Research, Policy and Practice
Table 1 Comparison of the rotational grazing system and holistic planned grazing (source Savory, 1999)
From: Desertification and livestock grazing: The roles of sedentarization, mobility and rest
Decision basis | Rotational grazing system | Holistic planned grazing |
|---|---|---|
Grazing period | Number of paddocks and desired rest period | Recovery period needed |
Adjustments to grazing period | Height of grazed plants | Daily growth rate of plants, livestock performance, and/or wildlife needs |
Stocking rate | Estimated dry matter intake | Animal days per acre along with a reserve for drought and effective water cycling |
Use of herd effect | Not included | Essential in plan especially in xeric environments |
Wildlife/other land uses | Not included | Incorporated into plan |
Drought planning | Reserve grazing areas | Reserve time in all pastures |
Fire prevention | Not included | Routinely incorporated into plan |
Ecosystem application | Good short-term results in mesic environments | Developed for arid and semiarid environments |