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We report a kind of coiled-up meta-liners with nonuniform cross sections (CMNC), which can efficiently attenuate low-frequency sound waves under grazing flow with a deep subwavelength thickness (e.g., ∼λ/17 at 500 Hz). At a grazing flow Mach number of 0.26, the average transmission loss of the meta-liner is 12.6 dB at 500–1000 Hz, which is twice as much as that of a double-degree-of-freedom acoustic liner of the same size. Physically, the nonuniform cross-sectional distribution and significant cross-sectional area ratio enhances vortex shedding, thus resulting in severe acoustic energy dissipation. The excellent low-frequency acoustic attenuation performance of CMNC is investigated thoroughly with experimental, theoretical, and numerical methods. This work provides an avenue for low-frequency noise reduction in grazing flow scenarios (e.g., in a high bypass ratio turbofan engine). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) use animals to graze crop residues or cover crops before planting fresh produce and provide ecosystem services to support organic vegetable production. However, there is a risk of foodborne pathogen transfer to fresh produce because grazing may introduce enteric foodborne pathogens into the soil via animal feces, which may subsequently be transferred to the produce. Methods: To examine the effect of cover crop use and the risk of cover crop grazing on the contamination of soil and produce by foodborne pathogens in ICLS, a three-year (2019–2021) experimental study was conducted in organically managed plots, which were assigned three different treatments (fallow without cover crop or grazing, cover crop without grazing, or cover crop with grazing by sheep) in a maize/tomato rotation. During the three years of the experiment, a total of 184 pre- and post-graze fecal samples and 96 samples of tomatoes were collected to test for foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli O157, non-O157 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria (L.) monocytogenes). Soil samples were collected monthly until 126–171 days after grazing (824 in total) to examine the presence of foodborne pathogens, and generic E. coli (MPN/g) was quantified to compare its persistence among the three treatments. Results and Discussion: We did not detect any foodborne pathogens from harvested tomatoes in 2020 and 2021. One non-O157 STEC positive soil sample (0.1%, 1/824) was detected in the fallow treatment, and one L. monocytogenes-positive (1.1%, 1/92) was detected from the post-graze fecal samples. When assessing proportions of generic E. coli positive and counts of generic E. coli in the soil samples using mixed effect zero-inflated negative binomial models, soil samples collected in the graze cover crop treatment plot showed significant increases in the counts of generic E. coli until 61–82 days post grazing, but no difference was observed after 96–123 days, compared to the baseline of the fallow treatment. Findings from generic E. coli counts support the use of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) 90- or 120-day interval rule between applying raw manure and harvesting in organic farming into ICLS. Additionally, we confirmed that commercial organic compost application before cover crop seeding in the winter had no significant effect on the proportions and counts of generic E. coli in the soil of the following growing seasons. This longitudinal field trial confirmed that the effect of sheep grazing on foodborne pathogen contamination in ICLS is minimal but further studies comparing the genetic associations between fecal and soil samples would be necessary to distinguish the source of foodborne pathogen contamination.

Aquatic invasive species have drastically changed how the San Francisco Estuary functions. During the past 2 decades, the effects of invasive species in the estuary may have increased in response to frequent and severe drought conditions. The invasive overbite clam (Potamocorbula amurensis), and the Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) have well documented consequences on the estuarine food web, but their responses to drought are not well understood. Another invasive species, the jellyfish Maeotias marginata, can further affect the food web, but these effects have not been studied. We investigated the population responses of these invasive species to dry years and their potential effects on the pelagic food web using data from the Interagency Ecological Program’s monitoring surveys. We found M. marginata rapidly moves upstream with changing salinities during dry years, though it sees its highest abundance during high-outflow years in Suisun Bay and Suisun Marsh. Grazing rates of M. marginata in the estuary have not been quantified but are potentially high during localized blooms. The two invasive clams overlap in distribution, but have opposite population responses to drought conditions, with increases in P. amurensis densities and decreases in C. fluminea densities in dry years. With increasing P. amurensis densities, the clams’ combined annual filtration rates increase during drier years in the confluence and Suisun Marsh. Like M. marginata, P. amurensis also shifts upstream during droughts, but because adults cannot move immediately with a change in salinity, the population center of distribution shifts upstream the year after a dry year as a result of juvenile recruitment. If multiple dry years occur in a row, and both P. amurensis and M. marginata move upstream together, their effects on the food web could be compounded, and phytoplankton and zooplankton biomass could steeply decline in the confluence, affecting higher trophic levels in the estuary.

During the process of dune vegetation restoration, understanding how grazing disturbance affects the relationship between plant species is a critical issue in ecological studies. However, there is insufficient evidence on the changes in the interaction between dominant shrubs and understory vegetation under grazing behavior. We aimed to study how grazing and dune stabilization affects the relationship between Caragana microphylla and understory vegetation. We established fencing at various stages of dune stabilization and proceeded to compared the performance indicators (e.g., richness and biomass) and the relative interaction index of understory vegetation and different functional groups along the dune stability under grazing and fencing conditions. Results showed that C. microphylla had facilitation on understory plants, and increased with dune stability, while the facilitation of Caragana microphylla on understory vegetation was stronger under grazing conditions. As sand dune stabilization increases, the facilitation of C. microphylla on understory vegetation diversity decreases significantly. However, there was no significant difference in the facilitation of C. microphylla on understory vegetation biomass at different stages of sand dune stabilization. This is related to the survival strategy of perennials being less tolerant to environmental stress than annuals, because grazing increased the richness of both annuals and perennials while reducing the overall biomass, and in the later stages of sand dune stabilization, and the facilitation of C. microphylla on perennials was higher than on annuals. Our study highlights the importance of the responses of different life-form groups to environmental factors and grazing disturbance during the process of sand dune vegetation restoration, as they play a crucial role in shaping the development of the relationship between understory vegetation and dominant shrubs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification has led to the loss of most natural wetlands from human‐dominated landscapes but, in recent decades, wetland restoration has gained traction worldwide. Restoration of suitable habitat conditions is hampered by nutrient residues from decades of high‐input farming, by continued input of nutrients from surrounding farmland and by incomplete restoration of natural hydrology. We assessed the effect of wetland restoration and disturbance (grazing) on vascular plant and bryophyte diversity in restored wetlands in Denmark at plot and landscape scales. Compared to near‐natural wetlands, we found a lower species richness and community uniqueness in restored wetlands, but we also found that grazing had a positive effect on vascular plant richness in restored wetlands. The size of the local species pool, presence of near‐natural habitat prior to restoration and near‐natural restored hydrology all had positive effects on plant diversity, whereas high soil iron and nitrogen had negative effects. Synthesis and applications: Restoration of plant diversity in wetlands is challenging, but our results point to potential remedies: plan restoration areas near colonisation sources of the target biota, restore hydrology to near‐natural conditions, discontinue nutrient loads from surrounding arable land and restore near‐natural grazing regimes. Bryophytes may be particularly useful as indicators for successful restoration of wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of conservation management strategies, including traditional grazing, on marsh vegetation invaded by false indigo bush (Amorpha fruticosa L.) Fine‐scale methods were employed to analyze vegetation in stands subjected to combined treatments (mowing and grazing) as well as in untreated invaded stands. Vegetation composition and diversity were evaluated using four key metrics: compositional diversity (CD), local distinctiveness (LD), association (AS), and realized species combinations (NRC). Results revealed that the combined treatment led to significantly increased CD (5.366 ± 0.394) and LD (6.41 ± 0.668), despite the presence of the invasive species. Conversely, untreated invaded vegetation exhibited lower CD (3.756 ± 0.755) and LD (4.079 ± 0.93). Additionally, AS and NRC values were higher in treated stands, although the differences were not statistically significant. Notably, the characteristic areas of all functions did not differ significantly between treated and untreated stands. These findings suggest that combining management strategies, such as mowing and traditional grazing, effectively limits A. fruticosa invasion and supports marsh ecosystem diversity by promoting the coexistence of native