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Arthur Pontes-Prates
Grazing Ecology Research Group, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, RS 90040-060, Brazil

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Journal article
Published: 19 October 2020 in Sustainability
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We explored the effects of heterogeneity of sward height on the functioning of grazing systems through a spatially implicit mechanistic model of grazing and sward growth. The model uses a population dynamic approach where a sward is spatially structured by height, which changes as a function of defoliation, trampling, and growth. The grazing component incorporates mechanisms of bite formation, intake, and digestion rates, but excludes sward quality effects. Sward height selection is determined by maximization of the instantaneous intake rate of forage dry mass. For any given average sward height, intake rate increased with increasing spatial heterogeneity. Spatio-temporal distribution of animal density over paddocks did not markedly affect animal performance but it modified the balance of vegetation heterogeneity within and between paddocks. Herbage allowance was a weak predictor of animal performance because the same value can result from multiples combinations of herbage mass per unit area, number of animals, animal liveweight, and paddock area, which are the proximate determinants of intake rate. Our results differ from models that assume homogeneity and provide strong evidence of how heterogeneity influences the dynamic of grazing systems. Thus, we argue that grazing management and research need to incorporate the concept of heterogeneity into the design of future grazing systems.

ACS Style

Arthur Pontes-Prates; Paulo César De Faccio Carvalho; Emilio Andrés Laca. Mechanisms of Grazing Management in Heterogeneous Swards. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8676 .

AMA Style

Arthur Pontes-Prates, Paulo César De Faccio Carvalho, Emilio Andrés Laca. Mechanisms of Grazing Management in Heterogeneous Swards. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (20):8676.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Arthur Pontes-Prates; Paulo César De Faccio Carvalho; Emilio Andrés Laca. 2020. "Mechanisms of Grazing Management in Heterogeneous Swards." Sustainability 12, no. 20: 8676.