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Cited by 5Rangeland Management and Livestock EcologyPasture and Agricultural SystemsAgricultural and Rural Development Research

Pastures and Pastoralism

Schoof, Nicolas, Luick, Rainer·2018·Oxford Bibliographies in Ecology
DOI 10.1093/obo/9780199830060-0207
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Abstract

Pastureland (synonymously grassland) is land devoted to the production of forage for harvest by grazing, cutting, or both—no matter if the plant species are indigenous or introduced. They can be natural (native), semi-natural (managed and dominated by indigenous and naturally occurring plant species), and there is a significant share of pastureland with introduced species. Land is named rangeland, if vegetation is predominantly grasses, grasslike plants, forbs, and shrubs and if it is used for the production of livestock and/or wildlife. Finally, a pasture is a concrete spatial area where farmers keep livestock. Here we understood pastoralism simply as the agricultural activity of animal husbandry, no matter if performed on pastures or without spatial restrictions (nomadism). Estimates of the proportion of the earth’s land area covered by grasslands vary between 20–40 percent, depending on the definition. Those differences are due to a lack of harmonization in definitions (see Allen, et al. 2011). The selecting influence of grazers is the main difference to other natural grasslands (e.g., those growing beside natural tree lines). Livestock-grazed grasslands are the most important share of grasslands and occur in all biomes. The prehistoric populations of megafauna had a significant impact on ecosystems in certain geographical areas. Browsing, grazing, or selective feeding by these various species prevented many open landscapes from succession, thus allowing adapted communities to evolve. That is why a high biodiversity, often with rare species assemblages, characterizes (semi-)natural pasturelands. Grazers can form a multitude of vegetation depending on time and frequency of grazing throughout the year, the (livestock-)species including various breeds and its density per land unit. Today, vast pasturelands are overgrazed, causing serious environmental damages. Although some native and semi-natural grasslands are productive, the agricultural increase of productivity can often be achieved by intensification (e.g., by fertilizing or seeding non-native species/breeds). Such “improved” pasturelands tend to be species-poor and provide fewer ecosystem services. In many parts of the world, wooded pastures (woodlands) are quite common, mostly in landscapes, where agricultural intensification is restricted by natural constraints. Here, grazers distinguish a light canopy of trees/shrubs often mixed with grass/herbaceous species on the ground. Some of these systems are extraordinarily important for nature and environmental conservation. Pastoralism was and still is an essential part of humankind’s culture worldwide. It is a cultural heritage and object of investigation for countless studies focusing on the role of livestock for societies.

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  • Cart, barge, tent, yurt, and early stage of the caravan emerged in the pastoralism/true nomadism phase, representing the advancement of transportability in mobility systems.

    “Cart, barge, tent, yurt, and early stage of the caravan have emerged, representing the advancement of transportability in mobility systems (Schoof and Luick 2018).”

    From Reconceptualising nomadic architecture: from the body to the space creation (2023) · cites this paper as Schoof and Luick 2018

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Authors
Schoof, N., & Luick, R.
Affiliations
  • University of Freiburg (DE)
  • Rottenburg University of Applied Forest Sciences (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Oxford Bibliographies in Ecology
Publisher
Oxford University PressNew York, NY
Published
2018-11-29
DOI
10.1093/obo/9780199830060-0207
OpenAlex
W4230836111
Cited by
5
References
76
Citations by year
2023: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1
Type
reference entry
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
FreiDok plus (Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Agricultural and Rural Development Research
Keywords
pasture, grassland, pastoralism, rangeland, livestock grazing, overgrazing, semi-natural grasslands, natural grassland, non-native plants, megafauna, grazing intensity, ecosystem services, woodland pastures, agricultural intensification, biodiversity, cultural heritage, nomadism, forage production

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