species. Continuous management, particularly grazing, is crucial, as cessation of these practices may lead to rapid reinvasion by the invasive species and a subsequent loss of native biodiversity. Overall, this study highlights the importance of proactive management strategies in combating invasive species and conserving marshland biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing is a significant anthropogenic disturbance to grasslands, impacting their function and composition, and affecting carbon budgets and greenhouse gas emissions. However, accurate evaluations of grazing impacts are limited by the absence of long-term high-resolution grazing intensity data (i.e., the number of livestock per unit area). This study utilized census livestock data and a satellite-based vegetation index to develop the first Long-term High-resolution Grazing Intensity (LHGI) dataset of grassland in seven pastoral provinces in western China from 1980 to 2022. The LHGI dataset effectively captured spatial variations in grazing intensity, with validation at 73 sites showing a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.78. The county-level validation showed an averaged R2 values of 0.73 ± 0.03 from 1980 to 2022. This dataset serves as a vital resource for estimating grassland carbon cycling and livestock system CH4 emissions, as well as contributing to grassland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing and mowing constitute two important ways of reducing vegetation structure, which causes mechanical injuries in plants. In response to these injuries, plants emit herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) that can act as recruitment signals for arthropod predators. Among these arthropods, spiders have been suggested to respond to HIPVs. It is unknown, however, if spiders make microhabitat choice based on the detection of those HIPVs or based solely on the availability of vegetal structure. In this study, we investigated microhabitat choice of the orb-weaver spider Argiope trifasciata (Forsskål, 1775) and its potential relationship with impacted and not impacted vegetation structure availability. Our major results corroborate other findings that microhabitat choice in orb-weaver spiders is driven not by HIPVs, but rather by vegetation structure. Habitat structure influences a variety of ecological factors such as predation risk, prey availability, and mate finding in orb-weavers. The mechanisms underlying assessment by A. trifasciata of the vegetative structure remains unknown, and future studies might investigate their capacity to perceive light and shade and/or their assessment of vertical positioning. Practically, our results can be useful in evaluating the impact of land management on spider populations and their resilience to these impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbivores drive shifts in plant species composition by interacting with vegetation through defoliation, trampling and nutrient addition: urine and faeces. As herbivore effects on vegetation accumulate over time, they might spillover to other trophic levels, but how and when this happens is poorly understood. Since it is methodologically demanding to measure biodiversity across spatial gradients, an alternative approach is to assess it through biodiversity indices of vascular plants. We employed the Index of biodiversity relevance developed for Swedish flora which provides an estimated number of organisms associated with a plant species, allowing the quantification of trophic community size. Values from this index were coupled with vegetation data from a network of 96 fenced and paired grazed plots across Fennoscandia. We analysed the role herbivory has on plant richness and diversity, and on the number of organisms that interact with the vegetation according to the index values. We also explored how herbivores influence the competitive effects of tall shrubs on other plants since the dominance of a vegetation type links directly to biodiversity. Plant diversity had no clear response to grazing. Overall vegetation and the vegetation subgroups herbs and non‐fruit shrubs had higher biodiversity index values in fenced plots, indicating a higher number of plant–host interactions. Herb cover was negatively related to shrubs in both treatments but with a faster decline in the absence of herbivores. This study highlights the importance of maintaining herbivore populations in the Arctic to conserve the vegetation structure and biodiversity of the tundra. This method of coupling biodiversity indexes with vegetation data provides complementary information to the plant diversity, especially when methodological or time constraints prevent complete field inventories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising temperature is one of the most visible effects of global change on Earth; however, it is barely known how moderate or extreme warming events impact the trophic interactions and the energy transfer in food webs. Combining a mesocosm approach and two‐point dilution incubations, we quantified how natural plankton assemblages respond to moderate and extreme warming (+6°C vs. +12°C above ambient temperature), covering a nitrogen‐to‐phosphorus gradient from nutrient‐saturated to limited conditions. We addressed how both drivers altered the community structure and mediated the phytoplankton growth (μ) and microzooplankton grazing (m) rates. Moderate and extreme warming effects on the microzooplankton–phytoplankton relationship differed and were mediated by time. This trophic interaction was weakened due to μ outpacing m regardless of the warming treatment at the middle of the experiment. By contrast, after the acclimation period, the trophic interaction was strengthened by increased grazing under extreme warming. The variable grazing pressure found at different temporal scales only under extreme warming could be due to a decreased microzooplankton grazing pressure with increasing temperature when prey biomass is low, and vice versa. Also, it could be a consequence of a switch toward mixotrophy or that the temperatures experienced by grazers were suboptimal compared to their prey. Finally, we found that temperature was the main driver whereas resource availability played a minor role in this trophic interaction. As climate change will intensify in the future, food webs could be less productive but more efficient, and thus, potentially support a higher secondary production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising prices of N fertilizer led to exploring cost‐saving efforts, such as intercropping cool‐ or warm‐season legumes serving as alternative sources of N for managing fall‐stockpiled tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.; TF]. We aimed to evaluate red clover (Trifolium pratense L.; RC) and sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.; SH) mixed with TF as alternative sources of N for stockpiling TF to increase productivity and animal performance. The experiment was conducted in Crossville, TN, in 2020 and 2021 and consisted of TF pastures mixed with RC (TRC) or SH (TSH), and TF fertilized with urea (TU). The experiment was divided into two periods: the pre‐grazing period (stockpiling) (April–October) and the grazing period (October–December). After the stockpiling period, Black Angus beef (Bos taurus) steers were used for the grazing period. The study evaluated the botanical composition, herbage mass (HM), nutritive value, steer average daily gain (ADG), and net returns (NR). The TRC pastures had a greater proportion of legumes compared to TSH plots in May, October, November, and December of both years. There were no differences among treatments for the total HM and nutritive value in 2020; however, in 2021, TU had greater HM at the beginning of the grazing period and greater average crude protein values compared to the other treatments. In both years, there were no differences among treatments for ADG or NR. Therefore, producers can make the same profit considering the beef steer price and the cost of conventional and alternative N sources. Core Ideas: Legumes have the potential to suppress weeds when mixed with grasses.Nitrogen is the most important nutrient that contributes to forage production.Stockpiling forages contributes to the extension of grazing season.Grass and legume mixtures can increase the nutritive value and, consequently, improve animal performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelp forests are essential marine ecosystems increasingly compromised by human activities. Effective reforestation strategies are urgently needed, and the "green gravel" method is a viable tool already used in some European regions. This study aimed to assess the success of this method using the native Kelp species Laminaria ochroleuca on the Portuguese coastline. Cultures of green gravel were reared until the specimens reached a size of approximately 3 cm. The gravel was then deployed at selected sites in Peniche, Berlengas, and Cascais. Over an eight-month period, scientific scuba divers monitored the integration of Kelp, along with associated fish, invertebrate, and algae communities. Nutrient availability, temperature, water movement, substrate type, and Rugosity Index (RI) were also measured. The highest success rate was 12% in Consolação, with Elefante and Galos (Berlengas) reaching 7% and 4%, respectively. By the end of the monitoring period, Cascais had no remaining Kelp on green gravel. Present data suggest that higher success is dependent on less rugged and higher RI topography. Higher grazing pressure, rougher terrain, and unexpected sedimentation appear to be the main obstacles to deployment success. Solid knowledge (biologic and topographic) on the restoration site, starting restoration actions near already established Kelp forests, and significantly scaling up restoration efforts could substantially improve the success of the green gravel method in future reforestation campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocrusts play an essential role in maintaining ecosystem stability, which is common in arid and semi‐arid areas. Although there have been some previous studies on the stoichiometry of biocrust subsoil in grazing systems, further research is needed to assess the effects of varying grazing intensities. Four grazing gradients were established to investigate the change mechanism of biocrust subsoil