Cattle grazing and its role in ecosystem biodiversity

Materials and Methods

To conduct this study, the researchers conducted a five-year field experiment in one of the largest and most grazed grasslands on earth, in northeastern China, in collaboration with Northeast China University.This long-term grazing experiment was initiated in 2008 with a randomized block design. Six sites (blocks) were selected. Each site was divided into four plots. Four grazing treatments were randomly administered amongst these:

• no grazing (NG)
• sheep grazing (SG)
• cattle grazing (CG)
• and mixed grazing by sheep and cattle (MG).

The same livestock biomass per unit area was applied in all of the grazing treatments to control grazing intensity while testing the effects of livestock diversity on biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Researchers used DNA sequencing techniques and evaluated the effects of grazing from a single species (cows or sheep) and mixed species of cattle (cows and sheep) on the biodiversity of plants, insects, soil microbes and multiple ecosystem functions.

Results

• The obtained results revealed that when increasing the diversity of grazing livestock species (cows, sheep, etc) it is possible to “promote the biodiversity of plants and insects,within grazing ecosystems. Which will indirectly enhance the multiple ecosystem services, that are regulated by this biodiversity”.
• Cattle and sheep exhibit distinctive feeding modes and preferences which can exert a synergistic and complementary effect on vegetation structure.
• Diversifying livestock may provide a wider variety of niches for insects and soil organisms compared with single livestock. This suggests that mixing livestock species, at a given animal density, can be a tool for managing grasslands and conserve biodiversity.
• Regulating and promoting various ecosystem services, will in turn enhance human well-being and it sustainability.

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Source : Abstract taken from “Diversifying livestock promotes multidiversity and multifunctionality in managed grasslands”