Livestock species selection
Management Activity
Livestock species differ in their total pasture intake, grazing behaviour, forage selection and grazing techniques (e.g. cattle graze by encircling forage with their tongue and breaking it off with a sharp sideways movement of the head). Thus the type of livestock grazed will influence the plant species compostion and vegetation condition.
The direct impacts of livestock species selection may include:
- Increased soil compaction if cloven-footed stock are grazed
- Reduced invasion of environmental weeds in some situations if browsing species such as goats are grazed
- Reduced invasion of production system weeds in some situations if browsing species such as goats are grazed
Last updated: 04 November 2008