stoichiometry under grazing conditions, considering its seasonal response. These findings revealed that biocrusts' coverage and their chlorophyll content showed a parabolic trend of increasing and then decreasing with the increase in grazing intensity. At the same time, their standard response thresholds to grazing intensity ranged from 2.67 to 5.33 sheep/ha. Moreover, the premise that the biocrust is damaged by grazing trampling has become a consensus; our study found that the biocrust still played an important role, although its structure was destroyed because of its greenness (BG) increased. The influence of grazing intensity on the biocrust subsoil stoichiometry is unquestionable; in addition, they are influenced by a combination of vegetation (10% and 19%) and environmental influences (6% and 18%). Furthermore, it was observed that these changes did not compensate for the reproduction and development of biocrusts in grazing‐induced trampling damage. In this study, the integrated consideration of biocrusts into the grazing system fully affirmed its essential role. Additionally, it clarified the pathways and effect of grazing on biocrusts subsoil stoichiometry, providing a new perspective and reference for developing grazing strategy on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitigation practices for nitrogen leaching losses from livestock agriculture are needed to protect freshwater quality and increase the efficiency of agricultural production. Within New Zealand, the most common pasture type is a twospecies mix of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens). Ecological theory suggests that increasing species and functional diversity improves ecosystem function, including nitrogen (N) retention. Use of more diverse pasture types, including a mix of pasture grasses, legumes and other forbs, particularly plantain (Plantago lanceolata), with functional traits, including winter activity, deep-rooting, N fixation, and biological inhibition of nitrification in the soil, is a potential mitigation practice that requires further verification with long-term field measurements. Here we utilize a network of large lysimeters to make field-based measurements of N leaching from 5-8 species diverse pasture, including plantain, under a range of soil, climate and management conditions, for comparison with losses from traditional ryegrass-clover pasture. Over 3 years of measurements, leaching from fully established diverse pasture was 2-80 kg N ha-1 y-1. No differences were observed in dry matter production or N leaching of diverse pasture compared to ryegrass-clover lysimeters. Large losses, up to 120 kg N ha-1, were observed during periods when pasture was not fully established, including cultivation and sowing of new pasture, depending on season. Timing of management activities could be optimized to minimize these losses. These data provide critical assessment of diverse pasture as a mitigation approach for reducing N losses. Further work on diverse pastures should include higher diversity mixes as well as consideration of animal mediated effects of diverse pasture diets on N inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hemoplasma infections in cattle are caused by Mycoplasma wenyonii and Candidatus Mycoplasma haemobos and induce asymptomatic or chronic infections but occasionally lead to life-threatening hemolytic anemia. Despite the global distribution of bovine hemoplasmas, information regarding their transmission vectors and prevalence is still lacking in the Republic of Korea. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the infection rate of bovine hemoplasma in cattle and houseflies and to assess the risk factors associated with hemoplasma infection in cattle. Methods: Overall, 376 blood samples were collected from Korean indigenous cattle (male, 10−13 months old), along with 2,690 houseflies (Musca domestica) from the same farm where the cattle were raised. PCR assays targeting the 16S rRNA gene were performed to detect hemoplasmas, and positive samples were sequenced. Results: The infection rate of bovine hemoplasmas was 50.8% (191/376) in cattle and 7.4% in pooled houseflies. Among cattle, 18.6% (70/376) and 20.0% (75/376) tested positive for M. wenyonii and Candidatus M. haemobos, respectively. Conversely, in houseflies, Candidatus M. haemobos was more frequently detected (5.9%) than M. wenyonii (0.7%). Co-infection was 12.2% (46/376) in cattle and 0.7% in flies. Furthermore, hemoplasma infection was significantly associated with the grazing experience of their dams. Cattle born to cows with grazing experience exhibited a higher risk for M. wenyonii infection (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03−2.55; P = 0.045), whereas these cattle had a lower risk for Candidatus M. haemobos infection (OR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.19−0.74; P = 0.000) than animals born to cows without grazing experience. The sequences obtained from houseflies were confirmed as Candidatus M. haemobos, which displayed high similarity (98.2−100%) to those from cattle obtained in this study. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this study represents the first report of bovine hemoplasmas identified in houseflies. This molecular evidence suggests that houseflies may be possible vectors for Candidatus M. haemobos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early‐life stages of canopy‐forming macroalgae are critical for the maintenance of natural populations and the success of restoration actions. Unfortunately, the abiotic conditions and biotic interactions shaping the success of these stages have received less attention than the interactions shaping the success of adults. Here, we combined field and mesocosm experiments to explore the effects of temperature, herbivory, and canopy presence on the development of early‐life stages of the brown seaweed Cystoseira foeniculacea. We assessed these effects by examining changes in recruit density and size. After recruiting zygotes under laboratory conditions, we conducted one laboratory and three field experiments. In the first field experiment, the density of recruits decreased over time in all rockpools and was negatively affected by rising temperatures and turf cover. Additionally, a marine heatwave (MHW; 11 days >25°C) was recorded in the donor pools, producing strong decay in the density of transplanted recruits and a significant reduction of the mature canopy. The second field experiment tested the survival of recruits based on their positioning within the canopy. We observed a higher density of recruits when placed at the edge or outside the canopy compared to recruits placed under the canopy. In the third field experiment, an herbivory‐exclusion experiment, we show how density of recruits decreased in less than 48 h in noncaged treatments. In the laboratory, we conducted a thermotolerance experiment under controlled conditions, exposing the recruits to 19, 22, 25, 28, and 31°C for 7 weeks to assess thermal impacts on their survival and growth. Temperatures above the 25°C threshold reduced the density and size of the recruits. This study sheds light on the performance of the early‐life stages of a Cystoseira spp. in Macaronesia, showing a low survival ratio against the current pressures even in the context of the potential refuge provided by the intertidal rockpools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of Escherichia coli concentrations in the runoff from grazed pastures was developed to increase our knowledge and ability to predict the relative impact of both cow and sheep grazing on water quality. Input parameters to the initial model were derived from published data and model outputs were compared with measured E. coli runoff concentration data from both sheep and cow grazed pasture. The model was designed to represent the complexities of year-round rotational grazing farm system. For cow grazing, the model estimated runoff E. coli concentrations in the same order of magnitude as the measured data. However, for sheep grazing, the model underestimated the measured runoff E. coli concentrations by 1.5 orders of magnitude. To understand this negative result, Monte Carlo simulation techniques were used to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the input parameters. This analysis identified that runoff concentrations were highly sensitive to inputs of the E. coli concentrations in the dung and the mobilisation rates of E. coli from the dung. This modelling study demonstrates that significant gaps and uncertainties remain in our understanding and prediction of the mobilisation and transport of E. coli from grazed pasture systems.HIGHLIGHTS Faecal microbial losses from agriculture are poorly understood.A runoff concentration model was developed based on the area of faecal pats.The area-based model appears to work for cow grazed pastures.The area-based model does not work for sheep grazed pastures.Faecal microbial losses from agriculture are poorly understood.A runoff concentration model was developed based on the area of faecal pats.The area-based model appears to work for cow grazed pastures.The area-based model does not work for sheep grazed pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grazing livestock emits methane through rumen intestinal activity, however, its impact on plant growth in grassland while grazing still has not been explored in detail. Therefore, the study examined the effects of methane pulse spray (MPS), according to grazing intensity, at four grazing intensities (0, 3.6, 5.0, and 6.5 sheep·hm− 2 yr− 1) on seed germination and seedling growth of common vetch (Vicia sativa), while two irrigation rates (35 and 53 ml d− 1) were employed to simulate the precipitation. Results: The study revealed significant interactions between MPS and irrigation rate on seed germination and seedling growth parameters. Under moderate MPS intensities (0.74 and 1.04 mol m− 2), seed germination rate, potential, index, and vigor index improved, especially at higher irrigation rates (53 ml d− 1). Conversely, excessive MPS (1.33 mol m− 2) inhibited particularly at the germination rate and growth,. The seedling growth dynamics fitted a logistic model, with MPS advancing the rapid growth phase and increasing maximum growth rates. