20/12/2022
Repost : When cattle are managed properly they can actually help to ADD carbon back into depleted soils!
Grasslands need to be grazed to stimulate new plant growth. As grazing animals urinate and defecate onto the grass, they move nutrients around which increases soil moisture and feeds underground microorganisms, thereby increasing biodiversity and creating more fertile land for plants and animals alike.
Moving cattle off of a freshly grazed pasture allows the plants time to regrow and maintain their healthy root systems so they can feed carbon to underground microbial and fungal networks in exchange for nutrients the plants need.
Carefully managed, intensive grazing also stimulates diverse plant growth and helps ensure that one species of plant cannot overtake a pasture and shade out other forages.
In contrast, continuous grazing (a term used to describe situations where cattle are allowed to graze wherever they want as much as they want) can deplete plant root biomass, increases the bare ground in brittle areas, lowers SOC reserves, and can contribute to soil erosion and compaction, decreasing its water holding capacity. Sediments from eroded soils, both due to overgrazing and poor cropping, emit GHG when organic matter sediments enter anaerobic waterways.
Let’s also not forget that prior to the mid-1800s, there were an estimated 30-60 million bison, over 10 million elk, 30 to 40 million Whitetail deer, 10 to 13 million Mule deer, and 35 to 100 million pronghorn and caribou roaming North America. Yet nobody seems to acknowledge this when citing current “devastating” herbivore numbers.
According to a paper published in the Journal of Animal Science, in pre-colonial settlement America, methane emissions were about 84% of current emissions.
Without ruminants to keep forages grazed down and to deposit natural fertilizer, many pastures would become stagnant and overtaken by a few species of plants. Well-managed cattle can create healthier soils and more diverse plant life. This leads to better habitat for wildlife and reduces reliance on synthetic inputs like fertilizer.
