Editing Overgrazing (section)

{{Short description|When plants are grazed for extended periods without sufficient recovery time}}
[[File:Overgrazing.JPG|thumb|300px|Overgrazed area in western [[New South Wales]] ([[Australia]]), by loss of native [[flora]], in the upper right corner]]
[[File:Israel Egypt Border.JPG|thumb|Satellite image of the border between [[Israel]] and [[Egypt]]. The Egyptian side, to the left, is overgrazed.]]
[[File:Cabrasnortechico.JPG|thumb|Penned goats in an overgrazed landscape (Norte Chico, Chile)]]
[[File:Wildebeest-during-Great-Migration.JPG|thumb|Huge herd of migratory wildebeest in [[Masai Mara]] during their annual migration shows landscape not overgrazed]]

'''Overgrazing''' occurs when plants are exposed to intensive [[grazing]] for extended periods of time, or without sufficient [[Ecological restoration|recovery]] periods.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mysterud|first=Atle|date=2006|title=The concept of overgrazing and its role in management of large herbivores|journal=Wildlife Biology|language=en|volume=12|issue=2|pages=129–141|doi=10.2981/0909-6396(2006)12[129:TCOOAI]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=55599448 |issn=0909-6396|doi-access=free}}</ref> It can be caused by either [[livestock]] in poorly managed [[agriculture|agricultural]] applications, [[game reserve]]s, or [[nature reserve]]s. It can also be caused by immobile, travel restricted populations of [[Indigenous (ecology)|native]] or [[Introduced species|non-native]] [[Wildlife|wild animals]].

Overgrazing reduces the usefulness, [[primary productivity|productivity]] and [[biodiversity]] of the land and is one cause of [[desertification]] and [[erosion]]. Overgrazing is also seen as a cause of the spread of [[invasive species]] of [[invasive plant|non-native plants]] and of [[weed]]s. Degrading land, [[Environmental impact of agriculture|emissions from animal agriculture]] and reducing the biomass in a ecosystem contribute directly to climate change<ref>{{Cite web|title=The relationship between overgrazing and the US environment |url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0b0f8d8bdffe4d02b72c2c5d92c0a78e |access-date=2021-03-20 |publisher=ArcGIS StoryMaps|date=13 March 2020}}</ref> between grazing events. Successful planned grazing strategies have been in support of the [[American bison]] of the [[Great Plains]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Laduke |first=Winona |date=1999 |title=All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life |url=https://archive.org/details/allourrelationsn00ladu |location=Cambridge, MA |publisher=South End Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/allourrelationsn00ladu/page/146 146] |isbn=0896085996 |access-date=30 March 2015 |url-access=registration }}</ref><ref name="Duke University">{{cite web |url=https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/Duval.pdf |title=Bison Conservation: Saving an Ecologically and Culturally Keystone Species |last1=Duval |first1=Clay |publisher=Duke University |access-date=April 13, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308011257/http://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/Duval.pdf |archive-date=March 8, 2012 }}</ref> or migratory [[wildebeest]] of the African [[savanna]]s,<ref>In [[Predator–prey equations|balance]] with, and accompanied by, prides of [[Keystone species#Predators|keystone predators]].</ref> or by [[Holistic management (agriculture)|holistic]] planned grazing.<ref name="Forbes-AS">[https://www.forbes.com/sites/terrywaghorn/2012/12/20/holistic-land-management-key-to-global-stability/ "Holistic Land Management: Key to Global Stability"] by Terry Waghorn. ''Forbes''. 20 December 2012.</ref>