Livestock grazing

Livestock grazing is the feeding of domesticated animals on vegetation in pastures or rangelands. Its effects depend on animal behavior, grazing intensity, timing, and the resilience of the land.

Stocking rate: The number of livestock grazing a given area over a specified period. It sets how much vegetation animals can consume relative to available forage.
Pastoralism: A livelihood system centered on raising livestock through managed access to pasture and rangeland. It places grazing within societies organized around herding and animal products.
Soil erosion: The detachment and movement of soil by water, wind, or other forces. Heavy grazing can reduce plant cover that protects soil from erosion.
Confined animal feeding operation: A concentrated livestock production facility where animals are raised in confinement and feed is delivered. It contrasts open access to vegetation with feed delivered in an enclosed production system.
Carrying capacity: The population an environment can support over time without unacceptable resource depletion. It estimates how much livestock a pasture or rangeland can sustain.
Rangeland management: The stewardship of natural and semi-natural lands used for grazing and other purposes. It addresses how grazing fits alongside wildlife, water, and land conservation.
Desertification: Land degradation in drylands involving persistent declines in ecological productivity. Excessive grazing pressure can contribute to vegetation loss in vulnerable drylands.
Forage: Plant material eaten by grazing animals, including grasses, legumes, and browse. It is the feed resource livestock obtain directly from pasture and rangeland.
Rotational grazing: A grazing system that moves livestock among paddocks to manage forage use and recovery. It contrasts with continuous access by scheduling when animals graze each area.
Silvopasture: A land-use system that combines trees, forage, and livestock on the same area. It adds tree cover to grazing land while maintaining forage for animals.

Linked from 7 pages