Impact of livestock on woodland ecosystems

 

Heavy grazing by domestic livestock in woodlands can prevent natural tree regeneration and reduce populations of valuable ground layer plant species. Grazing can also be needed to create the conditions that many valuable species of plant and animal require.

Projects

The aim of the projects below is to improve our advice both on reducing the damage caused by domestic livestock as well as on the use of domestic livestock as a management tool to achieve biodiversity objectives:

• A survey of cattle grazed woodlands in Britain
• Development of a web-based woodland grazing toolbox
• The impact of cattle on a Scots pine woodland
• Assessment methods for overgrazing in upland woodlands