Conservation grazing
[2][3] Conservation grazing is generally less intensive than practices such as prescribed burning,[3] but still needs to be managed to ensure that overgrazing does not occur.
Conservation or monitored grazing has been implemented into regenerative agriculture programs to restore soil and overall ecosystem health of current working landscapes.
When grazers are removed, previously grazed lands may show a decline in both the density and the diversity of the vegetation loss of biodiversity, and wildfires.
As of 2017, approximately 20% of native grazing lands worldwide have been transformed into crops resulting in a 60% loss of soil carbon.
[5] Intensive grazing maintains an area as a habitat dominated by grasses and small shrubs, largely preventing ecological succession to forest.
[12] Extensive grazing also treats habitats dominated by grasses and small shrubs but does not prevent succession to forest, it only slows it down.
To lessen the effects of climate change within the agriculture system and encourage resilient farming, soil carbon sequestering, nutrient recycling, and promoting biodiversity is crucial.
A study by Loeser et al. showed that areas of high intensity grazing and grazer removal increased the biomass of nonnative introduced species.
This indicated that implementing controlled grazing methods would decrease the abundance of nonnatives in those plots that had not been properly managed.
[24] However, besides the effect on wild vegetation, rabbits destroy crops, compete with other herbivores, and can result in extreme ecological damage.
[24] Finally, grazing has demonstrated use in clearing dry brush to reduce the fire hazard of drought-stricken areas.
[26] Ephemeral wetlands degradation and loss of biodiversity had, at one point in time, been blamed on mismanaged grazing of both native and non-native ungulates and other grazers.
A study done by Jaymee Marty of The Nature Conservancy examined the effects on the vernal pools formed in California when grazers were removed.
The study also demonstrated reduced reproduction success of individual species in the area, such as the western spadefoot toad and California tiger salamander.
In other words, the historic ecosystem, theoretically, would have responded positively to the removal of cattle grazing, however, the system has adapted to the European introduced species and now may require them for maintained diversity.
The program should have a clear statement of the kind of animal, timing and rate of grazing necessary to suppress troublesome plants and maintain a healthy landscape.
Well-developed targeted grazing objectives and an adaptive management plan that takes into account other control strategies need to be in place.
