Grazing—Distribution, Biodiversity, Animal Welfare and Forage Quality in Livestock Pasture Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Grasslands are one of the semi-natural ecosystems requiring human activity. Historically, many of them were developed to provide feed for livestock. Grasslands, however, were also used by wild animals because grazing is a natural form of feeding for all herbivorous species. Thus, grazing was an integral part of these ecosystems.

The grazing of animals around the world takes many forms and has different historical and cultural backgrounds, ranging from rangelands and silvopastoral systems to highly productive pastures providing fodder for livestock, e.g., dairy cattle. In the latter case, the species composition and the appropriate grazing date are the key elements determining the appropriate milk or meat yield. In all these systems, pastures provide fodder for animals, as well as ensuring their welfare. Dairy or meat products from animals grazing in pastures have a greater pro-health value than traditional food.

On the other hand, unmanaged, excessive grazing can degrade ecosystems and associated goods and services.

In recent decades, the approach to feeding livestock has been changing continuously, resulting in a reduction in grazing land. Land-use changes, including the abandonment of grazing and traditional farming practices, as well as secondary succession, are major threats to biodiversity.

Therefore, efforts should be made to restore traditional farming methods, including livestock grazing. Research on grazing in a changing world is also still essential. It should be added that new, modern grazing tools (virtual fences, drones, modeling) are now available to scientists and farmers.

Grazing is an integral part of semi-natural agricultural ecosystems. It can provide a platform for combining the welfare of farm animals, the protection of valuable natural habitats, preservation of biodiversity, human health, and much more

Dr. Mariusz Kulik
Prof. Dr. Piotr Stypiński
Prof. Dr. Anna Guðrún Þ Thórhallsdóttir
Guest Editors

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