PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Species-rich agriculture is still more or less exclusively linked to small-scale, traditional agriculture, while monoculture prevails in intensive high-production systems. The main challenge therefore remains the implementation of a multi-species system in wider agricultural practise. In animal husbandry, such a concept can be implemented mainly through mixed multi-species grazing systems, which are both animal-friendly and sustainable husbandry systems. Therefore, in the following research project, we will focus particularly on multi-species livestock management of small ruminants in dedicated low-input grazing systems.

 

A mixed sheep/goat herd represents a potentially suitable multi-species breeding system, but its biological characteristics, interactions and dynamics are almost completely unknown. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to approximate husbandry conditions to those found in natural ecosystems and to gain basic knowledge about the functioning and temporal dynamics of a multi-species sympatric community of ecologically compatible domestic animals. In this respect, sheep and goats are potentially compatible parts of an interspecific grazing system, as their feeding niches do not overlap excessively; sheep prefer grass and herbs, while goats prefer trees and shrubs. However, under certain conditions there can be extensive overlap in food and habitat use, but in sympatry the overlap of resources is normally reduced.

The main objective of the project is to establish a mixed herd of indigenous breeds of sheep (Belokrajnska pramenka) and goats (Drežniška koza) on the area in transition between the former intensive apple orchard and the pasture. With the introduction of cross-species grazing on formerly intensively used agricultural land, another main objective is being pursued. That is, it will be investigated whether and to what extent grazing with small ruminants (goats and sheep) can contribute to the diversification of the sward and the stability of the grassland of a post- intensive orchard. The project results will make it possible to evaluate the rehabilitation of degraded landscapes in terms of plant species diversity and ecological stability, in particular diversification (in terms of species richness and composition) over three years of experiment and in comparison, to mown exclosures.

 

Our main objective is to examine:

i) the basic behavioural aspects of the establishing mixed herd and interspecific compatibility using classical ethological analysis (ethogram of basic behaviours, avoidance distance test), analysis of spatial activity (GPS tracking/GIS) and chronobiology of both species, and social network analysis based on inter- and intraspecific interactions,

ii) genotype-to-phenotype associations (grazing personality related to multi-species grazing sympatry, e.g. see Moreno Garcia et al., 2020),

iii) and the effects of multi-species grazing on the vegetation in the area, i.e. diversity, yield and temporal changes in the plant community.

 

Given the lack of knowledge on breeding systems where multiple species share the same grazing area at the same time, the present research project could provide additional, more detailed knowledge that is crucial for the effective implementation of multi-species livestock systems and for “building” more complex, sustainable and diverse agricultural production systems.