Cows Influence Plant Composition of Pastures

Angus, or Scottish Highland: not all cows are the same when it comes to a preference for different shrub, herbaceous and grass species. Research work carried out by Agroscope with the Universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen in Germany shows that cattle breed influences the botanical composition of pasture. It's been known for some time now that through their consumption patterns, cattle, sheep and goats influence what plants grow on their pastures; less well known, however, is the impact on vegetation of grazing by different cattle breeds. Production-oriented breeds like Charolais, Angus, Braunvieh and Simmental differ from robust breeds such as Scottish Highland or Galloway cattle in terms of forage requirement, growth rate and weight. They also exhibit different behaviour in terms of movement and choice of forage. Highland Cattle Play Starring Role in Research Project In order to find out what effect cattle breed has on pasture vegetation, researchers at Agroscope and the Universities of Heidelberg and Göttingen in Germany compared the botanical composition of pastureland that had been grazed for years by Highland cattle with adjoining pastureland grazed by more-intensively reared cattle breeds. Altogether, the research team examined 50 pastures on 25 sites in mountain regions in Switzerland and southern Germany.