Our paper about the effects of traditional and crossbred beef cattle grazing on the conservation values of alkaline grasslands and marshes has recently been accepted in Applied Vegetation Science. Please click here to download the pdf.
Kovácsné Koncz, N., Béri, B., Deák, B., Kelemen, A., Tóth, K., Kiss, R., Radócz, Sz., Miglécz, T., Tóthmérész, B., Valkó, O. (2019): Meat production and maintaining biodiversity: Grazing by traditional and crossbred beef cattle breeds in marshes and grasslands. Applied Vegetation Science doi: 10.1111/avsc.12475 [IF2018: 3.568]
 |
| Hungarian grey cattle is a robust traditional breed that maintains the highest naturalness values in alkaline habitats. |
Sustainable rangeland utilization considering traditions and economic reasons is compulsory for harmonising the needs of the agricultural and nature conservation sectors. For proper rangeland management it is crucial to compare the grazing effects of traditional breeds and crossbred animals of the same species that might have different effect on the rangelands. To fill this knowledge gap, in a grazing experiment we investigated the effect of cattle breeds on the vegetation to test the effects on nature conservation value and agricultural production value. We hypothesized that the effects of cattle grazing on habitat conservation values and forage quality depend on the grazing breed, because breeds differ in selectivity, body size and trampling effect. We recorded the percentage cover of vascular plants in three consecutive years in a total of 60 plots in 12 areas grazed by traditional (Hungarian Grey cattle, 0.61 AU/ha) and large-sized crossbred beef cattle (Charolais × limousine, 0.68 AU/ha) in marshes and alkaline wet grasslands in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary.
We found that the effect of cattle breed on the habitat conservation values and forage quality are dependent on the habitat type. The traditional breed maintained a significantly higher species number and Shannon diversity in the marshes than the crossbred beef cattle. Grazing of crossbred cattle led to decreasing moisture indicator values in marsh habitats. Our findings revealed that traditional breeds should be prioritized in the management of wet alkaline grasslands and marshes. Crossbred beef cattle might be a substitute but only in case when traditional breeds are not available for the management of alkaline wet grasslands. In marshes, however, we recommend to prioritize the traditional breeds as they maintain higher diversity compared to the crossbred beef cattle.
We found that the effect of cattle breed on the habitat conservation values and forage quality are dependent on the habitat type. The traditional breed maintained a significantly higher species number and Shannon diversity in the marshes than the crossbred beef cattle. Grazing of crossbred cattle led to decreasing moisture indicator values in marsh habitats. Our findings revealed that traditional breeds should be prioritized in the management of wet alkaline grasslands and marshes. Crossbred beef cattle might be a substitute but only in case when traditional breeds are not available for the management of alkaline wet grasslands. In marshes, however, we recommend to prioritize the traditional breeds as they maintain higher diversity compared to the crossbred beef cattle.
 |
| Alkaline grasslands and marshes of the Hortobágy National Park form one of the largest continuous open landscapes in Europe. |
No comments:
Post a Comment