Soil Management for Pastures and Rangelands
Effects of Grazing Pressure on Plant Species
Grazing plants without providing opportunity for recovery is by definition overgrazing and is the primary reason that pasture and rangeland conditions deteriorate. Overgrazing can seriously damage the pasture sward and the soil beneath it. Overgrazing occurs when the grazing pressure exceeds the carrying capacity of the pasture. This condition is not really a function of how many animals are on a pasture, but how long they remain in the pasture. In grazing management, time is the most important factor to consider in establishing a grazing system for sustained forage production. Continuous grazing allows livestock to selectively graze the most palatable plants over and over. The problem with this isn’t necessarily in the selective grazing activity, but in the fact that the grazed plant does not get the time to regrow before it is grazed again. As plants begin to regrow, they place a significant amount of their energy into leaf growth, which can slow down or even halt root growth if too much leaf area is removed. During the time when plants are just starting to regrow, livestock will often heavily target the plants due to their fresh, succulent growth.
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