Summary
This Special Issue review synthesises evidence on how domestic and wild herbivore grazing affects vegetation biodiversity, plant functional diversity, and ecosystem services across multiple habitat types. The authors demonstrate that grazing effects are strongly context-dependent, mediated by three interacting factors: herbivore identity, grazing intensity, and vegetation type. The paper calls for long-term experiments across underrepresented regions and integration of indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge to improve sustainable grazing management.
Regional applicability
The findings are directly applicable to UK upland and grassland management, where extensive grazing regimes are used for conservation. The emphasis on context-dependent responses and the need to consider herbivore identity and intensity is relevant to UK moorland, chalk grassland, and pasture restoration programmes, though the review likely includes case studies from varied climatic regions beyond UK conditions.
Key measures
Plant species composition, functional diversity of vegetation, ecosystem services (biomass production, carbon sequestration), herbivore identity effects, grazing intensity gradients, vegetation type responses
Outcomes reported
This Special Issue synthesises research on how grazing and browsing by wild and domestic herbivores affect plant composition, functional diversity, and ecosystem functioning across different contexts. The analysis identifies three major factors—herbivore identity, grazing intensity, and vegetation type—that mediate the diversity and functional patterns of grazed vegetation.
Topic tags
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