Abstract
Current farming practices divide crop production and animal husbandry in order to efficiently cultivate single products that are in high demand. The vast scales of monocultures and intensive livestock production put stress on ecosystems by hindering biodiversity, draining soil fertility, and contributing to atmospheric and water pollution. Regenerative agriculture is a relatively new farming practice that aims to reverse the harmful effects of non-sustainable methods by emulating natural ecosystems to cultivate crops and livestock. Rotational grazing of livestock is a subset of regenerative agriculture that involves the application of the adapted grazing patterns of ruminants to foster a diverse ecosystem and promote soil health. This study observed the effects of rotational grazing cattle on land that had previously been used to grow crops. Each plot of land observed had utilized rotational grazing for various amounts of time, providing an experimental setup with a time series of plots. Several aspects of the soil and ecosystem were assessed, including soil nutrient content, organic matter content, metabolic activity, and plant biodiversity, and although some trends indicate that the rotational grazing of cattle may have improved the soil quality, continued observations and more time will be required to form definitive conclusions.