Grazing Management to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Functions

and Ecosystem Services

A. Sh. Saparbiev

Chechen State University, Grozny, Russia

Keywords: Pasture management methods, regenerative agriculture, soil health, sustainable capitalism, ecosystem services.

Abstract: Ruminants, including livestock, have been blamed for causing damage to the environment and human welfare.

However, if properly managed, ruminants can play a significant role in efforts to reverse the environmental

damage caused by human mishandling and neglect. Worldwide, at least one billion people who live in

rangeland ecosystems depend on them for their livelihoods, typically through livestock and other ecosystem

services that affect human well-being. To ensure the long-term sustainability of rangelands and environmental

sustainability on a global scale, agricultural production strategies are urgently needed to transform current

harmful non-inorganic industrial farming practices into resource conservation practices that improve

ecosystem functioning.

1 INTRODUCTION

In order for people to live sustainably, land must be

used to enhance its self-healing potential and provide

essential ecosystem services such as stable and

productive soils, air quality, clean water, and

biological integrity. However, in most pasture lands

of the world, continuous or relatively uncontrolled

grazing exceeds the capacity, which is often

aggravated by additional feeding, has led to

degradation of vegetation and soils, reduced

productivity and biodiversity, as well as reduced

ecosystem sustainability. Pasture managers and

scientists have tried various forms of pasture

management to ensure sustainability or restoration,

but the results have been mixed. The most promising

(and controversial about its effectiveness) is an

approach combining integrated or systemic thinking

with creative, adaptive management to manage the

distribution of grazing over time, across landscapes

and plant communities, using planned movement of

livestock through a number of pens: strategic or

adaptive grazing management with multiple pens

(AMP) (Glazyev,2021).

The results of single-subject, small-scale, short-

term component scientific studies are useful for

mechanistic understanding, but problematic for

complex adaptive systems such as agroecosystems,

since they often overlook the interactions between

different elements and do not seek to identify the

unintended consequences of the options they

promote, and therefore have limited applicability to

managed landscapes. such as pasture lands. To bridge

the gap between single-subject, component-based

research and adaptive methods for effective resource

management, research should have a realistic,

appropriate scale and context; thus, it would be useful

for scientists to collaborate with financially

successful, environmentally-conscious farm

managers to conduct research. Skepticism and

curiosity are necessary in order to push the

boundaries of knowledge, sometimes questioning the

apparent consensus until a higher synthesis is

achieved. The scientific method requires constant

search for deviations from existing hypotheses and

constant verification of consistency between field

research, modeling and practical experience. In this

article, we present what has been published about the

advantages and disadvantages of grazing cattle in

multiple pens, how it is necessary to manage grazing

cattle in multiple pens to achieve the best results, and

hypothesize which studies will better understand how

managing grazing cattle in multiple pens can improve

the provision of ecosystem services and socio-

ecological sustainability of pasture ecosystems, while

avoiding unintended consequences. We rely on the

previous article, which comprehensively examined

the dichotomy between the results of the study of

rotational grazing and the contradictory results

172

Saparbiev, A.

Grazing Management to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Functions and Ecosystem Services.

DOI: 10.5220/0011556900003524

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Methods, Models, Technologies for Sustainable Development (MMTGE 2022) - Agroclimatic Projects and Carbon Neutrality, pages

172-176

ISBN: 978-989-758-608-8

 2023 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

obtained by farmers using AMP grazing. Our current

paper builds on the points discussed in this previous

review and includes AMP grazing results that have

been published subsequently (Gorodnitsky, 2019).

2 MATERIALS AND METHODS

Although simple forms of grazing management (for

example, postponement of grazing, rotational rest and

rotational grazing) have been recommended for more

than a hundred years as an important tool for

maintaining pasture productivity and improving

animal management, they are often applied rigidly,

rather than adaptively, and with mixed results.

Most, but not all, studies of cattle grazing in the

scientific literature have concluded that rotational

grazing is no better than light continuous (seasonal)

grazing, which sharply contrasts with the experience

of many AMP practitioners. This criticism of grazing

in multiple paddocks is based on a subgroup of

grazing management studies, which have generally

been developed and conducted in a reductionist

manner, rather than on methods that were probably

applied by representatives of successful grazing

farms, and therefore do not reflect successes. Made

with AMP on commercial ranches. The plan and

organization of experiments, which are often not

taken into account, show a great influence on the

results obtained (Yulkin, 2019).

Desired results are achieved by achieving specific

goals. Most of the rotary pasture treatments in the

experiments were not carried out in accordance with

management protocols, which, as it was shown, give

the desired results and underestimate the potential of

multi-pasture grazing to improve the functioning of

the ecosystem. In particular, the studies were of a

short-term nature and did not take into account the

critical factor of scale. The pens were grazed for too

long, and the plants were not given enough time to

recover from grazing. As conditions changed,

research management did not adapt to the changes,

but used fixed and predefined protocols. Due to the

lack of adaptation to constantly changing conditions,

it was not possible to achieve good livestock and

improve the use of resources (Bashmakov, 2021). The

researchers also focused on differences in

productivity without taking into account the negative

impact on key elements of ecosystem functioning or

the long-term accumulation of negative effects from

continuous grazing.

It is becoming increasingly clear that the key to

sustainable use and recovery after degradation is

short-term grazing, moderate grazing during the

growing season, leaving sufficient shelter for

children, followed by adequate and planned recovery,

which is facilitated by effective grazing management

protocols in various pens. adjustment of livestock by

feed biomass. The livestock factor has a great

influence on the productivity of plants, species

composition and productivity of animals; Therefore,

it has been thoroughly researched and is considered

by most scientists as a key management factor

necessary to maintain long-term profits while

maintaining the functioning of the ecosystem

(Glazyev, 2018). However, an adequate diet by itself

does not prevent the degradation of pastures, since

cattle in large paddocks constantly use preferred

plants and places.

This multiple preferred consumption of preferred

plants and plots leads to an uneven effect, so that even

at low livestock levels, local undesirable changes

occur in plants and soils, while these plots are

maintained and expanded, and the landscape

gradually degrades. Well-planned grazing can

mitigate these negative effects of grazing and

improve the species composition and functioning of

the ecosystem. Many farmers around the world have

used AMP pasture management to restore ecosystem

services and productivity on degraded pastures in

areas with annual rainfall of less than 250-1500 mm.

Many of these farms in more arid areas were

initially so devoid of vegetation that they could be

classified as diversified. It has been shown that more

effective management reverses the mechanisms

causing degradation, reduces the amount of desert

land, increases the rate of water infiltration, increases

the carbon content in the soil, increases soil

fertilization, increases soil biodiversity and

ecosystem communities, and restores the dominance

of the most productive plant species (Nikoláeva,

2018). All these functions are closely related to

changes in the composition of soil microbial and

biological communities, carbon and nitrogen cycles.

In addition to soil microbes, key organisms such as

beetles and earthworms have a strong impact on

ecological function, and farm management can be

adjusted to optimize the benefits they bring.

Farmers using AMP to graze livestock on their

pastures have received numerous awards for nature

conservation. These farmers work in vast,

heterogeneous landscapes where they face the

adverse effects of uneven pasture distribution and use

their collective environmental and management

knowledge to achieve excellent results by practicing

adaptive pasture management with multiple paddocks

(Porfiriev, 2010). Farmers using MPas with short

grazing periods, long recovery periods and adaptively

Grazing Management to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Functions and Ecosystem Services

173

varying recovery periods and other controls as

conditions change. Many pasture conservationists

(agency staff and consultants) are in constant contact

with farmers, both at the top and at the bottom, and

appreciate the positive resources and economic value

of well-managed pasture management (Nikoláeva,

2018).

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

For Better governance relies on good science

conducted on an appropriate and large scale.

Research in all areas of agriculture, including pasture

lands and forage ecosystems, must have an ecosystem

perspective and a complex system structure that

includes adaptability and creativity, and it is this

excellent synthesis that resolves the long-standing

debate on AMP and rotational grazing. In field

studies, it is impossible to control all variables,

especially when studying processes rather than

events, and this contradicts realistic scales and

context (Ministry of Environment, 2017..

Monodisciplinarity studies on small plots and pots do

not include the complexity and interactions that occur

in managed landscapes, but they are functional

elements that need to be understood and studied, as

they determine the response to different management

at the scale in which the territory is located.

We need to understand more deeply how we can

change the management of grazing systems in order

to take advantage of the positive ecosystem services

provided by soil biota, insects, birds and mammals

that affect the functioning of the soil, and minimize

management practices that lead to negative

consequences. Most of the studies of grasslands were

carried out on terrestrial biota, but since soil biota is

responsible for more than 90% of the functioning of

the soil vegetation system and ecosystem, it is

necessary to rely on a broad scientific base that

allowed us to understand the functions of soil

organisms. Soil biology and biodiversity determine

the basic functions of ecosystems that must function

well to provide basic services, so research on pasture

ecosystems should include key biological factors and

test hypotheses about causal mechanisms (Barnes,

2011; Carroll, 2016). These include the accumulation

of organic matter in the soil, the capture of solar

energy, the infiltration and retention of water, the

nutrient cycle and the maintenance of the necessary

biodiversity of ecosystems that provide these services

(Chiang, 2010; Herrero, 2013).

Based on the published research results we have

reviewed, our published studies and intelligence

samples in many pastoral settings, we have concluded

that only research at the scale of commercial ranches

and on properly managed ranches can combine the

effects of scale, quality management and adaptation.

management protocols to achieve the desired results.

We recommend including the following elements in

the study of biological components of grazing

management:

− increasing heterogeneity of livestock exposure

with increasing scale

− sufficient time for treatments affecting biology

and soil carbon, from 5 years in areas with high

annual precipitation and a long growing season

to 15 years in areas with less than 900 mm of

precipitation and a shorter growing season

− adaptive management to achieve the best

possible results

− parameters related to ecosystem functions as

well as production

− several trophic levels and disciplines: soil,

fungi, bacteria, plants, insects, wildlife, spatial

hydrology and socio-economic

− sufficient soil depth and spatial sampling

− Detailed assessments of the CO2 and 13CO2

fluxes in the static GHG chamber in the context

of each treatment to determine the current

carbon sequestration; this should be done in the

context of the control under study and only

after this treatment has been carried out long

enough to bring it into line with this particular

control.

− Regular life cycle analysis and cost calculation

to calculate the total cost of grazing methods on

farms and inputs such as fertilizers, pesticides

and pharmaceuticals to society.

− practice-tested modeling to provide

mathematical hypotheses to support our

scientific understanding and to assess which

combinations of management decisions

provide the best results in different locations

and contexts (Lugato, 2014; Martin, 2014).

4 CONCLUSIONS

Grazing in multiple pens provides measurable and

significant advantages over continuous grazing if it is

well planned and adaptively managed. However, it's

about complexity and creativity, not the handles

themselves: more handles make adaptive control

easier. This is the key to conserving resources and

restoring pasture ecosystem services to increase

farmers' incomes. Encouraging easy continuous

MMTGE 2022 - I International Conference "Methods, models, technologies for sustainable development: agroclimatic projects and carbon

neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

174

grazing in the hope that this will minimize the

negative consequences, at best, will only support or

slightly improve the degraded state of pasture

resources, limiting the ability of farmers to earn

decent, sustainable livelihoods. Why do so many

studies seem to challenge logic and experience?

When evaluating the results of the study, it is

necessary to take into account how the

implementation affected the results obtained and

whether it is possible to generalize the results beyond

the scope of the study.

In almost all "classical" pastoral studies, there are

two main problems, both of which are the choice

between simplicity and complexity, control and

reproduction in a realistic context. Most grazing

studies, for reasons of scientific rigor, have

considered widely used treatment methods that

exclude adaptive management, and together they

show that all forms of grazing management

("systems") without purposeful, creative and adaptive

management, they are limited in their effectiveness.

The vast majority of these studies have also been

conducted on too small a scale to account for the

diversity and unevenness of grazing (the process by

which degradation occurs), which together show that

small paddocks tend to graze more evenly.

This type of study is a larger landscape, but

divided into many small paddocks, which provides

the inherent advantage of MP (reduced paddock size)

even with continuous grazing. Thus, the problem is

not that the studies were poorly conducted, but that

their design excluded a realistic context, and the result

(usually without visible differences between

treatment methods) cannot be extrapolated to a large

and complex landscape. In contrast, a relatively small

number of studies that have a realistic context of scale

and complexity combined with well-designed

adaptive treatment have demonstrated numerous

benefits of grazing.

The approach to agricultural production should be

based on regenerative management protocols to

ensure the long-term economic and environmental

sustainability of agroecosystems. Environmentally

sound management of pasture ecosystems can make

a positive contribution to basic ecosystem services, in

contrast to the disadvantages of many existing

agricultural production systems. The philosophy of

restoration can be adopted by learning how to restore

the provision of ecosystem services in commercial-

scale landscapes. Many farmers using grazing

principles have improved ecosystem functions,

productivity, carbon and soil fertility, water retention

capacity and profitability. Their method consists in

using several pens per herd with short grazing

periods, adequate recovery periods and adaptively

changing recovery periods, residual biomass, animal

numbers and other controls as growing conditions

change.

On the contrary, many grazing management

studies did not take into account spatial effects, did

not follow adaptive research protocols, provided

adequate recovery periods after grazing, provided a

sufficient number of years to assess resource

improvement after grazing, and ensured sustainable

livestock production to increase net profit. economic

returns with constant changes in grazing conditions.

An ecosystem perspective and system structure can

be achieved by combining studies of small-scale

components within whole agricultural and landscape

systems. Many disciplines should focus on

determining how different management strategies

affect the causal mechanisms governing biological

functions on a local and landscape scale.

It will be important to supplement these studies

with modeling experiments in order to provide a solid

theoretical basis that can be applied not only in

research centers. Simulation models can not only

address these complex and interrelated issues at the

farm level, but can also be expanded to include the

assessment of production, resources and the

economic consequences of adopting various

management strategies.

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neutrality", Kadyrov Chechen State University Chechen Republic, Grozny, st. Sher

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