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that low to moderate levels of MPS from ruminants can promote seed germination and seedling growth of common vetch, while excessive MPS inhibits these processes. Irrigation enhances plant sensitivity to MPS, with wetter conditions (620 mm yr− 1) facilitating a more pronounced response. The findings introduce a new model elucidating plant responses to external perturbations, which can inform grazing management strategies in diverse ecosystems. In wetter regions, moderate grazing intensities may leverage MPS benefits, while arid regions require careful grazing regulation to maintain grassland-livestock balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This work investigated lameness on sheep and goat farms in Greece in an extensive study throughout the country. The prevalence of lameness was found to be low, specifically 1.9% among sheep farms and 2.6% among goat farms. Application of vaccination against foot-rot, increased precipitation at farm locations and longer annual grazing periods for sheep and increased precipitation at farm locations for goats emerged as significant predictors for the prevalence of lameness among the farms in the study. Antibiotic administration (mainly lincomycin or oxytetracycline) was the preferred method for treatment of the disorder. Lameness was considered to be an important health problem by 5.6% of farmers, whilst mastitis was ranked first, which reflects the dairy production type prevailing in small ruminant farms in Greece. The present study refers to an extensive investigation of lameness performed countrywide in Greece, on 325 sheep and 119 goat farms. The specific objectives of this work were to present data on the occurrence of lameness on sheep and goat farms and to identify variables (including variables related to climatic factors) associated with the disorder on the farms. Farms were visited and animals on the farm were assessed for the presence of lameness; further, an interview was carried out with the farmer to obtain information regarding practices applied on the farm. Climatic variables at the location of each farm were derived from NASA research. The within farm prevalence rate varied from 0.0% to 25.0% in sheep flocks and from 0.0% to 30.0% in goat herds. The mean ± standard error (median (interquartile range)) within farm prevalence rate among sheep farms was 1.9% ± 0.2 (0.0% (0.0%)); among goat farms, it was 2.6% ± 0.5% (0.0% (0.0%)). Multivariable analysis for within farm prevalence of lameness revealed three significant predictors in sheep farms: application of vaccination against foot-rot, increased precipitation at the farm location and longer annual grazing period for sheep, and one in goat farms: increased precipitation at the farm location. Treatment of lameness involved mostly administration of antibiotics (on 104 farms); the antibiotics administered most often were lincomycin (on 69 farms) and oxytetracycline (on 33 farms). There was a tendency for higher median within farm prevalence of lameness among farms where no antibiotic administration was practiced. Finally, 6.2% of sheep farmers and 4.2% of goat farmers considered lameness as an important health problem for the animals, specifically the third and fifth most important problem on the respective farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing management through pasture rotation has been mentioned as a viable alternative for the control of Rhipicephalus microplus; however, there is limited information on rotational grazing at field level. The objectives of this research were (1) to evaluate the effect of rotational grazing with 30 and 45 days of pasture rest and continuous grazing (without rest) on R. microplus tick loads in Brahman heifers and its most common crosses with Holstein; (2) to know the parasite dynamics of R. microplus under the three grazing systems in the humid tropics of Mexico; and (3) to determine the effect of the treatments on the characteristics of the pastures (availability of forage biomass, plant height, and soil cover). The experiment was carried out for 1 year from April 2022 to March 2023, with three grazing treatments: Treatments 1 and 2 considered rotational grazing with 30 (RT30) and 45 days of rest (RT45), respectively, and Treatment 3 as continuous grazing (CT00). Thirty calves from 8 to 12 months of initial age were distributed in each treatment (n = 10). Every 14 days, the number of engorged and semiengorged female ticks in cattle was determined. Concomitantly, the region's temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall were recorded, as well as the agronomic characteristics of the pasture. Rotational grazing animals with 30 days of rest had the highest number of ticks, while grazing animals with 45 days of rest had the least. Tick load dynamics among groups did not correlate with climatic variables (p > 0.05). The height and grass cover presented significant changes due to grazing (p < 0.05), which could influence the tick cycle by the exposure of the soil, modifying the microclimatic conditions and consequently harming the survival and development of R. microplus in the evaluated systems. The negative effect of rotational grazing on the nonparasitic phase of R. microplus deserves further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in the abundance of woody species have been reported to affect the provisioning of ecosystem services in drylands worldwide. However, it is virtually unknown how multiple biotic and abiotic drivers, such as climate, grazing, and fire, interact to determine woody dominance across global drylands. We conducted a standardized field survey in 304 plots across 25 countries to assess how climatic features, soil properties, grazing, and fire affect woody dominance in dryland rangelands. Precipitation, temperature, and grazing were key determinants of tree and shrub dominance. The effects of grazing were determined not solely by grazing pressure but also by the dominant livestock species. Interactions between soil, climate, and grazing and differences in responses to these factors between trees and shrubs were key to understanding changes in woody dominance. Our findings suggest that projected changes in climate and grazing pressure may increase woody dominance in drylands, altering their structure and functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual coral propagation faces a significant bottleneck due to high post‐settlement mortality, impeding large‐scale reef restoration. This study assessed the effectiveness of co‐culturing Diploria labyrinthiformis settlers with the herbivorous gastropod Cerithium lutosum and supplementing their diet with a commercially available food source, Reef‐Roids, to enhance settler survival and growth. Settlers were reared for 10 weeks under controlled conditions in one of four treatments: Control (C), Feeding with Reef‐Roids (F), Grazing by C. lutosum (G), and combined Feeding + Grazing (FG). Settlers in the Grazing treatment exhibited the highest survival at 87% after 10 weeks, significantly outperforming those in the Control (43%) and Feeding (48%) treatments. The combined feeding and grazing treatment improved survival rates to 74% and resulted in the highest growth rates, with settlers in this group averaging 11.98 ± 2.38 mm2, approximately 3.4‐fold larger than the control and 2.6‐fold larger than the feeding group. The feeding treatment alone did not significantly enhance survival or growth, underscoring the critical role of grazing in mitigating algal competition and promoting settler development. The results highlight the efficacy of grazing by C. lutosum (G and FG) in improving both survival and growth of coral settlers, substantially surpassing the outcomes of ungrazed treatments (F and C). This study highlights the potential of integrating microherbivores, such as C. lutosum, in ex situ coral nurseries. By regulating algal growth, these grazers minimize the need for labor‐intensive maintenance, offering a scalable and cost‐effective strategy to mitigate the high mortality rates of coral settlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) are important functional components and drivers of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in grasslands. Yet their role in regulating food-web dynamics and trophic cascades remains poorly understood. In the temperate grasslands of northern China, we explored whether and how grazing domestic cattle (Bos taurus) alter the predator–prey interactions between a dominant grasshopper (Euchorthippus unicolor) and its avian predator the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica). Using two large manipulative field experiments, we found that in the presence of cattle, grasshoppers increased their jumping frequency threefold, swallows increased foraging visits to these fields sixfold, and grasshopper density was reduced by about 50%. By manipulatively controlling the grasshoppers' ability to jump, we showed that jumping enables grasshoppers to avoid being incidentally consumed or trampled by cattle. However, jumping behaviour increased their consumption rates by swallows 37-fold compared with grasshoppers that were unable to jump. Our findings illustrate how LMH can indirectly alter predator–prey interactions by affecting behaviour of avian predators and herbivorous insects. These non-plant-mediated effects of LMH may influence trophic interactions in other grazing ecosystems and shape community structure and dynamics. We highlight that convoluted multispecies interactions may better explain how LMH control food-web dynamics in grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting resilience is highly relevant to preserving biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. For coral reefs, parrotfish protection emerged as a mainstream action for reversing the degradation experienced by these systems. The rationale is that restoring their populations will increase grazing activity and reinforce control of fast‐growing macroalgae, facilitating coral cover recovery. A lack of a link between parrotfish trends and macroalgae and coral cover trends at a large scale has, however, often been the case. Suggesting more complex underlying dynamics that should be reexamined. In this review, we discuss how lumping parrotfish species as if they were functionally redundant may obscure trends. And how a lack of appreciation of other functions around the parrotfish paradigm, specifically bioerosion, may have unforeseen and potentially adverse effects on degraded reefs. We show that bioerosion responded more directly and quickly to spatial and temporal changes in parrotfish assemblages than macroalgae consumption, arguably due to the varying vulnerability among Caribbean parrotfishes to fisheries and habitat loss. For highly degraded reefs, positive changes in parrotfish populations could hence compromise the remaining coral skeleton structures and the reef framework, further accentuating reef degradation, where increases in macroalgae consumption could not necessarily compensate for higher rates of bioerosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Many meadows are experiencing severe degradation due to the effects of global climate change and other human-related activity, especially overgrazing. The impact of grazing may however vary in different sites, but the dynamics and mechanisms associated with grazing-related meadow degradation on soil microbial biomass structure and function in different locations are still unclear. Methods: To address this we examined three alpine meadows with different grazing sites in northwest China, which included grazing in winter and summer, in each of which there were four degradation gradients, varying from no degradation to severe degradation. Results: At the Maqin site, grazing during the summer resulted in higher concentrations of microbial carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus (MBP) compared to grazing during winter. Undegraded meadows (ND) also had higher MBC concentrations compared to low (LD), medium (MD), or severely degraded (SD) ones at the three sites. However, the homeostasis analysis revealed that the elemental stoichiometries were strictly controlled, despite significant degradation-related effects on the concentrations of MBC, MBN, and MBP, indicating relatively stable coupling relationships among C, N, and P. Conclusion: The random forest and partitioning variation analyses showed that edaphic factors play the more important roles in regulating microbial biomass and elemental composition in the different sites. Overall, these results suggest that the effects of degradation on soil microbial biomass concentrations and the stoichiometries are context dependent, particularly with regard to the impact of background soil properties, demonstrating that site conditions must be considered when predicting how grassland ecosystems will respond to grazing-related degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Military training areas can host important biodiversity, due to the preservation of diverse, nutrient‐poor historical cultural landscapes and an insect‐friendly disturbance regime. In Europe, many training areas were abandoned after the end of the cold war in 1991 and the withdrawal of the Allied and Soviet forces. Many of these are now protected areas, and current management strategies vary from rewilding to active habitat management such as grazing or mowing. In a capture–release–recapture approach, marking 2418 individuals, we assessed the population size and movement patterns of the dry ecotype of the Marsh Fritillary Euphydryas aurinia Rottemburg 1775 on three former military training areas in Germany that varied in size and management (natural succession, mowing, and sheep‐/goat grazing). Euphydryas aurinia is a rare and declining butterfly species listed in Annex II of the European Union Habitats Directive. Jolly–Seber models revealed a large population of ca. 19,000 individuals on the largest study site and a smaller population at a second site, whereas recapture rates were too low to predict the population size reliably at a third site. Population densities were 190–194 butterflies ha−1 at the unmanaged, large site and 56–71 butterflies ha−1 at a smaller site grazed with sheep. Thirty‐nine percent of the recapture events occurred within the same 1‐ha‐study plot. The average minimum flight distance between the study plots was 313 m for males and 328 m for females. The maximum lifetime flight distance was 1237 m within 3 days. No dispersal was detected between study sites. Thirty years after cessation of the military use, the large former training site still held what likely is one of the largest populations of the species dry ecotype in Central Europe, including in areas where management ceased already in 1991. This suggests remarkable persistence of the species in areas without regular management, contrary to current opinion. However, regular flight distances seem not to be sufficient to connect the isolated habitat patches. It remains unknown how long the large population at the abandoned military area will persist without active habitat management. Careful, but active habitat management and restoration of habitat connectivity should thus be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater sage‐grouse (hereafter sage‐grouse; Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined across their range. Increased nest predation as a result of anthropogenic land use is one mechanism proposed to explain these declines. However, sage‐grouse contend with a diverse suite of nest predators that vary in functional traits (e.g., search tactics or hunting mode) and abundance. Consequently, generalizing about factors influencing nest fate is challenging. Identifying the explicit predator species responsible for nest predation events is, therefore, critical to understanding causal mechanisms linking land use to patterns of sage‐grouse nest success. Cattle grazing is often assumed to adversely affect sage‐grouse recruitment by reducing grass height (and hence cover), thereby facilitating nest detection by predators. However, recent evidence found little support for the hypothesized effect of grazing on nest fate at the pasture scale. Rather, nest success appears to be similar on pastures grazed at varying intensities. One possible explanation for the lack of observed effect involves a localized response by one or more nest predators. The presence of cattle may cause a temporary reduction in predator density and/or use within a pasture (the cattle avoidance hypothesis). The cattle avoidance hypothesis predicts a decreased probability of at least one sage‐grouse nest predator predating sage‐grouse nests in pastures with livestock relative to pastures without livestock present during the nesting season. To test the cattle avoidance hypothesis, we collected predator DNA from eggshells from predated nests and used genetic methods to identify the sage‐grouse nest predator(s) responsible for the predation event. We evaluated the influence of habitat and grazing on predator‐specific nest predation. We evaluated the efficacy of our genetic method by deploying artificial nests with trail cameras and compared the results of our genetic method to the species captured via trail camera. Our molecular methods identified at least one nest predator captured predating artificial nests via trail camera for 33 of 35 (94%) artificial nests. We detected nest predators via our molecular analysis at 76 of 114 (67%) predated sage‐grouse nests. The primary predators detected at sage‐grouse nests were coyotes (Canis latrans) and corvids (Corvidea). Grazing did not influence the probability of nest predation by either coyotes or corvids. Sagebrush canopy cover was negatively associated with the probability a coyote predated a nest, distance to water was positively associated with the probability a corvid predated a nest, and average minimum temperature was negatively associated with the probability that either a coyote or a corvid predated a nest. Our study provides a framework for implementing an effective, non‐invasive method for identifying sage‐grouse nest predators that can be used to better understand how management actions at local and regional scales may impact an important component of sage‐grouse recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant functional traits are effective indicators and predictors of environmental change, revealing plants' ecological countermeasures and adaptability through phenotypic plasticity. We conducted a 6-year grazing experiment on typical temperate grassland to assess the impact of different grazing periods on the plasticity and variability of the functional traits of Leymus chinensis and the relationship between traits and individual plant biomass. Our study included four treatments: CK (enclosure), T1 (grazing in May and July), T2 (grazing in June and August), and T3 (grazing in July and September). The results for 13 functional traits indicated that the T3 treatment showed the smallest reduction in individual plant biomass, plant height, leaf area, stem length, and leaf length, making it the most effective type of grassland management and optimal for the maintenance and restoration of L. chinensis traits. Under T1, T2, and T3, the plasticity of stem weight, total leaf weight, total leaf area, and stem length was higher and crucial for regulating individual plant biomass. The results underscore that the changes and plasticity of dominant species under grazing treatments are key to understanding the relationship between ecosystem function and grassland management. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the adaptive utilization and restoration management of typical grassland resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinator declines and expectations for more sustainable agriculture, including pasture-based enterprises, bring attention to strategies to enhance the habitat value of grazing lands. We evaluated native warm-season grass (NWSG) pastures with (FORB) and without (CONT) interseeded native forbs in 2021–2023. An analysis was conducted using R with the significance set at p ≤ 0.05. The grass appeared to be weakened predominantly by grazing management practices. Forb density and mass had an inverse relationship in seasons two and three. Total forage mass declined in response to increased grazing days and weakened stands. The forage nutritive compositions differed, with more stable, season-long crude protein and lower fiber concentrations in late-season FORB, which supported higher bodyweight gains and season-long average daily gain. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta; BESU), lanceleaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata; LCOR), and showy ticktrefoil (Desmodium canadensis; STTF) were the most abundant forbs, and BESU, LCOR, and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea; PURC) produced long flowering windows. Cattle grazed STTF, cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum; CUPP), and oxeye sunflower (Helopsis helianthoides) the most. Under continuous stocking, a blend of BESU, LCOR, PURC, STTF, and CUPP produced acceptable cattle gains and provided pollinator resources, suggesting that this model may be a viable means to enhance the sustainability of pastures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grasslands are recognized as important reservoirs of soil biodiversity. Livestock grazing is implemented as a grassland management strategy to improve soil quality and enhance plant diversity. Soil microbial communities play a pivotal role in grassland ecosystems, so it is important to examine whether grazing practices affect the soil microbiome. Previous studies on grazing have primarily focused on bacteria and fungi, overlooking an important group--protists. Protists are vital in soil microbiomes as they drive nutrient availability and trophic interactions. Determining the impact of grazing on protists and their relationships with bacterial and fungal communities is important for understanding soil microbiome dynamics in grazed ecosystems. In this study, we investigated soil bacterial, fungal, and protist communities under four grazing levels: no grazing, moderate-use grazing, full-use grazing, and heavy-use grazing. Our results showed that heavy grazing led to a greater diversity of protists with specific groups, such as Discoba and Conosa, increasing in abundance. We also found strong associations between protist and bacterial/fungal members, indicating their intricate relationships within the soil microbiome. For example, the abundance of predatory protists increased under grazing while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi decreased. Notably, arbuscular mycorrhizae were negatively associated with predatory groups. Furthermore, we observed that microbial network complexity increased with grazing intensity, with fungal members playing an important role in the network. Overall, our study reports the impact of temporal grazing intensity on soil microbial dynamics and highlights the importance of considering protist ecology when evaluating the effects of grazing on belowground communities in grassland ecosystems. IMPORTANCE The significance of this study lies in its exploration of the effects of temporal grazing intensity on the dynamics of the soil microbiome, specifically focusing on the often-neglected role of protists. Our findings provide insights into the complex relationships between protists, bacteria, and fungi, emphasizing their impact on trophic interactions in the soil. Gaining a better understanding of these dynamics is essential for developing effective strategies for grassland management and conservation, underscoring the importance of incorporating protist ecology into microbiome studies in grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Alpine pastures are seminatural grasslands which play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, service provisioning, and mountain livestock systems. The soil microbial communities of pasture are fundamental in ecosystem nutrient cycles, but they are relatively underexplored in European Alpine pastures. Aims: We explored the many soil microbial genes encoding key functions in the nitrogen cycle in three historical alpine pastures grazed by dairy cattle, considering different soils, temporal dynamics, and exclusion of cattle grazing for one summer. Methods: 216 samples were collected across four sampling times. The abundance of genetic determinants involved in nitrogen fixation (nifH), nitrification (amoA bacterial and archaeal), and denitrification (nirK and nosZ) were quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Key results: The terminal denitrification nosZ gene was the most sensitive indicator and responded significantly to soil chemical composition and animal grazing. Sampling time affected nitrogen fixation nifH and intermediate denitrification nirK in relation to rainfall cumulation dynamics. The amoA nitrification genes showed high variability but no significant effects from the tested factors. Conclusions: In spite of a general homeostatic trend occurring in these habitats and of the short term analysis, some genes acted as sensitive reporters of soil compositional differences, intraseasonal climatic variations, and grazing disturbance. Implications: A stocking rate of >0.6 livestock units per hectare can be recommended, to combine animal production with conditions that favour complete denitrification, thus potentially reducing the nitrous oxide greenhouse gas emissions. Higher livestock grazing intensity can be withstood by the ecosystem without denitrification-related drawbacks when the preceding 10 days display a cumulated rainfall lower than 22 mm. Soil microbial communities are fundamental for ecosystem nutrient cycles, but they are relatively underexplored in alpine pastures – seminatural grasslands important for mountain livestock systems. We investigated microbial functions related to the nitrogen cycle in three historical alpine pastures for one summer. Microbial nitrogen functions showed a general inertia in respect to soil variation and grazing disturbance. This has ramifications for future improvement of pasture management in mountain livestock systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Algal turf on coral reefs can transition from short productive forms to longer less productive forms that often form a persistent degraded state. We evaluated whether adjacent communities, such as stands of the macroalga Turbinaria ornata, can drive these transitions in Moorea, French Polynesia. We first found that T. ornata stands that overhang turf reduced growth as restricting canopy movement increased turf height compared to controls, implying an overhanging T. ornata canopy shades or abrades adjacent turf. Second, we manipulated T. ornata presence (intact/completely removed) and herbivore access (uncaged/caged) and found that, in the presence of herbivores, removal of stands reduced the height of adjacent turf compared to plots adjacent to intact Turbinaria stands. The presence of intact stands also deterred grazing, demonstrating they provide a refuge for adjacent turf. Thus, algal turf derives both benefits and costs of proximity to macroalgal stands. It is imperative to explore the relative strengths of these costs and benefits as these interactions may drive local transitions to degraded algal states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Shiqu County, in Sichuan Province, is the eastern edge of the distribution area of the kiang (Equus kiang) on the Tibetan Plateau. However, there is a lack of understanding about the kiang population and its habitat in this region. This study aims to assess the population and habitat status of kiangs. The results showed that the area of suitable habitat for kiangs is 3402.45 km2, with an estimated population of 1395.00 ± 272.20, and a population density of 0.41 ± 0.08/km2. These findings provide a scientific reference for the conservation of the kiang population and its habitat in the region. Shiqu County, Sichuan Province, forms the eastern edge of the distribution area of the kiang (Equus kiang). It is important to assess the population and habitat status of peripheral populations, as these play a significant role in the development of conservation strategies for kiangs. Based on field transect data collected from July to August 2023, this study predicted the suitable habitat distribution of kiangs in Shiqu County using a MaxEnt model and estimated the population size and density using the 'Distance' package. Additionally, it analyzed the responses of the group size of kiangs to environmental factors in Shiqu County. The results showed that the area of suitable habitat for kiangs is 3402.45 km2, accounting for 13.51% of the total area of Shiqu County. The estimated population was 1395.00 ± 272.20, with a population density of 0.41 ± 0.08/km2. Additionally, the group size of kiangs was significantly positively correlated with the distance from the road and grazing site. The distance from the grazing site, elevation, and temperature annual range are the main environmental factors affecting the distribution of kiangs. This study initially revealed the peripheral population Status and suitable habitat of the kiang on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, and the potential threat of grazing interference and road obstruction. The research results can provide a scientific reference for the population and habitat protection of kiangs in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In pasture-based dairy systems, supplementing the diet is crucial during periods when pasture availability is low. Field peas, which can be locally produced, offer relatively high concentrations of crude protein, along with significant energy content in the form of starch, all at a lower price. These qualities make field peas a sustainable alternative to traditional protein and energy sources such as soybean meal and corn grain. This study explored the impact of substituting traditional feeds with field peas in the concentrates of grazing dairy cows. Our findings indicate that using field peas maintains milk production and composition (protein and fat) without affecting intake or ruminal and blood parameters. This suggests that field peas are a viable alternative for feeding dairy cows, supporting consistent production under grazing conditions. This study assessed the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) and corn grain with field peas in the concentrate of grazing dairy cows on milk production, intake, ruminal fermentation, and blood indicators. Twelve multiparous lactating Holstein-Friesian cows were utilized in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design, comprising three periods and three treatments: (1) Pea-0 (Control diet): 6 kg dry matter (DM) of fresh pasture, 7.2 kg DM of grass silage, and 7 kg DM of a concentrate containing 0% pea; (2) Pea-30: Control diet with the concentrate composed of 30% pea; (3) Pea-60: Control diet with the concentrate composed of 60% pea. The effect of treatments on productive and metabolic parameters was evaluated using linear-mixed models. Pasture and total DM intake, milk