Overgrazing in the Montado? The need for monitoring grazing pressure at paddock scale

Abstract

Montados are presently facing the threat of either abandonment or intensification, and livestock overgrazing has been suspected of contributing to reduced natural regeneration and biodiversity. However, reliable data are to our knowledge, lacking. To avoid potential risks of overgrazing, an adaptive and efficient management is essential. In the present paper we review the main sources of complexity for grazing management linked with interactions among pasture, livestock and human decisions. We describe the overgrazing risk in montados and favour grazing pressure over stocking rate, as a key indicator for monitoring changes and support management decisions. We suggest the use of presently available imaging and communication technologies for assessing pasture dynamics and livestock spatial location. This simple and effective tools used for monitoring the grazing pressure, could provide an efficient day-to-day aid for farm managers' operational use and also for rangeland research through data collection and analysis.

Long-term sustainability of cork oak agro-forests in the Iberian Peninsula: A model-based approach aimed at supporting the best management options for the montado conservation

“…Grazing pressure was defined as the ratio between stocking rate, i.e. the number of livestock units (LU) per unit area and unit time, and biomass (total dry weight of vegetation per unit area and unit time) (Allen et al, 2011;Sales-Baptista et al, 2015). From the 50's to present times, stocking rates in montado ecosystems increased from 0.10-0.15 to 0.24-0.40 LU ha −1 (Plieninger et al, 2004).…”

Climate Changes Challenges to the Management of Mediterranean Montado Ecosystem: Perspectives for Use of Precision Agriculture Technologies

“…As in other Mediterranean systems, the Montado is characterized by large spatial and temporal variation in the availability and quality of plant forage [39]. Besides herbage mass availability, the plant diversity and nutritive quality also vary seasonally, annually and with spatial location [5]. High seasonal fluctuations of light, temperature and soil moisture drive plant quality and availability.…”

“…Livestock grazing, including grazing behaviour in the presence of trees may also modify pasture composition [12]. Because legumes tend to be more sensitive to treading damage than grasses, a shift on pasture composition toward grasses may occur under heavy hoof action with consequent reduction in plant diversity [5]. The temporal variability (2016 → 2018) of the floristic composition may reflect the effect of soil correction (carried out in November 2017), but also the adaptability, with the predominance of species that are more resilient to thermal amplitudes, to the characteristics of the agricultural year (in terms of precipitation distribution), more tolerant to acid pH and excessive Mn concentrations.…”

“…In the Mediterranean climate, characterized by strong seasonality and inter-annual irregularity, pasture availability and quality vary significantly throughout the year, with a surplus of production during spring and scarcity during summer [5], and also from year to year, depending mainly on the The aim of this paper is to evaluate: (i) The effect of the tree canopy on the spatial and temporal variability of the soil and pasture productivity, quality, and floristic composition; (ii) the potential of PA technologies to monitor the soil and evolution of pasture productivity and quality.…”

Governance Discourses Reflecting Tensions in a Multifunctional Land Use System in Decay; Tradition Versus Modernity in the Portuguese Montado

“…This is reflected in a push towards intensification of the system and a simplification of its complexity, with a focus on beef production as the most important outcome of the system. In effect, this leads to a rapid degradation of the system's capacity to provide sustainable grazing practices [47,48], multi-functionality [49,50], and the related delivery of ecosystem services [51,52], including those related to the cultural values of rural and historical Mediterranean landscapes [53,54].…”