Understanding sheep baa-haviour: Investigating the relationship between pasture and animal grazing patterns

Background:Grasslands are the primary source of feed for grazing livestock,and as such,knowledge on how to best manage livestock and grasslands,through the use of spatiotemporal modelling,will assist in the long-term management of a valuable ecosystem resource.Methods:This study was conducted over 14 months between March and April 2017 in Orange,NSW,Australia.The study evaluated sheep behaviour in relation to the presence of pasture species,environment and paddock structures,using random forest modelling,to predict sheep location under continuous high(HSR,13 DSE ha−1)and low(LSR,7DSE ha−1)stocking rates.Results:In the LSR,significant drivers included water,shade and fence lines(p<0.01).In the HSR,only fence lines and available biomass were found to be significant(p<0.01).The presence of green legumes in both stocking rates often increased residency by sheep.Animals spent more time together in the LSR,suggesting that social behaviour played a larger role than pasture quantity and quality in driving grazing behaviours.Conclusions:Understanding how pasture type can influence grazing behaviours and also how animal behaviour affects pasture performance and utilisation is important in developing long-term sustainable management strategies on a paddock scale.

Editorial

It is our honor to offer you this inaugural issue of Grassland Research.Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem on the earth.It produces an array of goods,including food,feed,fiber,and fuel,and ecosystem services as varied as weather amelioration,carbon sequestration,biodiversity enhancement,soil conservation,recreation,and the maintenance of the atmospheric composition.Historically,grassland has played an essential role in the development of civilization.Humans would likely be very different without their coevolution with grassland.The saying“All flesh is grass”indicates partially the relationship between humans and grassland.Currently,the world is facing many serious challenges and problems,including global warming,food shortages,water scarcity,land degradation and desertification,soil erosion,flooding,and other illnesses.These challenges will become more severe in the coming years,making the role of grasslands in our agricultural and ecological systems ever more important.Of course,grasslands cannot solve all these problems,but they can play a positive role in our future welfare.The development and application of science and technology,and the support of policy,will ensure that grasslands play a significant role in solving these problems.It is the obligation of grassland scientists together with other stakeholders to redouble our efforts to understand and improve grasslands.