production, and composition were unaffected by treatments. Despite the concentrates being isonitrogenous and isoenergetic, crude protein (CP) intake was slightly higher in Pea-30 and significantly higher in Pea-60 due to higher pasture CP content in the pasture grazed by these groups, leading to higher milk urea content, though within recommended ranges. Blood parameters showed no significant changes, except for plasma β-hydroxybutyrate, which was lowest in the Pea-60 treatment; however, all values were within ranges not indicative of subclinical ketosis. Ruminal fermentation parameters were similar across treatments. These findings support the use of field peas as a viable alternative to replace SBM and corn grain in concentrates, enabling similar milk production and composition in grazing dairy cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United Kingdom, around 20% of dairy farms house cows all year round. Research suggests that farmers value animal health and comfort over the expression of natural behaviour through grazing. The concept of natural behaviour is notoriously complex, however. The article reframes the topic of grazing through a relational approach to understand farmer views on the practice in Great Britain, using qualitative interviews. The article also considers critiques of the relational approach. In this study, participants were reluctant to see a distinction between farms that graze and those that do not in terms of animal welfare, but they also valued the positive affective experience of grazing their cows on their own farm. The article argues that the latter account is not adequately included in debates about grazing. What this account excludes is the situated nature and limitations of relationships on farm even when cows graze. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beef and dairy cattle commonly ingest soil when consuming forage-based diets in paddock feeding situations. However, the extent of this soil intake is poorly understood in the Australian environment and under Australian grazing systems. Therefore, the aim of the current literature review was to examine soil ingestion in cattle and the factors that affect ingestion. We found 11 studies containing soil-ingestion data, based in England, France, New Zealand and USA but none from Australia. A wide range in soil ingestion rates was reported and intake varied considerably with season, forage-pasture type, pasture-on-offer, stocking rate and grazing conditions. Generally, soil ingestion was lower in beef cattle than in dairy cattle. We considered the differences in reported levels, variables around those differences, and reliability of methodology used, and compared results with existing international guidelines. For Australian applications, we deduced and recommended that 0.5 kg/head.day is used until field-based research is conducted in Australia which might provide a more specific value for Australian conditions. Our review will inform future livestock management, particularly on contaminated agricultural land. In Australia, there is a poor understanding of how much soil cattle ingest while grazing. We conducted a literature review and found 11 papers to inform our views, but there were no published papers from Australia. Ingestion levels varied among countries, and between dairy and beef enterprises. We estimated that cattle ingest about 0.5 kg/head.day; however, this varies according to circumstance. Research is required in Australian environment to better inform managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we consider the instability of a constant equilibrium solution in a general activator–inhibitor (depletion) model with passive diffusion, cross‐diffusion, and nonlocal terms. It is shown that nonlocal terms produce linear stability or instability, and the system may generate spatial patterns under the effect of passive diffusion and cross‐diffusion. Moreover, we analyze the existence of bifurcating solutions to the general model using the bifurcation theory. At last, the theoretical results are applied to the spatial water–biomass system combined with cross‐diffusion and nonlocal grazing and Holling–Tanner predator–prey model with nonlocal prey competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lack of precise data on the environmental requirements of the conspicuous fungus with a northern distribution limit in Slovakia, Pogonoloma macrorhizum, initiated our study. Its identity was verified by sequencing of ITS and 28 S nrDNA regions. The analysis of trophic status by stable-isotope ratio of carbon and nitrogen suggested that the species is probably ectomycorrhizal. For the seventeen sampling sites, environmental data were obtained and information on landscape development and management were retrieved from historical maps and aerial orthophotographs. All these parameters were analysed by multivariate ordination methods. In Slovakia, P. macrorhizum is found in thermophilous to mesophilous stands on acidic soils with a pH ranging from 4.1 to 6.2. These habitats are dominated by Quercus cerris, with non-frequent tree taxa of Carpinus betulus and Quercus petraea agg. The key environmental drivers shaping the habitat of P. macrorhizum were identified as time since deforestation, with the presence of old Q. cerris individuals (former solitary trees of pastures) and soil characteristics. The fungus appears to be a species of transitional habitats historically affected by grazing. These transitions occur between thermophilic and mesophilic sites, including oak forest communities, dry steppic grasslands and forest edges, as well as spontaneously overgrown pastures and forests with a closed canopy. It is regrettable that the Q. cerris stands in Slovakia are under threat, particularly because of felling and the lack of grazing in forests. Furthermore, recent silvicultural practices have resulted in the replacement of oaks (Quercus spp.) by hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) and the formation of closed stands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive winter grazing on forage crops helps overcome winter feed shortages but is associated with soil pugging and high rates of sediment and nutrient losses. A recently recommended approach to intensive winter grazing management–grazing from the top of the slope downwards (‘top-down’)–can substantially reduce sediment and nutrient losses as part of a suite of practices called ‘strategic grazing’. We hypothesised that this new management has had significant uptake and that a farmer’s risk preferences, values, and demographics influence adoption of these practices. Using a national-scale survey of farmers from 2023, we found that 52.5% of respondents who grazed winter forage crops on slopes, grazed top-down. Location had a modest impact on this decision, with Otago respondents being 17–24% more likely to graze top-down than those from other regions. Māori farmers were 30% more likely to graze top-down than non-Māori farmers. Profitability was positively correlated with this decision. We conclude that the adoption of top-down grazing practices on slopes for winter forage crops is widespread, with just over half of the farmers surveyed grazing winter forage crops top-down. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Mare milk has a unique protein composition that makes it a preferred option for adult and infant nutrition. Several functional properties have been attributed to this milk, but with little current evidence. In fact, knowledge on mare milk composition is still limited. In particular, studies addressing the performance of mare milk proteins during human gastrointestinal digestion are scarce, which limits the understanding of mare milk nutritional quality and functionality. For this reason, the present study describes the digestibility of mare milk proteins and the release of peptides as affected by management and lactation stage, factors which are known to affect milk composition. Mare milk samples from 3 different farms collected during 6 mo of lactation (n = 54) were subjected to a static in vitro gastrointestinal model to measure peptide release and protein digestibility. In the present study, a detailed description of protein and individual amino acid behavior during the digestion process was given. For the first time, digestion of the 2 equine β-lactoglobulin isoforms (I and II) was described individually. In addition, it was found that lactation stage and management system can significantly affect protein digestibility and peptide release during gastrointestinal digestion of mare milk. Presumably, differences in the composition of mare milk influence the protein structure and enzyme accessibility, which might have an impact on digestion behavior. Although no specific bioactive peptides were identified, several precursors of previously described bioactive peptides were found. These findings could support the idea of mare milk as a food with added value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Early lactation is a critical period for dairy cows, as energy requirements rapidly increase with the onset of lactation; however, early-lactation DMI in pasture-based systems are under measured. The objectives of this study were (1) to measure and profile total DMI (TDMI) and animal performance of dairy cows during early lactation in a pasture-based system, (2) to investigate early-lactation energy balance in pasture-based systems, and (3) to examine production efficiencies, including TDMI and milk solids production per 100 kg of BW. Eighty spring-calving dairy cows were allocated to a grazing group as they calved over a 2-yr period (2021 and 2022). Cows were offered a daily herbage allowance to achieve a postgrazing sward height of 4 cm, with silage supplementation when necessary due to inclement weather. Total DMI was measured using the n-alkane technique over a 12-wk period from February 1, 2021, to April 23, 2022. Total DMI and daily milk yield were significantly affected by parity with both variables being greatest for third-parity animals (17.7 kg of DM and 26.3 kg/cow per day, respectively), lowest for first parity (13.2 kg of DM and 19.6 kg/cow per day, respectively) and intermediate for second-parity animals (16.8 kg of DM and 24.1 kg/cow per day, respectively). Peak TDMI was reached on wk 10 for first-parity animals (14.6 kg of DM), wk 11 for second parity animals (19.3 kg of