). In domestic herbivory areas temperature and seasonal precipitation affected primary productivity. In areas with only wild herbivory, primary productivity was mainly driven by annual precipitation, and it was less dependent on seasonal precipitation.ConclusionThese results highlight the distinctive roles of herbivores in defining Mediterranean landscapes' adaptability to climate, through passive rewilding or traditional livestock use. Maintaining both ecosystems can enhance landscape heterogeneity and ecological sustainability in a context of climatic changes.

Assessing the environmental impacts of beef production chains integrating grazing and landless systems

Livestock production systems contribute significantly to environmental impacts at the global level, and meat consumption is projected to increase with the population. There is a need to reduce the impact of food production, including that from beef systems. Different production systems, ranging from traditional grazing to landless systems, coexist within the beef sector. Among these, mixed systems have emerged as a promising alternative. These mixed systems typically involve adult cattle in grazing systems alongside fattening calves in landless systems, potentially achieving higher productivity while reducing the overall environmental impacts. The first step towards proposing mitigation strategies involves identifying the impacts of the sector. This study aimed to estimate the main environmental impacts of four types of mixed beef systems based on the origin of the calves that are raised, fattened, and slaughtered. Using life cycle assessment, the study evaluated the environmental impacts from the cradle to the slaughterhouse gate, expressed per kilogram of carcass weight. The four systems assessed include suckler cow farms that fatten their own offspring (beef single farm, BSF), a system in which calves raised on a suckler farm are fattened on a different farm (beef fattening unit, BFU), and systems in which dairy calves are fattened on growing units, with calves either from Spain (dairy national, DN) or from farms located abroad (dairy abroad, DA). Primary data were obtained from representative surveys of farmers and slaughterhouses, and allocation between co-products was performed according to the updated guidelines of Environmental Product Declarations and the Product Category Rules for meat. Seven environmental impact categories were assessed: climate change, marine eutrophication, freshwater eutrophication, stratospheric ozone depletion, terrestrial acidification, photochemical ozone formation on ecosystems, and photochemical ozone formation on human health. The results indicate that meat production from BSF and BFU has greater environmental impacts than that from DN and DA systems, primarily due to the lower environmental burden allocated to dairy calves, whereas the contribution of slaughterhouse activities to the environmental impacts was minimal. This study highlights the importance of mitigating the environmental impacts associated with feed production, enteric fermentation, and manure management in beef systems. Future studies should consider potential environmental benefits of grazing animals such as carbon sequestration and biodiversity promotion.

Assessment the Goat Value Chain in Mid Hills of Nepal

Goat value chain development and analysis is a recently introduced activity for enabling goat production activities to link to the market network. In Nepal, goat production is repeatedly reported rather traditional than commercial. The production volume of goat is the main drawback of goat value chain development in Nepal. Despite the visible market opportunities in the meat sub-sectors, the country has been unable to take advantage of the situation for various reasons. Some of the reasons include production constraints compounded by farmers' socioeconomic and institutional issues and their relationship with the market as a driving force. The study was conducted in six districts (Rolpa, Rukum, Salyan, Pyuthan, Gulmi and Argakhachi) using participatory value chain analysis tools as well as households survey. Total 120 goat producer households survey was done in six districts whereas 30 goat collectors, 30 wholesalers’/regional traders and 30 butchers/retailers surveyed were done. Total sample size of this value chain study of goat sub-sector was 300. It was understood that goat production system in the study area was traditional and the main drawback of value chain is the smaller production volume of goat. When market situation analyzed, it was learnt that there was no systematic marketing system attained by the farmers due to smaller production volume, though the goats contributed almost half of the livestock heads per household (6-8 heads/HH). Mainly the local breeds of goat (Khari) were reared by the farmers with some sorts of crossbreeding with improved breeds such as Jamunapari in Salyan and Rukum. Moreover, the prolificacy of goat was found poor than the average of the Khari goat, where twinning was only 50% as responded by the farmers. Likewise, the grazing system was also of traditional and goats were managed under sedentary system (semi-intensive by almost 60% farmers) and frequent feeding of concentrates in small amount was customary. The natural and traditional grazing habitats such as community forests and pasturelands were used extensively. Almost 40% of the respondents were positive to raise goats in a flock size of 15-25 in a given set of circumstances of support from the agencies, obviously larger flocks might require heavy investments for a level of family income. Later the cost of production and the existing marketing system of goat subsector was analyzed and found that the farmer’s profit is dominated by the profit of the t wholesalers and butchers, even though the profit share of farmers was almost one third of the production cost (250 NPR/kg live weight). Total market margin for live weight per kg goat was found about NRP 193 from study area to national market hubs. The market margin/profit gained by the farmers was almost 41%, 20% for local collectors, 60% for regional goat traders/wholesalers and 17% to the regional/national butchers/retailers. There is a need to follow a more integrated approach by investigating challenges and opportunities from production to consumption along a value chain, while also addressing policy and institutional aspects affecting goat production.

Ecological Change and Livestock Governance in a Peruvian National Park

While the grazing of livestock has occurred for millennia in the Andes, current sustainability debates center on concerns with co-managing climate change and pastoralism. These discussions have special resonance in places protected by the state for biodiversity, scenery, and sustainable and traditional land uses, such as those found in protected areas and biosphere reserves. For this article, we integrate data from a social-ecological research project on the land use systems that affect high-elevation ecosystems in Peru’s Huascarán National Park, with special emphasis on the wetlands. We used land cover and land use data and insights from interactions with pastoralists to show that (1) wet meadows dominate the lower reaches of the park, while peatlands predominate above 4000 m elevation; (2) wet meadows are most useful for traditional grazing systems, while the peatlands are especially susceptible to trampling by livestock; and (3) there is limited ecological space at the highest elevations for the successful future upward relocation of either land use or potential habitats for species identified as of concern. We explore the implications of these findings for the adaptive strategies of biophysical and social processes in terms of livelihoods and biodiversity in and around a protected area. We conclude that there are many additional opportunities to be explored to inform the management of ecosystem services and provide improvements for the adaptive capacity of communities and park managers.

