pasture

Pasture is land covered with grasses or other herbaceous plants that are grazed by livestock or used for forage. It is managed to produce forage and maintain vegetation cover. Pasture differs from meadows, which are maintained for hay and may be more permissive to flowering plants, and from rangeland, which is often a natural ecosystem used for grazing with less intensive management.

Pastures may be perennial (lasting several years) or annual (re-growing each year). They typically include grasses such as perennial ryegrass, fescues, timothy, orchardgrass, and bluegrass, mixed with legumes like white clover or alfalfa to improve nutritive value and soil nitrogen.

Management involves stocking rate, rotational or strip grazing, rest periods, mowing or hay harvest, fertilizer application (notably nitrogen on grasses and phosphorus/potassium as needed), drainage, weed control, and reseeding.

Ecological and economic role: pastures provide feed for livestock, support biodiversity when diverse swards are maintained, help reduce soil erosion, and can contribute to carbon sequestration through soil organic matter. Poor management can cause overgrazing, soil compaction, weed invasion, and decreased productivity.

Geography and climate: productivity varies with rainfall, temperature, soil, and season. In temperate regions pasture is common, while irrigation and drainage can extend usable productivity in arid areas.