The structure and dynamics of insect community in grasslands can be influenced by grazing management via altered characteristics of plant community. However, attempts to better understand the complex relationships among plants, insects, and large herbivores is still hampered largely by the interactive effects of plants, insects, and large grazers on each other. In this study, we test the hypoth...

The intensification of dairying can have adverse impacts on the environment through diminished soil quality and greater loss of nutrients to water bodies. Poor soil quality can reduce the productivity and sustainability of pastoral farming systems. The effects of increased stocking rate (SR) (3, 4 and 5 cows/ha) and introducing a cut and carry system on soil, pasture and water quality were comp...

sion illustrates the difficulty that current researchers face in obtaining consensus from this generality. More than a century since Charles Darwin stated that diverse Species diversity is a hot topic in grassland ecology regrasslands produce more herbage than monocultures, scientists still search because the reported benefits of biodiversity apdebate the relationship between species diversity ...

Grazing management is a key element determining herbage production and grazing efficiency. This study measured herbage accumulation and grazing efficiency in Mombaça grass pastures (Panicum maximum cv. Mombaça) subjected to intermittent defoliation managements. Treatments were combinations of 2 rest periods (grazing at either 95 or 100% canopy light interception — LI) and 2 grazing intensities ...

Patch-burn grazing is a management framework that promotes heterogeneity in grasslands, similar to the structure grasslands birds evolved inhabiting. Published studies on patch-burn grazing have been conducted on large, contiguous grasslands and only one of these studies has investigated the reproductive success of grassland birds. We assessed the effects of patch-burn grazing (grazing, one thi...

Overgrazing is one of the most primary causes of desertification in semi-arid zones of China. From 1992 to 1994 we conducted a grazing experiment in Naiman (lat. 42◦58′N, long. 120◦43′E, 345 m asl), Inner Mongolia, China to elucidate desertification mechanisms. Our experimental field, which was covered with some short grasses, legumes and forbs, included four plots where grazing sheep numbers d...

Conservation policy often incentivizes managers of human-impacted areas to create landscape heterogeneity to maximize biodiversity. In rangeland, patchy disturbance regimes create landscape heterogeneity (patch contrast), but outcomes of heterogeneity-based management are rarely tested for a universal response. We analyzed four habitat variables – vegetation structure, plant functional group co...

The objective this research was to determine the effect of application of multiple grazing management practices at 2 stocking rates (SR) on the productivity and economics of the cow-calf enterprise in the Southeastern United States over a 4-yr period. Pasture management systems included: continuous grazing management at a moderate SR (0.8 ha/cow; CG) without additional forage management, rotati...

Quantitative study of species diversity across different land use units and districts is important to document status of local plant biodiversity, to evaluate impact of management and for planning future management. This study aimed at determining impacts of land use units on species diversity and spatial distribution of species in two districts of Borana zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Stratification ...