The Effects of Grazing on Blades of Grass

Grazing is a practice in which animals feed on naturally occurring grasses and plants on the ground in areas such as pasture lands and rangelands. Animals are capable of overgrazing and damaging grasses and other vegetation, meaning grazing must be managed to allow grasses to reproduce and grow throughout the year.

  1. Growth

    • Blades of grass are required to complete the process of photosynthesis that is used to create food for the survival and reproduction of grasses. Where plants are overgrazed the amount of tissue available for photosynthesis to take place is reduced, meaning carbohydrates such as fructose are not produced in sufficient quantities to maintain growth and reproduction levels. The blades of grass are used in the photosynthesis process to capture energy from the Sun that is converted into carbohydrates within grasses.

    Reproduction

    • The frequency of grazing on an area of land has a great effect on the grasses used for food by the animals. Where a piece of land is grazed frequently the opportunities for regrowth are reduced, with production of new plants reduced. When over use of grasses takes place an area of grasses may enter a period where levels of soil moisture, temperature and growth rate require a large area of grass blades to maintain the process of photosynthesis for survival and reproduction. Where the level of photosynthesis is too low the amount of excess carbohydrates produced using blades of grass required for new growth is not high enough.

    Carbohydrates

    • The vast majority of the area of each blade of grass is used to produce carbohydrates used for the daily survival of grasses. Within the plant's area beneath the surface and at ground level, grasses store carbohydrates for consumption during dormant periods, such as the winter. Where the blades of grass are grazed each plant must use its stores of carbohydrates for daily survival, meaning that when dormant periods occur the grass has insufficient stores of carbohydrates to survive.

    Grazing

    • Animals that are commonly grazed by farmers include cows, horses, sheep and goats in various countries throughout the world. Within the U.S., around 80 percent of the red meat products consumed are produced from the grazing of animals, according to Colorado State University. The land used for grazing animals usually consists of areas not suitable for the cultivation and production of vegetation used for human consumption. Grazing is used for environmental reasons to reduce the impact of soil erosion and water runoff, which can be avoided on areas of sod-covered soil.