Question

Overgrazing is a menace. Explain three impacts of overgrazing.

Answer 1

1. Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to livestock grazing for extended periods of time or without sufficient recovery periods.
2. It reduces the usefulness of the land and is one cause of desertification and erosion.
3. Overgrazing is also seen as one cause of the spread of non-native plants.
4. It can be caused by having too many animals on the farm or by not properly controlling their grazing activity.
5. Overgrazing reduces palatable plant leaf areas, which reduces interception of sunlight and plant growth. Plants become weakened and have reduced root length. The reduced root length makes the plants more susceptible to death during dry weather.
6. Overgrazing can increase soil erosion. Reduced soil depth, soil organic matter, and soil fertility hurt the land's future productivity.
7. Soil fertility can be corrected by applying the appropriate lime and fertilizers.
8. However, the loss of soil depth and organic matter takes years to correct. Their loss is critical in determining the soil's water-holding capacity and how well pasture plants do during dry weather.