DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-098-6-0227

NENÍ PASTVA JAKO PASTVA – NÁVRAT KOMUNITNÍCH PASTVIN

NOT ALL GRAZING IS THE SAME – THE RETURN OF COMMUNITY PASTURES

Martina Brodská¹

¹ Komise pro životní prostředí obce Dolní Dunajovice, Dolní Dunajovice, Česká republika

For a very long time, livestock grazing has shaped both our rural landscapes and the lives of rural communities. In comparison, the period during which we have been detached from practices such as grazing - namely the present and the past few decades - is relatively short. Fortunately, our innate disposition has not yet disappeared: when we see or hear a grazing herd nearby, we are still compelled to pause, observe, and even share with strangers the simple joy of the presence of content animals on a healthy pasture. Whether grazing enhances and enriches the landscape or, conversely, diminishes its quality and opportunities depends on how it is practiced. Not all grazing is the same, and its outcomes are determined by a few key variables: the species and stocking density of grazing animals, as well as the duration and season of grazing. Since these factors are controlled by herders, the future of the rural landscape ultimately lies in their hands.

Keywords: extensive grazing, biodiversity, rural landscape, landscape management, open habitats

pages: 227-230, online: 2026