DM) and wk 12 for third-parity animals (19.9 kg of DM). Parity also had a significant effect on unité fouragère lait (UFL; feed units for milk) feed balance as first-parity animals experienced a greater degree of negative energy balance (−3.2 UFL) compared with second- and third-parity animals (−2.3 UFL). Breed and parity had an effect on production efficiencies during the first 12 wk of lactation as Jersey × Holstein Friesian cows had greater TDMI/100 kg of BW and milk solids/100 kg of BW compared with Holstein Friesian cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock grazing is a major economic activity worldwide. Cattle frequently graze and congregate in watercourses and riparian areas because of the availability of water, shade and the quality and variety of forage, thereby altering the ecological condition of stream ecosystems. We have explored the effects of cattle intrusion on the environmental conditions and fish assemblages of four neotropical prairie streams from Argentina's Pampas region. At each stream, both ungrazed and grazed conditions were surveyed. Water quality, habitat structure, riparian vegetation and fish assemblages were sampled. Significant detrimental changes were observed in environmental conditions of grazed sites in contrast to ungrazed sites. Fish assemblage structure and function were also significantly influenced by the environmental conditions imposed by cattle intrusion. Our results reveal the magnitude and direction of environmental changes imposed by cattle intrusion in prairie streams and highlight several key aspects of fish assemblages and populations that change accordingly. Relevant aspects for conservation and management purposes of these fragile ecosystems, such as protection of riparian vegetation condition and the control of cattle access and social engagement, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate two levels of forage allowance (FA) during the prepartum period on metabolic, hormonal, productive, and reproductive variables in primiparous (P) and multiparous (M) beef cows. Six weeks before calving, 40 P and 42 M cows were assigned to two FA (native pastures) treatments until calving (day 0): High (15 kg DM/100 BW; H) and Low (5 kg DM/100 BW; L). After calving all cows were managed together. High FA cows presented greater intake than L cows, while M tended to have greater intake than P cows. Increased herbage allowance in late gestation in beef cows successfully improved forage intake and energy balance reflected in body condition score and metabolic and endocrine markers. Also, high forage allowance increased milk yield (5.4 vs 4.6 kg/d, P < 0.05) and calves daily gain rate during the first two months of age (0.88 vs 0.82 kg/d, P < 0.05) in H respect to L cows. Pregnancy rate was greater in H vs L cows (40 vs 28 %, P < 0,05). The endocrine metabolic response to higher forage allowance depended on parity, as primiparous cows showed a greater imbalance around calving. Moreover, most primiparous cows were not pregnant at the end of the breeding season, consistent with their prolonged anestrous. Multiparous cows had better productive and reproductive performance than primiparous cows, showing that growing cows have a pronounced negative energy balance reflected in most of the evaluated parameters. • Increased herbage allowance in late gestation improved forage intake, energy balance, milk yield and pregnancy rate. • The productive and reproductive response to forage allowance was lower in primiparous respect to multiparous cows. • Reproductive and productive parameters can be explained by metabolic and endocrine markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest soils are recognized as one of the most important carbon sinks on Earth, playing a critical role in climate balance and greenhouse gas mitigation. This study investigated the effects of altitude, climate change, grazing, and manure application on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in forest soils of Talesh County, Iran. The Century model was used to investigate the effects of climate and management factors on soil organic carbon storage. The results showed that SOC stock increased with increasing altitude due to higher precipitation and lower temperature. The Century model estimated SOC stock with high accuracy. The defined scenarios for the Century model showed that climate change with reduced precipitation and increased temperature significantly decreased SOC stock. The negative effect of climate change was more pronounced at higher altitudes. Grazing also reduced SOC stock, especially at higher altitudes. In contrast, manure application increased SOC stock, and its positive effect was more pronounced at higher altitudes. In the climate change scenario with manure application, manure application largely compensated for the negative effect of climate change, but did not completely neutralize it. The results of this study indicate that soil organic carbon simulation models are accurate tools for predicting the effects of climate change, grazing, and manure application. In addition, the conservation of high- altitude forests and optimal forest management are of particular importance to prevent the loss of SOC stock and to combat climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa), a perennial legume, is generally regarded as a valuable source of protein for livestock and is subjected to long and repeated grazing in natural pastures. Studying the molecular response mechanism of alfalfa under different grazing treatments is crucial for understanding its adaptive traits and is of great significance for cultivating grazing-tolerant grass. Here, we performed a transcriptomic analysis to investigate changes in the gene expression of M. sativa under three grazing intensities. In total, 4184 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified among the tested grazing intensities. The analysis of gene ontology (GO) revealed that genes were primarily enriched in cells, cellular processes, metabolic processes, and binding. In addition, two pathways, the plant–pathogen interaction pathway and the plant hormone signal pathway, showed significant enrichment in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Protein kinases and transcription factors associated with hormones and plant immunity were identified. The plant immunity-related genes were more activated under high grazing treatment, while more genes related to regeneration were expressed under light grazing treatment. These results suggest that M. sativa exhibits different strategies to increase resilience and stress resistance under various grazing intensities. Our findings provide important clues and further research directions for understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant responses to grazing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Eurasian forest-steppe, with increasing aridity, the balance between naturally co-existing forest and grassland patches is expected to shift towards grassland dominance in the long run, although feedback mechanisms and changes in land-use may alter this process. In this study, we compared old and recent aerial photographs of Hungarian forest-steppes to find out whether and how the forest proportion and the number of forest patches change at the decadal time scale. The percentage area covered by forest significantly increased in all study sites. The observed forest encroachment may be a legacy from earlier land-use: due to ceased or reduced grazing pressure, forests are invading grasslands until the potential forest cover allowed by climate and soil is reached. The number of forest patches significantly increased at one site (Fülöpháza), while it decreased at two sites (Bugac and Orgovány) and showed no significant change at the fourth site (Tázlár). This indicates that forest encroachment can happen at least in two different ways: through the emergence of new forest patches in the grassland, and through the extension and coalescence of already existing forest patches. Though the present work revealed increasing tree cover at a decadal time scale, the dynamic process should be monitored in the future to see how the vegetation reacts to further aridification. This could help devise a conservation strategy, as the woody/non-woody balance has a profound influence on basic ecosystem properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study evaluates two expedient electronic sensors, a rising plate meter (RPM) and a "Grassmaster II" capacitance probe (GMII), to estimate pasture dry matter (DM, in kg ha−1). The sampling process consisted of sensor measurements, followed by pasture collection and a laboratory reference analysis. In this comparative study, carried out throughout the 2023/2024 pasture growing season, a total of 288 pasture samples were collected in two phases (calibration and validation). The calibration phase (n = 144) consisted of measurements on three dates (6 December 2023, 29 February and 10 May 2024) in 48 georeferenced sampling areas of the experimental field "Eco-SPAA" ("MG" field), located at Mitra farm (Évora, Portugal). This pasture is a permanent mixture of various botanical species (grasses, legumes, and others) grazed by sheep, and is representative of biodiverse dryland pastures. The validation phase (n = 144) was carried out between December 2023 and April 2024 in 18 field tests (each with eight pasture samples), in three types of representative pastures: the same mixture for grazing ("MG" field), a commercial and annual mixture for cutting (mowing) and conservation ("MM" field), and legumes for grazing ("LG" field). The best estimation model for DM was obtained based on measurements carried out in February in the case of the GMII probe (R2 = 0.61) and December 2023 and February 2024 in the case of RPM (R2 = 0.76). The estimation decreased very significantly for both sensors based on measurements carried out in May (spring). The validation phase showed greater accuracy (less RMSE) in "MG" field tests (RMSE of 735.4 kg ha−1 with GMII and 512.3 kg ha−1 with the RPM). The results open perspectives for other works that would allow the testing, calibration, and validation of these electronic sensors in a wider range of pasture production conditions, in order to improve their accuracy as decision-making support tools in pasture management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]