Reduced domestic livestock numbers will reduce on the one hand the amount of prey and carrion from domestic animals but on the other hand will increase the number of wild prey because of the changed structure of the vegetation and may also provide improved habitats by virtue of increased cover. Conclusions It has been demonstrated in this paper that farmed ruminants play an important role in habitat management to influence biodiversity objectives. This is not to underestimate the need to understand better the habitat requirements of particular taxa or species, particularly those which have a rarity value, to augment the general understanding of the impacts of ruminants. The particular role for farm livestock in habitat management will depend upon the ecosystem found in the different regions of Europe but the application of the general principles outlined in this paper, combined with appropriate site-specific knowledge, can lead to the development of grazing strategies for different farmed species to meet nature conservation and environmental needs. These strategies do not necessarily conflict with animal production objectives and the maintenance of rural human populations.
Grassland invertebrates .
Chapman and Hall, London. Spatial response of arthropods to patchiness of upland, semi-natural grassland generated by different grazing regimes. UK Region of the International Association of Landscape Ecology, University of Reading. Plant strategies and vegetation processes . John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.