Forage

Forage is plant material eaten by grazing animals or harvested to feed livestock. It includes grasses, legumes, browse, and conserved crops such as hay and silage.

Pasture: Land covered with grasses or other plants used to feed grazing livestock. Pasture is the living landscape where much forage is grown and grazed.
Grazing: The feeding of livestock on standing plants in fields or other landscapes. Grazing lets animals harvest forage directly from the land.
Ruminant: A mammal with a specialized stomach that ferments plant material before digestion. Ruminants use microbial fermentation to obtain energy from fibrous forage.
Concentrate feed: Livestock feed rich in energy or protein and relatively low in structural fiber. Concentrates complement forage when forage alone does not meet an animal's needs.
Overgrazing: Grazing pressure intense enough to impair plant recovery or damage land. Excessive removal of forage can reduce future plant growth and expose soil.
Grass: A plant in the family Poaceae, including many species cultivated for grazing and hay. Grasses are among the most widely used forage plants.
Hay: Dried forage preserved for later use as animal feed. Hay stores forage by reducing moisture enough to limit spoilage.
Rumen: The first and largest compartment of a ruminant's stomach, where microbes ferment feed. Rumen microbes break down much of the structural material in forage.
Crop residue: Plant material left in fields after harvesting a crop for another purpose. Residues can be fed to livestock but are not usually grown primarily as forage.
Soil erosion: The removal of soil by water, wind, or other forces. Maintaining forage cover can protect soil from erosion.

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