Climate change and variability impacts on grazing herds: Insights from a system dynamics approach for semi-arid Australian rangelands.

ABSTRACT: Grazing livestock are an important source of food and income for millions of people worldwide. Changes in mean climate and increasing climate variability are affecting grasslands' carrying capacity, thus threatening the livelihood of millions of people as well as the health of grassland ecosystems. Compared with cropping systems, relatively little is known about the impact of such climatic changes on grasslands and livestock productivity and the adaptation responses available to farmers. In this study, we analysed the relationship between changes in mean precipitation, precipitation variability, farming practices and grazing cattle using a system dynamics approach for a semi-arid Australian rangeland system. We found that forage production and animal stocking rates were significantly affec

SUBMITTER: Godde C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6771763 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature