Bridging Ecology and Agronomy to Foster Diverse Pastures and Healthy Soils

Abstract

Renovating pastures to increase forage species diversity is a burgeoning practice among producers. Over a century of grassland and small-plot research suggests that increasing plant diversity can lead to improved pasture productivity, resilience, and soil health. However, it remains hard to decipher how these benefits translate to grazed production systems given the limited experimentation in realistic grazing systems. There is a disconnect between ecological and agronomic research regarding what qualifies as a “diverse” grassland or pasture. This review aims to examine the current state of research regarding plant diversity and its potential benefits for soil health in pasture systems, and outlines how we can improve our understanding and implementation of this practice in production systems.

Keywords

• pasture diversity
• biodiversity
• soil health
• grassland ecology
• grazing management
• plant diversity