The dynamics of vegetation diversity and biomass under traditional grazing in Ethiopia's Somali rangeland.

Traditional grazing management practices are central to rangeland productivity and biodiversity. However, the degradation of rangelands and loss of ecosystem services have raised concerns about the future of pastoralism as a form of land use. It is imperative to understand how these practices influence vegetation attributes, e.g., herbaceous species diversity and composition, growth forms (grass, forbs), life form (annuals, perennials), tree metrics (density, canopy cover, and biomass). This study evaluates vegetation shifts under three grazing management practices-enclosures, open grazing, and browsing lands-in the Somali pastoral ecosystem of Ethiopia. Enclosures exhibited the highest diversity in herbaceous species, with open grazing lands favoring forbs and annuals. Distinct compositional shifts in herbaceous species were observed across regimes, especially in grass and annuals. Enclosures had three times higher herbage biomass of open grazing and double that of browsing management practice. Conversely, browsing management practices presented optimal wood biomass, density, and canopy cover. The results highlight that a transition to combined enclosure and browsing practices can elevate plant production and diversity, benefiting the Somali rangeland economy. Consequently, dryland restoration should incorporate indigenous knowledge to ensure future rangeland sustainability and biodiversity preservation.

Fertilization can accelerate the pace of soil microbial community response to rest-grazing duration in the three-river source region of China.

Overgrazing leads to grassland degradation and productivity decline. Rest-grazing during the regreen-up period can quickly restore grassland and fertilization is a common restoration strategy. However, the effects of rest-grazing time and fertilization on soil microorganisms are unclear in the alpine grasslands. Therefore, the experiment of rest-grazing time and fertilization was carried out to explore the response of soil microorganisms to rest-grazing time and fertilization measures. A field control experiment with rest-grazing time and fertilization as factors have been conducted from the time when grass returned to green till the livestock moved to the summer pasture in Dawu Town of Maqin County of China. The primary treatment we established was the five rest-grazing time, including rest-grazing time of 20 days, 30 days, 40 days, 50 days, and traditional grazing was used as a check group. At the same time, the secondary treatment was nitrogen addition of 300 kg·hm-2 in each primary treatment. The results showed that the total phospholipid fatty acid (total PLFA), actinomyces (Act), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) showed an ever-increasing biomass with the increase of rest-grazing time and the highest was at 50 days of rest-grazing, and they were all significantly higher than CK. In addition, soil microbial biomass carbon-nitrogen ratio (MBC/MBN) had great influence on the change of microbial community. Applying nitrogen fertilizer can increase the maximum value of biomass of all PLFA groups and the biomass of all PLFA groups changed in an "inverted V" shape with the increase of rest-grazing time. Besides, instead of MBC/MBN, NO3 --N was positively correlated with the biomass of all PLFA groups, which actively regulated the trend of microbial functions. The longer rest-grazing time is more conducive to the biomass of all PLFA groups. However, applying nitrogen fertilizer could break this pattern, namely, the 30 days rest-grazing would be beneficial to the biomass of all PLFA groups. These findings provide key information that rest-grazing during the regreen-up period is benefiscial to the all PLFA groups and fertilization could change the response of microorganisms to rest-grazing, which provide reference measures for the restoration of degraded alpine meadows.

The legacy effects of grazing and precipitation variability on grassland productivity in a temperate steppe

Livestock grazing have been observed to influence plant productivity and community composition in a variety of grassland ecosystems. However, it is still unclear how the influence of grazing might be exaggerated or mediated by the environment, and particularly by annual precipitation. We conducted a fourteen-year grazing experiment to compare the influence of traditional grazing regime against a no grazing treatment on previously grazed plots. Removing grazing pressure increased plant aboveground net primary productivity [ANPP] across the whole community. This increase was driven by increases in productivity in forbs, potentially due to relaxing herbivory pressure normally brought on by grazing. On average, net primary productivity increased across the entire plant community when grazing pressures were released, though there was not a significant increase in productivity of graminoids. We did observe, however, that a lack of grazing could decrease the ANPP of graminoids, potentially by allowing for a greater competitive influence of forbs. Removing grazing increased the logarithmic response ratios [LRRs] of both the whole community and forbs, regardless of precipitation. Current-year community-wide ANPP [ANPPn] was positively associated with current-year precipitation [PPTn] in both grazed and un-grazed fields, and we considered this to be largely driven by a positive relationship between rainfall and forb productivity. Interestingly, grazing alone did not influence the LRRs of graminoids over time, potentially suggesting that the long-term legacy influence of past grazing regimes is of greater importance than the acute grazing conducted during the experiment. We did find, however, that precipitation had variable influence on the relationship between grazing and LRR of graminoids. The removal of grazing was a more powerful influence on graminoid LRR during wetter years. We also found that the ANPPn of graminoids was positively associated with both PPTn and prior-year ANPP [ANPP n-1] of graminoids in both grazed and un-grazed fields, potentially due to its asexual reproduction via belowground meristems. Our results suggest that forbs are more sensitive to grazing and precipitation variability than graminoids, and cessation of grazing may be an appropriate management regime to increase community productivity and potentially associated ecosystem functions to prevent further grassland degradation.