Balancing grazing and biodiversity: Arthropod responses to modern cattle farming practices

Summary

Ruminant production exerts severe pressure on ecosystems through land use change for pasture and fodder production, contributing to biodiversity loss, disruption of natural biogeochemical fluxes, and climate change. Whereas ruminant production can support biodiversity that has co-evolved with grasslands and grazing animals, the values of temporary grasslands are poorly understood. In this study, we assessed the effects of grazing regimes practised on modern cattle farms, including no grazing, on the abundance, biomass, and taxonomic richness of aerial and ground-dwelling arthropods. We assessed the potential value of organic management compared to grazing on conventional farms, and the role of vegetation structure on the pastures. We sampled arthropods in temporary pastures and silage gras